chocolate: for better and for worse

For better:


If you are going to indulge in chocolate gifting for valentine's day, why not go for something a bit more special than a drugstore boxed selection?  Here are four chocolate's I wish I was getting for the holiday (or really anyday!). 

• Teaism's chocolate salty oat cookies: sorry, unless you live in DC, you are out of luck
• Home-made caramel marshmallows: for the valentine who drinks hot chocolate just as an excuse to get to the marshmallows; also comes in flavors like cardamon and espresso!
• Drunken figs: figs soaked in sherry and dipped in chocolate, oh my my
• Chocolate mice: dark chocolate/orange, milk chocolate/mocha, white chocolate/cinnamon (all have almond ears)

For worse:

You would think, based on my comments above that I was a reasonable chocolate eater, holding out for "special" and dutifully snubbing pedestrian chocolate-eating opportunities.  I would have you seriously fooled.  Not only would I eat nearly any chocolate in front of me [except for this chocolate-sauced beef strip I recently saw on semi-homemade...bleck], I would eat nearly any sugar put in front of me.  Like many Americans, I seem to be completely addicted to sugar and unsure how to break the habit.  Oh sure, I know how.  Everything in moderation. 

However, the amazing treats I highlighted above would be consumed in this fashion if they entered my home (assuming most of them come in packs of four): 1. eaten immediately--to show gratitude to the gift-giver, of course; 2. shared with the gift-giver--I am not greedy; 3. eaten after dinner--need something sweet to make me feel like I finished the meal; 4. eaten for breakfast the next morning--I simply could not resist.  Then, they would be gone.  And, worse yet, I would already be searching for the next sugar fix.  This is not the example I want to set for my DLO and nannychild.  I also know that this path is only setting me up for serious health-problems.   

Working at home both eases the challenge and has set me up to face new problems as I strive to bring balance to my diet (and life).  On one hand, I don't have the ever-beckoning call of the office vending machine, meetings with sugary treats, and shared goodies in the kitchen.  On the other hand, if something is in my house, it doesn't cost me any money to go and finish it off.  When I take the kids out for walks, for some reason I feel like I deserve a treat for venturing out of the safety and relative-ease of my living room.  A new cupcake store? Why yes, that sounds delightful.  If nothing else, I get to talk to the adults serving me up these treats and adult-interaction is oh-so-needed--the cherry-on-top--to take the metaphor too far. 

my first day as a nanny

On day one, I fell in love with my son all over again. A new baby is in our home, clearly upset and DLO keeps flashing me this face, like, "We got this, Mom. Don't worry."  He talked and smiled and smiled and talked, as though encouraging nannychild to stop crying.  I couldn't help but laugh out loud and told him with my eyes, "thank you."  Even if you are an absolute terror the rest of the day, rest of the week...thank you for giving me the confidence and affirmation that this was the right choice for us.  Now a week later, I'm still convinced becoming a stay-at-home nanny was a brilliant idea each time he opens his eyes from a nap and wriggles with delight that I am still here.  As blog posts go...Boring? Maybe.  Real-life?  Yes.