My Name is Dave

Hi.  I have a new name now.  It's Dave.  You see, I am a boss.  I run a small business with my friend (shameless plug here).  We are new to being bosses, and finding it challenging and fun at the same time.  We are both Dave, and we refer to each other as such. 
What is the most challenging think about being the boss?  You are responsible for everything.  It is terrifying and liberating to think that if something doesn't get done, there is really no one else to take it over for you.  On one hand, you are able to do things the way you want.  On the other, you are the one responsible when things go wrong.   It's a lot like being a parent in that way, except no one expects you to make money being a mom.

This is what I thought it would look like to work from home with my children by my side.

So, what does a day look like for a small business owner?  We are finding that there is no typical day.  On any given day, we are working on promotions, advertising, pricing structures, web design, social media strategies, lesson planning, space/leasing issues, customer retention, teaching classes, and planning for the future among other things.  We are trying to manage finances, figure out how best to hire and pay employees It is a challenge to work in my normal load of housework, bill paying, grocery shopping and still find time for my other part time job.  That doesn't even include time for my family.  There is some time for my family, but it's built in between my business tasks.

This is what it actually looks like.

 Now, that is not to say that all is not well and that I don't enjoy my new position.   I think that I am getting more organized and am being forced to come up with more of a schedule for housework.  My daughters are having to be more patient, and are getting to see what it takes to build a business from the ground up.  They are getting to be a part of a really fun music and movement program, and are a great focus group.  My husband is being very helpful and supportive, and is there with an "'atta girl" when I need one. 

I guess I'll leave you with this thought.  Being a small business owner, especially being a new small business owner, is hard, confusing and scary.  It is also tons of fun, liberating and creates a sense of accomplishment.  We are building something new, necessary and helpful to people in our area, and we are having a blast doing it.  

Look out, world, the Daves are here and you are all going to have to walk a little faster to catch up. 

What About Me?

What is the biggest challenge for moms in the whole world? It is trying to figure out who you are, apart from your children. That is a crazy idea, but, even if you have a baby, it's something that we all have to think about. You know why? Some day, if we do our job the right way and circumstances allow it, they will be on their way, and we will be "us" again. Yes, we'll always be their moms, but we will once again be on our own, with free time, (hopefully) some extra money, and we will be of legal age to do almost anything!

                                                                  Yup, even that.

So, let's start making a list of the things that we want to do now, but we know that if we were caught it would look bad and you would probably be labeled as a degenerate by the Parent Teacher Council (unless,of course, you have them in on the activities with you).

So, what will we be able to do when we are able to be ourselves? We can travel to exotic, not necessarily kid friendly locations

 I hadn't noticed old people crossing the road with their hands up each other's asses before. I'll be sure to look for it now.






We can try new and exciting foods, we can listen to as much hardcore, Gangsta rap as we want with our windows down and our systems up because you know what? We won't give a ___sorry, can't say it. The kids are still in the room.

You get the general idea.

We'll be older, but not too old, and we'll be ready to reclaim some of the youth we were so eager to put on the back burner in order to raise our children responsibly. This doesn't mean, though, that we have to get stale, boring, bland and overly mature. We can still laugh at potty humor. We can still get a little wild with our friends, we can still be us because, in the end, that is what our kids are going to remember. They are going to remember our little idiosyncrasies and the things that made us special to them. They're also going to remember all of the things that you did to permanently scar your children (mine are going to remember because I am keeping a running log for them-so that they can just hand that sucker over to their therapist some day). Just be you. Don't worry about being a super parent. be the best parent you can be. Because, when they are grown and on their own some day, you are going to be left with yourself. Isn't it easier to act a little foolish if you've always been kind of a goof ball? I think there's less to explain that way. They'll just say "Oh, that's mom, she's a little crazy," instead of "Goodness, Muffy, Mother seems to have stepped off the deep end, perhaps we should have an intervention. She is eating her ice cream before her dinner!"

This picture has nothing to do with anything, but it makes me giggle. And that, my friends, is why I am a good, authentic parent.

Sibling Rivalry

So...it's been nearly a year since I have done anything with this blog, and I have missed it. However, life has been busy, I've been busy and I haven't been able to get going with my writing again...until now. You see, my sister started a really good blog. I mean really good. It's here. So, naturally, I had to start blogging again, because God Damn it, she CANNOT beat me at something else!

Me and my sister, before it all went to Hell.

You see, my sister, whom I love very much, is also my nemesis. She is my nemesister, if you will. I am older than her by 2 1/2 years, and ahead of her by one year in school. We are friends, we are sisters, and we HATED each other when we were growing up. Now, I hear you asking, "Why did you hate such a talented, smart, wonderful kid like Stephanie?" Do you really want to know why? We hated each other because we were always competing. Not only were we always competing, but she always won! In my eyes, that was just not right. I was older. I was tougher. But, somehow, she was smarter and just plain better at everything.
This wasn't like a friendly competition. Oh, no. This was a no holds-barred, balls out, two will enter and only one will leave type of competition.

Actual D'Orsay Family Christmas Photo

My favorite (translation: most mortifying) experience happened when she went to some math class in High School and her teacher (who had been my teacher the year before) told her that he didn't think that she belonged in that class, that it was too hard for her...because he thought she was me! It turns out that he would have been right. I can see that now. I laughed at the time but it wasn't that real laugh. Now I laugh about it for real...uh-huh... sure I do.

No, really, I do. You know why? A few years ago, I figured out that my sister wasn't the root of all evil. She wasn't even the root of a little bit of it. She was just a cute kid who worked a whole lot harder than I did on most things. She was always studying. She was always practicing. She was always working. I was not. I made a choice in school to do fine but not to really push myself because, honestly, my social life was much more important to me than anything else. It's just one of many lessons I wish I could go back and slap my stupid self silly in high school. I would say "Look, stupid, you have chosen to go out, have a lot of fun, goof off and do your best in school-as long as it doesn't interfere with your social life. That's okay. It's going to work out just fine for you. But don't get mad at your sister because she is willing to work harder. Be proud of her."

Now I am. I also have two children. Two little daughters who are 3 1/2 years apart. I see the seeds of sibling rivalry starting to germinate. I know that it's going to raise it's ugly head soon, and I hope that we can all make it without too many cage match type fights. Until then, I'll just prepare the cage, set admission prices, and get ready to RUMBLE!

Love you, Steph. And, since you love clowns so much, this one is for you.

I'm sorry I was such a bastard to you for so many years, but at least we can laugh about it. Now, look at those clown faces again.

Home Made Whole-Wheat Thin Crust Pizza-From Scratch- For LAZY People!

I love home made pizza. I love thin crust pizza. I hate recipes that require a lot of hard work.
That is where this recipe comes in. It is easy, tastes great and makes a great pizza. It is a basic KitchenAid pizza dough recipe but with a few additions.
You'll need:
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2-3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1-2 tbsp. Olive Oil
Garlic and Herb seasonings (or fresh, diced garlic and herbs if you prefer) to taste.
Possibly 1-2 tbsp. warm water if the dough looks too dry.

Let the Yeast "bloom" in the Cup of water (I usually warm up the mixing bowl a little bit by running it under the warm tap for a few seconds. Then I put the yeast in the bowl, add the warm water, and let it sit). Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Add 2 cups of whole wheat flour and mix on low (again, I use a Kitchenaid Mixer because I am lazy) but you can mix or knead by hand. Mix for a few minutes. Add in Garlic and Herb seasonings and olive oil. Mix until dough until the dough forms a ball around your dough hook. I generally have to add a tbsp. of warm water to make sure the dough is just sticky enough to form a nice ball but not too wet. 90% of your dough (at least) should be attached to the ball around your dough hook.
Voila! You have pizza dough! Let it rise in a greased bowl with a lint-free towel over the top for an hour or until doubled.
PUNCH THAT DOUGH after an hour. It feels good and my daughter loves helping me with this part. Coat your pizza pan or cookie sheet with a little bit of olive oil and some cornmeal. Roll your dough out as thin as you can. Top with sauce (or, my favorite, a little bit of olive oil and some finely chopped garlic) and cheese/other toppings to taste!

Why First-Time Moms Lose Their Minds

It's the truth! This video (courtesy of Mompetition on YouTube) so perfectly lays out the path for first time moms to go absolutely insane! Watch this one-and then watch every other video she's done-they are all brilliant.

Yoga Pants or Sweat Pants?

Isn't that the great question for so many stay at home moms? I know, when I go to the bus stop there are three groups of moms.
1. People who work outside of the home during the day. You can tell they do because they are wearing real clothes. You know, clothes that look clean, make an outfit, and make the people look like professionals, adults, not slobs.
2. Sweat Pant wearing moms (this includes people in pajama pants, too). Generally they are wearing some sort of large sweat shirt (typically a Men's size) and a T-shirt with a Disney character on it.
3. Yoga pant wearing moms: (also other types of athletic pants not to include wind pants.) Usually work out or like to give the appearance of working out right after the bus leaves.

I am not a sweat pant wearing mom because I don't like sweat pants. I am, however, often times a yoga pant wearing mom and occasionally a real clothes wearing mom. I am always amazed by how much better I feel if I actually get ready, have real clothes on and feel "put together" for my day when I go to the bus stop. Sometimes, I'll change into jeans and a nice top just for the bus stop (because, let's face it, as a stay at home mom there are some days when that's the only time I get out of the house or see other adults all day!) just to come home, change into my workout clothes, and get my sweat on.

It's interesting how, when I was working outside of the home, I never would have gone "out," even to the bus stop, in my yoga pants. I really put much more emphasis on feeling and looking good because I felt more like it mattered. And, in some ways, it did matter more. I'm not going to be written up because I look like a slob when I'm cleaning the tub or changing diapers, but I would at least be talked to if I showed up to facilitate a meeting in a dirty t-shirt, un-showered and wearing yoga pants.
However, that's where I am now. In some ways, I like my new "uniform," and I love this job. I like wearing comfy clothes, having the relative freedom to structure my day, do my work in my pj's if I want to, and to play with my youngest daughter while the oldest is in school. However, a part of me yearns for the "old" me-who wore makeup and jewelry, had nice work clothes, did my hair, and got raises. Maybe that's a new part of my goals for 2011. Keep working out, keep eating healthy, get more organized, and wear real clothes to the bus stop in the morning.

My Dog...

My dog is not a genius. I've known this from the beginning, when she was a puppy, but I never really realized just how dumb she is until a few weeks ago.
Now, to preface this story, my dog is really sweet, excellent with the children and generally well behaved. She was house trained really quickly, doesn't bark a lot and makes us happy. She's also 8 years old and
A few weeks ago we bought a stake to put in the ground with a 30 foot leash attached. We decided to do this so that she could go out, do her business (which is getting more frequent as she gets older) and come in without me having to take her out all day long.
Our house sits in the middle of what we affectionately call "the moat." Our house is on a raised plot of land with woods around it. The woods are lower than the house and in the spring they tend to get very wet. Our dog run is long enough for our dog to get into the woods and around a tree or two. These are very small trees.
So here's the situation. Last Sunday I let my dog out. She quickly twisted her leash around the trees and started barking for me. I went out to get her. I pulled her back around the tree and she was completely amazed that I knew how to get her out of such a horrible predicament. We did this three more times that afternoon and each time, she looked at me like I was a wizard as I brought her around that tree.
I looked back at her, after my third rescue, completely flabbergasted. "Ellie!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air, "I love you but I don't believe you can really be that stupid!" She jumped around, wagged her tail, and ran inside.
My husband got home, let her out, and she tied herself around the tree again. He was the magician this time.
Since I started writing this blog entry, about a month has passed. Ellie still is getting tied up around the trees, rocks, pieces of bamboo, you name it. I've now given up the hope that if I show her how to free herself, she'll figure it out. I still love her, I just won't be relying on her for any rescues or great demonstrations of logic in the future.