We’re back! So, listen... it was August and I’ve always wanted to be French so, like them, I just decided to take that month off. Ironically, I’ve always told anyone who ever asked for advice that the worst thing you could ever be on social media is inconsistent but, hey, we needed to go dark for a little bit so I could gather my thoughts. It was certainly a crazy summer. The book tour for Casa Marcela left my soul filled to the brim with excitement. Working on Anna’s baby foods has opened up some doors and windows. Marla, my beloved assistant, was offered a phenomenal job and I, of course, encouraged her to take it. I’m all about growth and empowerment and supporting the women that pass through Casa Marcela! I also decided that I was going to hold off on getting another personal assistant and yes, I know that this is where the post becomes totally unrelatable... I mean, how many out there have a personal assistant that can jump in and carpool while mom is in a conference call with a half dozen execs? And that’s the thing about choosing to make this a home office and having all the content I put out for you guys be totally and completely inspired by my home life: the two worlds not only collide, but actually, they are pretty much one and the same.
It always baffles me when people get all weird about me having a nanny. How the heck am I supposed to run this company or attend a meeting or travel if I don’t leave the children with a responsible caretaker? The biggest laugh I had recently was with my new best friend/work husband Jason Smith, the winner of Food Network Star. I was explaining this dilemma and we both concluded that the only solution was to fire the nannies and leave the children outside, tied to a tree, with bowls of kibble and milk. That would make me more relatable. Why are we so unsupportive of each other? And, honestly, why do we care how another mom manages as long as she manages? I find it so bananas when people go after, say, Gwyneth Paltrow. It's like people can't handle she's a mom AND she has a $3500.00 YSL blazer for sale on her site (I can’t buy that one either). Is she supposed to pretend she buys her sweats at the big box store? Should she lie and pretend to be like us? No. It's ok. We're not her market... but somebody is out there buying because she’s still very much in business. And good for her because she's a mom and a boss. Anyway, I digress: this isn’t about Gwyn. This is about me trying to understand why the very few negative comments I ever get on social (seriously it’s, like, less than 1%) always come from a woman, and 90% of the time, that woman is a mom. I think we should just stick to celebrating each other regardless of what our experiences are. After all, we are on this motherhood journey together… and it's a tough one!
I’ve never felt it appropriate to share my struggles as a mom with regards to the actual parenting of my children because things on the internets live pretty much forever and the dynamic between my children and me is also half theirs. If they ever choose to talk about all the times I lost my shit, so be it, but I won’t expose them. That said, needless to say, having two in diapers and one entering teenageland can be a lot to balance sometimes. With Fau, all of a sudden, I’m more of a disciplinarian; just comes with the age and territory. With the babies, it’s just fun and photos of Instagram and making sure no one jumps down the staircase. The babies just seem so easy to me. I find the shift from one age to the other a little heavy sometimes, especially when we’re all at the dinner table or in the car... but I got lucky. These kids’ bodies carry old, kind, generous, compassionate souls. But they all need to be watched from a VERY close distance.
So that’s why I’ve decided to hold off on the personal assistant. I want to run my home again. It’s been a tumultuous couple of weeks while I adapt, to say the least. I have, for example, been brushing my teeth with a Minions tube of toothpaste for the past week because I keep forgetting to go to the store to get some. And on my first day of carpool last week, they needed to get tardy slips. I just couldn’t get out of the house at 6:40. It was 6:53 when we left and it was too late… we didn’t make it.
But we did make it TODAY, and the kids had really good lunches. I was able to get all of Fau’s uniforms and take them to the seamstress. I made lasagna. I signed Fau up for flag football (actually Philip did but the point is it got done) and a computer programming class. David has a shot appointment that’s on-schedule for the first time in 6 months. I got Anna her favorite teething biscuits. I’m home.
The babies are kind of spectacular, for sure. But Fau… well, this is the time when you need to be around. I don’t want to miss anything. Soon, he’ll be gone to college and starting his own little life. I think the babies reminded me that he was them, like, yesterday. So I’ll keep posting. You guys keep being amazing and telling me what you think. And in the meantime, I’ll be over here making stuff my babies like. Like these mango-ginger chile ice pops. These are spicy though, so not for the lilttle babies... for the teenager. Don’t tell the babies but, this week, he’s my fave. They rotate.
Besos, familia… M
Apple Mango Ginger Chili Icepops
Ingredients
- 1 apple, peeled, cored, and quartered
- 2 mangos, peeled, cored, cut into pieces
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Agave nectar, to taste
- Chamoy
- Tajín chili powder
Directions
In a blender combine apple, mangoes, water and ginger. Blend until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Add agave and sweeten to taste. Add chili powder to popsicle molds. Fill with mango mix half way, and add a squirt of chamoy. Continue to fill with mango mixture until filling mold all the way to the top. Repeat process for the remaining popsicle molds. Freeze for about 3-5 hours. Remove popsicles from mold and enjoy!
