Mother’s Day is such a different thing for me now that I’m a mom. Until you are a mom, you will never know how hard it was for your mom. This is a brutal job.

Having been on the kid end of Mother’s Day for over 30 years and recently stepping over the line onto the Mommy end of Mother’s Day, I have some new observations about this holiday!

As a kid, Mother’s Day was a day when I thought about what my mom meant to me, and tried to express it to my mom in one form or another, be it writing a note, making a card, or some other token of my love and affection. Kids love their moms, and Mother’s Day gives them a day to think about that fact.

Now that I’m a mom, Mother’s Day is a bittersweet day for me. Seriously. It’s a day of serious reflection — about things I do right, the millions of things I do wrong, the gravity of being the center of the universe for three little someones. I know my kids are loved and happy, which gives me hope that I’m not a total parenting failure, although I often feel like my parenting style is a constant stream of momfails.

Every person has a different experience, and there are different seasons in life, even when you’re a mom. I am in an intense time right now where I have three little boys, and the oldest is not even four years old yet! That’s a whole lotta little boy chaos going on!

I get frustrated because I spent a lot of years in my pre-kiddo adult life doing projects all the time. I like doing projects, and it is sooo hard to do them now. That doesn’t keep me from signing onto new projects, and creating new loads of unnecessary work for myself, of course. I guess I like a challenge. But, there is a huge list of things I want to do that I usually can’t squeeze into my day. I manage to write because I love it and it’s one of my primary driving forces, but many tasks go undone (cleaning house, cooking great meals, playing enough with the boys). Sometimes I’m not sure why I do that to myself!

I have never been a woman who has just wanted to be a mommy and that’s it.* I put off motherhood for the first almost-10 years of my marriage. Not because I didn’t want to be a mom, but because I wanted to make sure I was ready. For the record, I don’t think you can ever be totally ready! Being a parent is such an all-consuming, 24 hour-a-day, relentless job, and there is absolutely no way to prepare for it. It would make my life a lot easier, I think, if all I ever wanted to do was be a mommy. Being a mommy AND other things (writer, blogger, producer, crafter) is incongruous in a lot of ways, especially when your kids are small. I seriously fantasize about having a desk job so I can get stuff done!

Those of you on the other side of toddler town can probably tell me to hang in there. Don’t worry, I will. It’s just hard out there for a mom!

*It’s probably really unfair for me to assume that any woman out there only wants to be a mom. People aren’t that simple.

One fun-to-drink item that is also fun for toddlers to help “cook” is a fruit smoothie! These are a great afternoon snack, and a good way to sneak in some fruits and veggies for a toddler who might not want to eat any. Toddlers love adding ingredients to the blender, and pushing the button to start and stop the blender. Just make sure the lid is securely on, and never let a toddler near a blender unsupervised! Here are my instructions for how to make a smoothie.

You can use almost anything you have in the kitchen for a smoothie. You just need to have:

• a liquid (milk or juice are good) – about 1 cup per person
• a fruit or veggie (banana, berries, sweet potatoes, pumpkin puree)
• optional mix-ins (peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, sweeteners, yogurt or frozen yogurt, wheat germ)
• a few ice cubes
• a blender is pretty much a must, too!

Tips:

This Drink is Bananas: One of the best items to include in a smoothie is a banana. The more ripe the banana is, the sweeter it is. Making a smoothie is a great way to use up an overripe banana that you aren’t interested in eating. I usually buy too many bananas just so I will be able to use the one or two leftovers in a smoothie! Also, bananas are a great binder and give a smoothie a good consistency, and help other ingredients to incorporate well. If you don’t like the flavor of bananas, reduce the amount to a third or half a banana. You will still get the binding properties without such a strong flavor.

Ice, Ice, Baby: A few ice cubes are a good addition (especially if you use milk in your smoothie) because they help break up excessive foam that might be generated from whipping milk in your blender. They also make the smoothie cold and refreshing, of course! I usually add 1/2 a tray to start with, and work my way up from there. If you add too many ice cubes, the consistency of your smoothie can get chunky (especially if you aren’t using a banana!)

Sweeteners: I use sugar-free vanilla syrup or Splenda, but you can use honey, agave, sugar, stevia or other sweeteners as well. Remember, if you are using a ripe banana, you might not need any additional sweetener!

Good Pairings: You can use almost any fruit in a smoothie, just be mindful of how you pair the fruits together. The real trick is choosing the right liquid base. If you want a more milkshake-like smoothie, choose a milk base and a non-citrus fruit. For a refreshing and tangy smoothie, start with a fruit juice and maybe add some yogurt (fresh or frozen).

Fruit: You can use fruit in nearly any state: fresh, frozen, or canned. Some suggestions: Fresh — mango, pineapple, banana, berries, peaches. Frozen — berries, multi-fruit mixes, peaches. Canned — peaches, pineapple, sweet potatoes, pumpkin puree.

Mix Ins: If you have ever purchased a smoothie at a juice shop, you know they have a large number of items you can add into a smoothie. Things like vitamin boosters are common. In your case, you probably won’t have too many vitamin boosting powders, but you can add extras that will make your smoothie taste good or will boost nutrition. Frozen yogurt will trick you into feeling like your smoothie is like a milk shake, as will cocoa powder, peanut butter, and extra sweeteners. Any of these are good ways to indulge in a healthy way! Something like wheat germ will boost the nutritional value of your drink.

Leftovers: Smoothies don’t save well, so if you have leftovers, pour them into a popsicle mold or ice cube tray. Don’t worry if you don’t fill a mold up all the way! Just add some complementary fruit juice until the mold is full. If you use an ice cube tray, just throw the smoothie ice cubes into your blender next time you make a smoothie.

Infinite Smoothie Recipe:

I call it “infinite” because there are infinite ways to mix this smoothie up to get a custom drink. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

Basic recipe for one or two people:

• 1-2 cups of liquid
• 1 cup of fruit (or 1 banana)
• 6-12 ice cubes
• Optional items (mix-ins, sweeteners, spices and flavorings)

Blend for 1-2 minutes or until fruit is pureed and ice is completely crushed.

Elvis Smoothie:

If a peanut butter and banana smoothie is wrong, I don’t want to be right! I drank these almost daily during the last months of my pregnancy with my third child! Because PB has about 100 calories per Tablespoon, it’s a good idea to share this one with a friend.

• 2 cups of milk
• 1 banana
• 2-4 Tablespoons of peanut butter
• 6 ice cubes
• Sweetener, if needed

Easy Banana Smoothie:

• 2 cups of milk
• 1 banana
• 6 ice cubes
• Sweetener, if needed
• Clove powder

Sunshine Smoothie:

• 1 cup of orange juice (or a cup of water and 2 T. frozen orange juice concentrate)
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 banana
• 6 ice cubes
• Sweetener, if needed

I love brown sugar! I love coffee! Wonder twins unite! Form of: Brown Sugar Latte!

Yum!

This is a yummy, slightly sweet latte. The brown sugar dissolves easily into the milk, and tastes warm and cozy. Everything’s better with brown sugar!

You need:

• a shot of espresso or half a mug of strong brewed coffee
• a cup of milk
• 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar (or to taste)

To Make:

• Prepare a shot of espresso, or pour half a mug of strong brewed coffee.
• Steam milk using espresso machine, or
• To steam milk in the microwave: pour milk into a jar, cover and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or so. Heat in microwave (without lid) for 30-45 seconds.
• Dissolve brown sugar in warm milk.
• Pour coffee or espresso into milk.
• Top with foam, and sprinkle foam with brown sugar.

Sit back and enjoy your delicious beverage!