Being a mom is hard + freezer cookie recipe

Today was going well. We had a little time with daddy before he left for work. We put Dakota in a beautiful dress and Oliver was using the toilet like a champ. The egg sandwiches for breakfast were delicious, the sun was out, we played outside, and then...

Life got hard. 

As I walked in the kitchen to grab our bowls of salad for lunch (leaving my 2 yr old son and 2mo old daughter alone in the family room - not the best idea I realize) I heard a scream. 

I ran in to see Dakota obviously hurt and Oliver trying to defend himself. "I not hurt her mommy" he told me. Except the big white mark on her forehead surrounded by red was telling a different story. As I realized the severity of the situation (considering the worst- perhaps he had kicked her or thrown something hard at her head) I told him I needed the truth now. 

Since he was insistent that this wasn't his fault I told him to sit on his bed and think until I could calm her down and talk to him. I started crying before she stopped. She looked really hurt and I had no idea what had happened. I opened Oliver's door with the remnants of tears on my face, and Dakotas, and told him that we are on the same team. 

I told him our family needs Dakota to be better. We love her and need to help her ouchie. I don't know how to help her ouchie if I don't understand how it happened. "Did you use your hands? Your feet? A toy?" He stayed silent. I decided to give him space so he wouldn't get overwhelmed and not trust me with his truth. 

Minutes later he showed up holding organic hand cream and bandaids. "I help Koko's ouchie" he stated. I smiled, and he burst out crying, from guilt. Finally, finally, he let it out. "I use Koko's head for playing cars" he admitted and showed me on the carpet how he scratched his fingers along a road-like path. I felt relief not only because the white mark was simply a finger scratch, but because Oliver had learned a vital lesson in confession. That the consequence of lying (Dakota being hurt with no way of getting better) was far worse than the consequence of his bad choice. 

A no pants photo from earlier this week

It's so hard being a mom, but so worth it. 

Once they calmed down and both fell asleep I used the spare time to make a comforting snack. I needed it!  

I've posted this before but here's a halved version for when you're in need of a small, quick snack. 

Freezer cookies

Boil: 2 T butter or coconut oil, 1 cup raw sugar, 2 T milk & 2 T cocoa powder, for one minute. Add 2 T peanut butter, 1 1/2

cups oats and 1 tsp vanilla. Drop on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen you can keep them in a container.