Perch

Today the Artist is 13. Unfortunately , she and I are both a bit under the weather with colds. I'm hoping we will both feel much better by tomorrow for her party.

Today she enjoyed breakfast in bed. That's a nice treat now that she is an "older kid" and nice when you're not feeling well. I hope she was able to look around from her perch on her bed at her newly painted and decorated room with the new bedding and curtain set she picked out and feel special for her birthday.

It is a great coincidence, and lucky for the Artist, that today is the first broadcast game of Spring Training for the Cleveland Indians, thus no school work was scheduled for today. I make this day my own personal holiday. I am eagerly awaiting the call from Tom Hamilton's press box perch, "...And today's first pitch, and we're underway from Goodyear Ballpark..." Once I hear that it will be spring time.

The Engineer demonstrated yesterday the most unusual posture for doing schoolwork. The Artist used to do this too, and I cannot figure out how it can be too comfortable. He is perched atop his chair like a chicken on its roost.

Birthday Party

The Engineer recently turned 7. He wanted to be a king for his birthday. That one stumped me for a while, but in time I latched on to a Mardi Gras theme.

We decorated with purple, green and gold, the Artist made a beautifully festive cake (sans little plastic baby bauble). The Engineer approves! And he got to arrange his candles. The kids all made mardi gras crowns with a vast selection of glue-on and stick-on decorations. I talked with the kids about Epiphany ("Kings Day"), carnival season, and the grand culmination in Mardi Gras.

During the party the boys opted to play with race cars, foosball, football, a toy shooting gallery, and the young lady who attended go to join the Artist in playing dolls.

The king-for-a-day and his court:

Birthday Surprise

The UPS driver brought me a beautiful surprise today:A delectable birthday present from my brother- and sister-in-law!

My actual birthday is Thursday, but the family is getting together tonight to celebrate. And this gift will be enjoyed all week long!

Four Oh!

Happy birthday, Rick!

Rick's co-workers were enthusiastic in their birthday wishes!!!
They also treated him to a taped-shut coffee mug, a tape-disabled mouse, and a telephone receiver taped to its base.

I want everyone to know you did not ask for this snow for your birthday. As we joked last night, he was not specific in anything he wanted for his birthday, but neither was he specific about what he didn't want! The first forecast I heard yesterday was for 5-7 inches. Then it changed to 6-10. This morning I'm hearing 8-12. That's sounding pretty lion-like to me.

I still have not been out button shopping, so the Audrey Cardigan is in limbo. I am happy to report that all the ends are woven in, so she just needs those buttons.

It must be that I enjoy a challenge in my knitting every now and then. The Millicent Socks are providing one. Wednesday night I knitted the first three rows of the chart and before I went to bed I ripped them out because I could not tell where I had lost track and I could not come up with the correct number of stitches.
Thursday I (hopefully) anchored myself more securely to the track by moving a life line with my knitting row by row, and putting a stitch marker in between each repeat of the chart This will be slow going, but these socks will be worth it.

A Birthday Party

The Artist will be 11 on Wednesday. We got some family together this weekend to celebrate with her.

The Artist made her best cake ever, a delightful cherry-vanilla cake with vanilla frosting, decorated with some colored frosting and flower sprinkles. It was quite yummy!

It is such fun to hear people sing in your honor and to think of a wish before you blow out your candles. Grandma took several photos, but we did manage to capture one scene on our camera. The Artist's uncle gave her The Daring Book for Girls. She was very excited to receive it. Later in the day a friend came over to spend the night. The Artist and she huddled over the book together playing some of the hand-clap games inside. She was also delighted with a book store gift card (enough for the two books she wanted), some computer games (Chessmaster and Sims*) and a certificate to spend on some Scupley tools.

On Wednesday, she does not know it yet, but she will have another wish granted. We will stop up at the library and she may apply for her very own library card.

Stay tuned later in the week for more birthday doings, or stop over at the Quipper's to wish him a happy milestone birthday. It is coming up on Friday!


*Mom and Dad are not too sure about the Sims game. This may find its way to the Good Will box. The game is rated Teen for three things: comic mischief, mature sexual themes and mild violence. Excuse me, but what has happened to games in the last 20 years?!?!? In what world is this an edifying thing to give a child? Any feedback, anyone? No fault to the giver, by the way. That person had no idea.

Making Six

Saturday was the Engineer's birthday party. We began the celebration of his sixth birthday with homemade waffles for breakfast.

The it was off to the bowling alley. The children shared a bumper lane and had a blast. Sometimes Dad guided the Engineer's ball a little, but mostly he did it himself. The Artist practiced controlling the ball as she brought it back before rolling it forward.

After a pizza lunch, grandparents and an uncle came over to spend the afternoon with the birthday boy. He received several new games to enjoy. I'm sure we will be playing them during upcoming family game nights.

Quite a Cake

This weekend I was swamped with a big list of things to do. I asked the Artist for help with making a birthday cake for the Quipper's party. She had made cakes under my supervision before, and she always wanted to be a baker. And this time, I had a cake mix. What could go wrong?

I learned not to confuse the desire to be a baker with baking experience! With recipe books it usually works out well to follow the directions listed and add the ingredients in the order they are listed in the instructions. Not with this box! The poor artist put the cake mix, eggs, and then the butter into the mixer.

Let the experiment begin!

After enough beating, it looked all right, and it poured all right. The volunteers who licked the beater the spoon and the mixing bowl all gave their approval. But when it came out of the oven and cooled we had a problem.

The cakes did not want to come out of the generously oiled and floured pans. One submitted to coaxing and the other rebelled. So we had this:

The Quipper was very kind about it and did not seem to mind. Was it the fresh half layer of chocolate cake he and the kids got to eat as a surprise snack that eased the pain? Or was it the promise of pineaple and shrimp kabobs for dinner -- two of his favorites served with honey ginger sauce.

Eight P.M.

At eight o'cock Eastern time the Artist will be 10 years old.

You are such a joy, my Dear.

Family Time

Yesterday was a family day. After church my dad, brother, and my family went out to eat to celebrate my father's birthday. After a good lunch we all came to my home for cake and presents. Thank you, Indiana Jane for the Harvey Wallbanger Cake recipe. I didn't think to get a photo of it before we enjoyed it!Next time I think I'll leave the vodka out and use more orange juice and Galliano instead. I bet it is wonderful with the glaze, we had the powdered sugar top instead. The deep yellow-orange color would look nice garnished with some maraschino cherries too.

After the festivities we had fun watching the kids play with (and joining in!!!) some of their new Christmas and birthday toys.

Happy Birthday, Classical Pelican

Many of you who stop by to read a bit here have met my dad. He is celebrating his birthday after church Sunday, but the actual birthday is February 3rd!
Even if you have not met him in person do feel free to click over to Classical Pelican and leave him a birthday greeting!