Spirit

I spent the day with her last Friday.  I took her to her three year well check-up.  The doc said she looked great.  Yes, she's still a chunk, but she's great.  The doc recommended a book about "spirited" children (in the politest way).  She's spirited all right.  She wouldn't let them measure her height.  She wouldn't be weighed.  She wouldn't take her vision test.  She's spirited all right.  She's stubborn and had it set in her mind that the nurse wasn't getting near her...and that was it.  Spirited/stubborn/strong headed...whatever.

Oh well.  I'll take spirited.  We'll figure it out.  Do I really need a book, or is this just common sense?  Teach good eating and good behavior.  Oh, and don't kill the spirit.  It's the best part.  This will be my approach...somehow?  Maybe I do need the book.

All the way to her appointment and most of the weekend, she decided she needed to "draw" me.  So, she had her sharpened pencils in hand at the doc's office, in the car, and when we got back home.  "Don't look!"

"Ok."

At this point I realized what a wonderful influence Kelly has had on her.  Kelly, artist, caregiver, nanny, best friend, our savior...whatever you want to call her.  She loves my angels, and I love her for that.  Kelly created this portrait for us for Christmas.  There are not even words to describe how much joy it brings to me every day.

Thanks Kelly.  She just might be visiting you a lot through the teenage years...my sweet, strong headed, spirited child.  Her and her brother who decided to rough house with his best buddy in Music class today.  Yeah, I got a call.  They'll both be visiting.

By the way, in Jesse's drawing, I resembled a T-rex.  It's ok.  That's fine with me.  I sort of felt like that tonight anyway.  Strong and determined to make a point as a strong mother with serious rules and consequences.  Then, it just took a few sweet hugs and kisses and I was back to my leaf eating, sweet, long neck self.  Oh Jonah, please just be good tomorrow.  "Ok." Oh Jesse, please just eat your vegetables. "Ok."

Thank goodness we have Daddy.

Weekend...
It was a rainy one.  Rainy=canceled baseball=time to bake.  Yeah!

So, we sort of baked all day Saturday.  I tackled that dang little layer chocolate cake again.  This recipe called for 14 layers.



About right here in the layering process, I realized I still didn't have it right and might have made my layers too thin.  Good grief!  But, we had fun.





And actually, when the icing hardened a little more, and it was finally sliced...it wasn't too bad.  It turned out to be 16 layers.  Yeah, the layers were too thin.

This bad boy was not presentable.  But it tasted good!  Ok, so, I accepted it as an improvement.  No way to go but up.

I got some time before I am making these every weekend and impressing my grandkids and old timer friends.  I can do this.

So some days the kids act up, and the cake doesn't come out right.  Some days are full of trouble.  Actually, the new word for it is "spirit".  Spirit ha?  I sort of like it.  I plan on embracing it.  Life sure would be boring without it.  We got the spirit.  We're proud.

There.  Good grief.  I need some cake.