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.

Oh, why the hell not?

My love and Jonah left this Father's Day for a while....went to the golf store. All I wanted to do was get the big stuff picked up, get myself a little ready, put Jesse girl down for a nap and start my love's dinner. But this little girl had other plans.

Oh, why the hell not? Here ya go. Knock yourself out girl.

"You want some?" "OK."

When we were done, somehow she decided to celebrate by jumping on the bed. And again, why the hell not? And look what I got. See, most people would throw this picture out. But I was so excited to see this one. I guess I could have pretended that I was going for this effect. Who cares...I love it. That's my girl in action.

At this point, forget nap. That's just not going to be easy. All my why the hell not's didn't really help matters. But again, oh well. Need to get cooking.

First, dessert. Peach and Blueberry Crumbles. Summery dish I think. Daddy loves fruit desserts. Side note...apparently, if you boil peaches for 30 seconds to a minute, the peels just rub right off so easily. It's amazing.

Not too bad. But perhaps this was a little heavy of a dessert to follow spaghetti and meatballs? Oh, why the hell not?

I think these Dads liked it just fine.

But see, my don't care attitude when it came to Jesse's nap really bit me..well you know. She passed out just before dinner. She missed the rest of the evening. She missed the Father's Day celebration. And...Jonah's putting game with his own rules...

Grandmommy and Aunt Kelly in the back yard...playing along with Jonah's rules and watching fire flies.

But, this bothered me the most. It was the clearest of clear skies I have seen in so long. The moon was beautiful. I was so upset. She's missing it. So, I took a picture of this one for her. Later, my love reminded me that there would be plenty more moons.

I really hope to make this up to you tomorrow night...my sweet little moon lover.

Mama's Tea Cakes

I wish I had some sort of recording device to record everything that was going through my head tonight. Seriously. My mind was all over the place. So many things I want to say and I feel like I am going to burst if I don't get some of it out! What's up with me! I'm an engineer, not a writer! I did Cori's math homework...she did my English. Something is not right in my universe. But I'm sure enjoying it.

My little angels are asleep.

My love is out of town.

And what am I doing tonight?? Baking.

I'm baking for Mr. Clark (Jonah's bus driver)...or so I thought. Actually, it turns out it is a lot for me. Mama's Tea Cakes. I can remember just like yesterday sitting at our kitchen bar and watching her go through batches of these things. The frustration when a batch came out of the oven not just right. I'm smiling. I miss that. I think I have found her recipe. Actually, it's not exactly the recipe, but I think she used this one and added vanilla. They had to have vanilla!! So I added it!

As I was fantasizing about being a food photographer...I almost burned my second batch of tea cakes. But how fun would it be to smell freshly baked cookies every day and take pictures of these perfectly still subjects! But I'm not kidding myself here. I'm no photographer. But if I could start over and go that route I would.

Ahhhhhhhhh, perfection. Look at those beauties! Mama would be so proud. Not too crispy, not too soft, not too brown....just right. Man, I think Mr. Clark is going to love these! Although, Jonah might be disappointed they are missing the chocolate chips. Ooops.

Mr. Clark, you're the best!