Cake test

We’ll be having fudge cake for dessert tonight.  If it’s any good, I’ll use that recipe for Agent Murphy’s birthday cake.  I intended to make my butter cream frosting, but messed it up and have a bowl of goo instead.  (Sauce on your cake, anyone?)  At least I know that recipe works - well, most of the time; so I was really just testing the cake.  The recipe says it’s good enough to eat without frosting.  We’ll see.

Long weekend… but never long enough

You know, I always think with a long weekend that lots will get done and we’ll have time to really enjoy just being home, relaxing, etc.  Well, I guess we had a pretty good weekend, but it always goes faster than expectations.  Saturday we had regular errands, plus a couple of extra ones (haircuts, picking up a pair of shoes we’d ordered for Mr. Tldz).  Sunday we took Agent Murphy to a birthday celebration for his little friend E.  Unfortunately, Agent Murphy was fussy and just wanted to be held.  And he made the birthday boy cry when we tried to get them to play together.  Yesterday we went over the B.’s for lunch with a few friends.  And we were able to get a few episodes of Matlock watched over the weekend.  And Mr. Tldz got a little extra time in with his guitar, besides the normal 20 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings before he leaves (the days he doesn’t shave).  So all in all a good weekend, but Labor Day was Mr. Tldz’s only day off for a long while - well, I guess until Thanksgiving; so it’s kind of sad to see it come and go.

Now Mr. Tldz is off to work again, and we’re back to the normal routine.  We really need to figure out how we’re going to make a move to give Mr. Tldz a less taxing commute.  Let’s just hope the big tax-and-spend folks don’t win in the fall elections (you know who I’m talking about) or we probably won’t be able to make a move.

Happy birthday to E.

My friend E. had his first birthday party today.  It was the first time I went to a birthday party.  It was at a pool.  I didn’t go in the pool, though.  Mommy and Daddy tried to get me to play with E. in his playpen, but I was fussy and would scream every time they put me down.  I didn’t get my afternoon nap, you know.  Mommy and Daddy said I was supposed to nap in the car on the way to the party, but I didn’t.

I ate a couple of tiny pieces of Mommy’s steak.  They called it filet mignon.  It was really good.  Mommy and Daddy said I couldn’t have cake until my first birthday.  But I wore a funny hat.  E.’s parents made E. put his hand in the cake and he didn’t like it.  He cried.

After the cake, we got to come home.  I had a bottle and I like being home.  I’m crawling around everywhere, carrying a diaper cover with me.  I’m getting good at carrying things while I’m crawling around.

E. knows how to stand up.  I have to learn how to do that.

I love my boy

My boy gives me people food.  This morning during breakfast, he gave me chunks of banana.  Mommy says he was just trying to pick them up to eat them and they slid over the side of his tray.  But I know he gives them to me because he loves me.  So I give him kisses.

All gone!

Trash collection today.  They hauled off all the stuff that the neighbors hadn’t already gotten.  It feels great!  And we have a lead on someone who may want to come get all our old books and CDs.  I’m doing a little dance…

Yard Sale

Well, we pulled it off yesterday.  Thank goodness that’s done!!!  And many, many thanks to M. who spent a few hours with me on Friday bringing stuff upstairs, R. who came over in the wee hours of the morning to help us finish bringing stuff up, and to RW who spent the afternoon with us cleaning up.  Unfortunately, rainy and windy weather all day (Thanks, Fay!) kept the number of shoppers down.  But we made some money.  And more importantly got rid of stuff!  At the end of the sale, we hauled a lot of stuff out to the curb for trash pickup.  And the neighborhood seemed to have a grand time picking through our trash.  Looks like a number of items ended up finding new homes.  And the things that were returned to the basement are rather more organized now, with definite plans for them: try the local flea market with these, charity pickup for those…  I feel so much better and the basement looks much better.

9 Month Checkup

Agent Murphy had a doctor’s appointment today.  Once again, he freaked out immediately upon being put on the crinkly paper on the table.  Shrieked afterwards while I was getting him dressed.  They must wonder what I’m doing to him.  He doesn’t cry that hard during the exam.  Really, it’s just the crinkly paper.  So I tried getting him dressed on my lap, but he was already worked up and just a wiggling mess, so I gave up and went back to the dreaded table and went as fast as I could.

Anyway, our big guy is indeed big.  21 pounds 12 ounces (75th percentile), and 30.75″ (”off the charts” - above 97th).  Everything seems a-okay with him.

Like a hole in the head…

Most of Friday afternoon and evening, I was sick.  Better yesterday.  Sick again today.  Headachey, nauseous…  With the yard sale coming up, I needed this like I need a hole in the head.  Poor Mr. Tldz wasn’t feeling very well today, either, but he’s stepped up and kept Agent Murphy taken care of, who, fortunately, has been pretty cooperative today.

Mr. Tldz is about to start his third week at the new job.  We’ve made it so far, but it’s hard.  It’s a really long day for him with the commute.  And we miss him during the day.  But I guess we’ll get used to it.  At least he likes the work so far, the people he’s working with, and his boss does seem to be living up to the signs he showed of being a good manager.  And in some minor interactions Mr. Tldz has had with his former employer, we have abundant confirmation that being out of there is a very good thing.

Now I’m going to lay down again.

Done

Work in back yard completed.  New drive-through gate installed in fence.  Any future needed work in back will be easier now.  Really feeling the itch to start looking for another house to shorten Mr. Tldz’s commute.  And have a different space.  I’m a lot different than I was when I moved in here 9 years ago.  Space needs to reflect that one of these days…

Two Crafty Chicks

From IHM Mom’s Group:

Good Morning,
I just wanted to let you know of a fun place near IHM.  It is called Two Crafty Chicks.  It is located near the VA hospital off of Clairmont.  I took Mary Evelyn there yesterday and she had so much fun.  The theme for the day/week was birds.  The owner read the children a bird story and then the children had the opportunity to paint a wooden birdhouse to keep for their very own.  While the birdhouses were drying the children played with play dough, puzzles, and did some singing and dancing.  The cost is $7 for one hour class from 10-11am.  The age range is for 2-4/5 year olds.  They also have classes for th e older kids but those take place in the afternoon.  When you get a chance check out their website www.twocraftychicks.com & check out the information below.  Hope you have fun.
Kristie