Why Insomnia Is A Bad Thing

The night before my oldest started school, my youngest decided it was time to party. He was up at 11, 1:30, 3:00, 4:00 . . . well, you get the idea. Inbetween acts, because I was now so wound up, I couldn't sleep either. And this is what my tortured mind came up with:


Earlier that evening, my husband was watching one of his favorite reality shows, LA Ink, on TLC. Now I will be the first to tell you these tattoo artists are truly artists. The designs they come up with are great. Me personally, I like my art on canvas or photo paper, or carved into stone, not injected into my skin. That's just me. But as I was laying awake at 2:30 in the morning, a little voice said to me "Hey, if you were to get a tattoo, what would you get?" Now, bear in mind, I will never get a tattoo. Remember the part where they inject it into your skin? No thanks. But, hypothetically speaking, what kind of tattoo would I get? (Now is probably a good time to pause for a moment and let my mother and my mother-in-law's breathing come back to normal . . . ok, how ya doin? good, let's move on) Again, this is completely hypoethical, but I did think of some designs I think Kat Von D and her crew could work up rather nicely for me.


a: Rosie the Riveter, symbolizing strength, determination and a strong work ethic.


b: A Gardenia blossom. Gardenias have been one of my favorite flowers since I first visited Hawaii. I even tried to grow them in my desert of a back yard once. Guess how that one worked out?


c: A picture of my children. I'll never again have to say "sorry, I forgot my pictures." Remember, they inject them into your skin.


d: Something on my lower back. Nothing says class like a picture of Hello Kitty tattooed onto your lower back.


So, since I will never actually be getting a tattoo, I can enjoy designing the perfect one in my head. Let's hope my little guy sleeps through the night tonight. I don't think my mom could handle me even thinking hypothetically about random body piercings.

Impress Your Friends with Black Forest Torte Cupcakes

OK, so I went to a ladies' dinner group this week in our neighborhood, and we had these fabulous cupcakes. They taste just like Ding-Dongs. There is some assembly involved, but they're really very easy and very good. Here's the recipe. I've added some editorial comments in []. Enjoy!

In a large bowl place 8T. cocoa and enough water to dissolve cocoa (approx. 1/4 C.) Then add:

2/3 C. shortening
1 3/4 C. sugar
1 t. salt
1 1/4 C. water
1 3/4 C. flour
1 1/4 t. soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1 t. vanilla.

Beat at low speed to blend. Add 3 eggs, beat until blended. Pour into paper lined cupcake pans. And bake at 350 for 15-18 min. Allow to cool completely.

Filling:

1/2 C. margarine
2 large Hershey bars
1 tub of cool whip (or whipping cream, if you prefer)

Melt chocolate and margaring very slowly over low heat or in double boiler. Cool but don't allow to harden [don't skip -- the chocolate shouldn't be too runny, you don't want it to run off the cupcakes, so let the chocolate set a bit]. Remove cupcakes from paper liners and cut in half. On bottom half drizzle some chocolate [very little or it will run over the sides] and place a small spoonful of whipped cream. Put the top on, drizzle some more chocolate and another small spoon of whipped cream. Grate chocolate on top for a garnish.

Very yummy!

Moment of Truth

All right, so I have a confession to make . . . I'm a starter, (good) but not a finisher (very bad). I get very excited and "concerned over a great many things." (five points for anyone who can catch that biblical reference.) However, within an embarassingly short amount of time, I have lost my motivation or belief that I can actually accomplish what I set out to do. My husband has banned me from all craft stores until I finish the thirty unfinished projects sitting in our office. I make lists and schedules with all of the best intentions of doing fabulous things with our home and our kids only to find that at 3 o'clock in the afternoon many days all my children have done is watch every episode of "Hanna Montana" that was on that day. So, I'm enlisting all of you to be my sponsors by admitting my faults and making (another) attempt to be much better. In that spirit, I am going to show you two "finishes" this week. Yeah me! (ok, that's from "Suite Life of Zack and Cody", please help me!) . . .



Well, it isn't a complete life change, but it's a clean closet. There's a story behind why I chose my closet to overhaul, but I'm not ready to tell that embarassing story just yet. One fault at a time, right?

And here's another "finish" this week . . .


This little guy is now ready to mail to Colorado to one of my best friends who just had a baby girl. And the baby's not even ready to graduate from high school yet. Are you impressed?

So, here I am in all my honest glory, wanting to be more of a "finisher." And now that I know that I'll have all of you to answer to, I'm off to organize another closet. Yeah me!

It's That Time of Year Again!

No matter how old I get, I still get anxious in August and have an unexplainable urge to buy pencils and new underwear. My little bug is getting ready to start 2nd grade and her sister is diving into preschool this year (thank heavens for professional teachers who can successful unravel the complexities of the 4 year-old mind.) I came across a blog post at Rocks In My Dryer that I just love and I had to share it with all the parents out there, who are no longer anxious who they'll end up eating lunch by when school start, but are now worrying about their kids heading off to school. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go bleach my Keds and clean out my lunchbox . . .

Repeat After Me: I Am Not Old!

I keep having to remind myself of this fact lately, and I'm not sure why. My oldest niece called me last week with the fabulous news that she's engaged. I found myself, honestly and truthfully, saying "but you're only 12 years old." In truth, she's a beautiful young woman, ready in every way to start her life with her fiance. My niece and I basically grew up together, being closer in age than some siblings, so I have always thought of her as a little sister, not really a niece. And now that she's getting married, graduating from college and going off to grad. school, I'm just going to have to own up to the fact that I'm getting old . . . well, older. I can deal with that. But my hairdresser and I still have a secret code of honor "do not, I repeat, do not ever tell me you've found a grey hair . . . just color it and smile!" And, of course, make me look 10 years younger by the time she gets married in January. Easy, right?! I love you guys. Congrats!

(The newly-engaged's with future father-in-law lurking in the background. Interfering already, eh big brother?)

And she's not the only one making me feel old this week, either. My oldest nephew just turned 20 and is living in Cambodia right now. We correspond by e-mail mostly these days, but this week his mom sent me a picture of him and I just about fell out of my chair. When exactly did my nephew turn into Dr. McDreamy? He's so startingly handsome, I can hear my brother right now sharpening his stick to beat off the girls with when he comes home. I've been hearing the maturity in his e-mails, but to see it really threw me for a loop. In my mind, he's this cute little toddler running around our living room on Christmas day, shooting hoops with his new Nerf Basketball set. And then, as if I'm not feeling ancient enough as it is, two more of my nieces will be starting college this week at different universities in-state. Pass the prune-juice!

But, as a note of comfort, I have been reminded recently of two facts: 1) I am not yet old enough to run for President of the United States, and 2) I do not yet qualify for membership in the AARP. 'I'm sorry, you're just too young.' I think I might call them just for the ego boost. In the meantime, will my relatives please stop growing up?! You're making me look old!

Sushi Makes For Good Philosophy . . . At Least On Girl's Night

I had a fabulous night last night with some of my best friends from high school. I can't believe we now have master's degrees (one of us), 12 year-olds (one of us), and homeownership (all of us.) It seems like just yesterday that the greatest worry any of us had was whether so and so would hear our requested song on the radio and if we'd pass our AP tests.






One of the nice things about getting old is you can have fabulous dinners like these. Yes, those are edible flowers on my salad and in my friends' soup and tempura. We had dinner at a tres chic Japanese sushi restaurant. And I know that any of you who know me are saying "you ate raw fish? . . . really?" Have no fear, mine was the salad with steak, fully cooked, thank you very much. We followed up our fun dinner with cake at my best friends' new home. She has worked her knuckles raw, almost literally, cleaning up an old home. It was such a kick to hear her talk about caulk and electrical and water heater efficiency. Again, I don't really remember getting old!


Being with my friends reminded me of driving to my parents' home earlier that day. As we drove along their street we passed a temple where about three or four brides were having their pictures taken. Next door was a church where they were holding a funeral. My friends and I all seem to be, to me, right in the middle of life. But as I drove by the temple and the church I saw what were, again, to me, obvious beginnings and endings. But in reality, each of us is constantly experiencing beginnings and endings. Some are obvious like a wedding or a funeral, but most are very quiet, they happen just as we work through every day. We very often have the power to choose our beginnings and our endings. The ending of something in our life that is holding us back and the beginning of something that helps us progress.


And in the meantime, try the sushi -- it's delicious!

Hooray For The Birthday Boy!

I mentioned earlier that we've had several birthdays to celebrate this month. Two of my siblings, two of my uncles, my husband, my daughter, my father-in-law, by husband's grandfather . . . I hope I got them all. Plus my husband's parents celebrate their anniversary in July. Oh, and there's our nation and our state also celebrating their "birthdays." Kind of a birthday-budget-buster!

My husband is not a "celebrations" kind of guy, at least not for himself. He would much rather see someone else in the spotlight, and I kind of followed his lead on that and didn't make a big deal out of his birthday. Luckily, his sisters didn't, and we had a great time. Yes, the cake was brought home by darling Kara, complete with candles. And what birthday would be complete without dinner out? Briana and Adam thought we might score some free desert if they made it very clear that Brett was a birthday boy by brining balloons to dinner. Unfortunately, no dice, but we had a fabulous night out. Thank heavens for great siblings who still love to party!