Cotton Candy

It's been one of those weeks.

One I'd rather just have Topher put me in the chair and erase. But that would make me a doll and that would be worse.

Sunday I spent all day enjoying a pressure filled migraine. I did notice though, that as I taught my little lesson during Young Women - I didn't feel the pain. I've always noticed that when the Lord needs me to serve, He finds a way to help me do it.

Monday morning brought my poor AGG down with a horrible cold. She was constantly having problems breathing due to a stuffy nose. She was melodramatically annoyed. My husband would say she gets that from me. Unfortunately, I can't find anyone to blame for this personality flaw.

Monday also brought a package from my sister. God bless my sister. She gave the girls their own laundry hampers. And you thought they were just for clothes. They were cocoons, potato sacks for racing and jumping, back packs, cages, houses...I love imaginative kids.


Tuesday my little DD came down with a cold and a fever. Her little body always seems to spike up into a a fever anytime she catches a cold. When a fever strikes... forget sleep. She also tends to milk it for all it's worth. Which is both adorable, intelligent, and unproductive. I get absolutely nothing done when she's sick. But she's so darn cuddly.

Meanwhile... I also have a migraine...and did I forget to mention, Sunday brought evil Aunt Flow. (blah, blah tmi... deal with it)

And... the weather... have I mentioned we've had more than 2 weeks of gloomy, foggy... gloom, doom, GLOOM? There's also been rain, and clouds...and in a rare moment today the sun broke through for a mere moment. It was a moment I tried to grasp and cling to. I miss my sun. I need warmth. This boring grey is driving me crazy!

So I am Grumpy Dwarf... the gift that keeps giving - my poor, poor husband. Men really put up with so much... in my case, he has to put up with me. (queue Godzilla) I am a total grumpasaurous when I am not feeling well, the weather is awful, etc, etc...

Last, but not least... I was supposed to teach my daughter's kindergarten class about Chagall today - we were also going to create these fun, fantasy pictures with pastels. I made cupcakes last night... to go with the lesson. I ended up postponing due to my 3-year-old, portable furnace. So what to do with the double batch of cupcakes? Since cupcakes stay fresh for only three-days - I figured I'd better get them out of my house before I consumed them all. These fluffy, moist applesauce spice cupcakes (minus frosting) are so easy to consume. So the kids all got a treat today.

With sick kids, a miserable excuse for a Mommy, and getting ready for school - I still had my cupcakes to decorate... This morning I didn't have the time, nor the energy to make my cream cheese frosting from scratch. It physically hurt as I spread the pre-packaged cream cheese frosting on the homemade applesauce spice cupcakes... it hurt... but sleep-deprived, migraine, flow woman had already thrown up the white flag in desperation.

I was so glad adding the cotton candy was easy. I loved how whimsical they made the cupcakes. (side note, the cotton candy dissolves quickly...so add them right as you're going to serve, or add a giant glob...because there will be shrinkage - heh) Chagall was imaginative, used bright, bold, fun colors... so I thought little clouds of happy fluff would work well - and today, when I needed it most, they made me happy.

ps. My little DD is currently sitting on my lap as I post this, playing on the iPhone because the motrin kicked in and she is feeling happy herself.

How do you know it's Springtime?

Yep... that's how.

Just call me...

Dulaine....I love my new sunglasses...

Wow

So last Tuesday I dropped off passport renewals in the mail - expedited service. I expected they'd arrive back on my doorstep the first couple weeks of October.

A week later my husband's passport was here. Mine - a day later - yesterday. Wow... I had no idea it could be that fast!

Door-to-door 1 week... is that crazy fast or is it just me?

Curmudgeon

I turn into a Curmudgeon when...

- I receive junk mail from Capitol One
- I receive junk mail period.
- I receive emails from people who only send forwards.
- I get junk forwards that people didn't bother to check if it's valid or not
- I get invited to someone's "party" only when they are trying to sell me something (this is not a big deal if the person regularly invites me to do things with them... it's when the only time I'm invited to do something by this person is to BUY stuff so they can get free stuff) Don't call it a party - it's a sales drive.
- slow drivers drive in the fast lane
- drivers speed up to pull out in front of me and then decide to drive like sloths
- drivers like to drive right next to me...as if they need to hold hands
- I don't have enough sleep
- I don't have enough patience
- I keep dropping things

SYTYCD

Loved the dances that were done again - everything felt light and beautiful.

Fun to see Mary and Nigel dance - you'll never see Simon sing on AI. That's why I love this show.

I absolutely adore Joshua and Katee. Gev I want to pinch like I pinch my baby's chub. Mark is freaky in a totally entertaining way. Will and Katee together is like watching perfection and art.

Twitch is fun. I loved seeing Dominic, Ryan and Hok. I wish we could've seen all the winners of SYTYCD. They gave far too little time to people from the past...and were missing a lot of people I'd like to know about.

What is the deal with the Jonas Brothers? Anyone? I.DON'T.GET.IT. They are awful. Why do tweens have such bad taste?

I wasn't happy that the arrogant popper was trumpted as the winner of the popping contest. Mia was the only judge I agreed with on that particular decision.

I like Lil'C's commentaries. I miss Shane Sparks. What happened to Dan?

Wade is a magician... a crazy, freaky, can't take my eyes off his creations magician. I want to see his show in Vegas.

Nigel always talks about how this show is legitimizing or highlighting dance for the world. Well - then put your money where your mouth is Nigel - 50 grand? 250 grand... really... that's PIDDLY compared to what you're making on this show and only continues the disparity between singers and dancers. Enough with the... "well that's a dancer's life" ... if you really want to make it change... show us.

*sigh* I'm going to miss my dance fix. Seriously... this show is far more entertaining, talented than any AI show.

It's over...

I'm still Jason's fan - he's a man. Jesse's a nice guy... but he's like a puppy...a boy.

50 minutes

...into the season finale and I'm hoping she picks my pick from the beginning of the season...Jason.

...I also picked Ryan for Trista (as annoying as she is...that laugh ugh)... but he was one I wanted from day one... maybe I can be 2 for 2.

4867

That's the number I hope the Avon World Sales Lady picks when Dooce gives away some Wii Fits.

I need some signs

We are in week two of my babies dealing with the flu, then cold and now an ear infection...I wish I could just take the horrible sick pains and take it for them. So we've been sleepless...and now we have antibiotics... YAY! (sort of)

Before the sickies... there were no posts because I'd been gone... not fishing... reading. I think it would be nice to have a little graphic with me in a boat with an empty fishing hook ...and a book.

I read the Twilight Series and then Vanishing Acts and now am reading Beneath a Marble Sky.

I love getting lost in a book.

Be back... later.

Nightmare

My parents tell me that if you have dreams and can remember them when you wake - you did not have a good night's sleep. I always remember my dreams...mine are often like movies, with sound tracks, eerie sound effects... and great camera angles.

The other night it was a dream where I had four finals - all in subjects I didn't particularly like in high school. Of course... I hadn't even shown up, let alone study. The classes: Biology, Some math class with Szady... but I think she taught science, Chem (what's new? Frequency!), and Spanish with Arillaga. I also remember my US hist teacher walking through one of the classes. It was weird and terrifying.

...also Aunt Flow is a nightmare. Pre-kids - I was on a routine, predictable schedule. Post-kids it's always a "pleasant" surprise.

Fabulous Finales

I wish I could do the LOST sound effect right now... BOOM! There's a reason why I love this show. I love the characters. They become so familiar and so real that you're invested in what happens to them. The writers and actors are pulling their weight, baby. (I have to thank my brother for making me watch the first episode of the series when it started way back when... best recommendation ever)

I had a rush of girl power when Sun approached her corrupt father and announced she had taken control of his company. No matter what generation...men are known for underestimating women.

I love Sawyer and his nicknames. The Genghis one cracked me up. I'm wishing Thursday was a lot closer right now.


The Office... love the way Dwight set up the new HR gal with his information about Kevin. Every time Kevin did anything I laughed.

Is it me or ... were you hoping Michael would finally have a little happiness? He's a tragic...and tragically funny character. But like any good story... characters must be tortured.

Pam and Jim are too cute... I love them. I can totally empathize with Pam... but see why Jim didn't go through with it anyway. *sigh* The writers have to keep us guessing and create tension... no one is allowed a free, happy ending.

And I totally agreed when they said that Ryan was arrested for that beard. Amen.

Do you think Angela just said yes to mess with Dwight a little more? I think it worked... poor Phyllis.

AND....

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE???

This coming Thursday... 2 hour premiere Jidges and all... better than any American Idol... 'nuff said.

The Little Things

It is strangely satisfying to make a bed with a fitted sheet and find out that by chance, the tag in one corner of the fitted sheet just happened to make it to the foot of the bed. My neurotic self CHEERS... that the sheet is in the right position - and I didn't have to readjust the corners once today. How awesome am I??!

Now I can go back to being Sisyphus...with the laundry, dishes, picking up toys and all myriad of stuff that keeps rolling on down the hill. That boulder is what housework feels like to me every-friggin' day.

My latest obsession

It must be PBS' fault. With the last few months of Austen every Sunday I've been guzzling tea... with my pinkie up. Maybe not the pinkie...but hot with honey. For me there's something so cozy about a nice cup of tea. My Grandma on my father's side told me that the Chinese believe women should drink liquids that are not too cold, preferably room temp, or warm. It's the yin yang thing. I'm to the point I don't like things cold. So a cup of tea before bedtime is the perfect way to end an evening.

I think I'm starting my own little collection of tea. The lovely green tea pot is from my friend Sally and the cute butterfly compact set is from my friend Candice. Both were thank you gifts and... both times I was surprised and so giddy from their thoughtful appreciation.

Every time I drink tea my oldest wants to drink it with me, in her own tea cup. I think I need to get little lady tea set for her...and me. Isn't it cute?


Tomorrow night I'm hosting a Jane Austen tea night. We're going to watch an Austen themed movie (Becoming Jane or The Jane Austen Book Club in case you were wondering), exchange tea cups, drink tea and eat tea munchies. Scones, clotted cream, and lemon curd here I come.

The British Are Coming - YES!

I've been boycotting Bachelor for... more than a few years because it's the same mish-mash. They never end up together (I do love Trista and Ryan...well I love Ryan). But... oh - my... this season he's British. I'm a sucker for all things British. I love how he introduced himself...

"I'm Matt Grant, and I'm here to steal all your women."

Yes you are Matt... oh Yes you are. (although... the women annoy me - the cattiness the ugliness... can they just show him doing nothing and looking into the camera reading the encyclopedia? That I'd watch regularly)

ps. On a random note... our new Nugget Grocery store sells Treacle Tart - it is typical of UK desserts - not a lot of flavor but very sweet.

I can't help it.

...I think this is too cute. I blame it on... well estrogen and raising self-proclaimed princesses. (By the way...it's much better to be a princess in imagination than in the middle ages...)

...and because you rarely see any Asian representation in media... I love that the little Asian fairy is totally sultry. I have my HOT MAMA friend Tracy to thank for this picture... she is AWESOME.