The cake lady DOES make red velvet!!!

Did you know that red velvet cake is actually chocolate-flavored? I will test this out on Saturday, to be sure... but according to Cake Lady Shiela, that's what it is.

I have been avoiding dealing with just realized all I have to get done before Saturday. A list:

1. Actually buy my husband's birthday present (his birthday is today, naturally). He knows what he's getting, because I remembered he wanted a table for his saw. I couldn't remember what kind of saw (miter) or what thingamajiggies he wanted with it. So, he knows what he's geting... we just have to get to Menard's to purchase it.

2. Take him out for ice cream tonight. Clearly, that is the toughest thing on the list.

3. Tomorrow is snack day for Iz. I need to figure that out.

4. Clean the entire house top to bottom, especially since my very good friend and her daughter have cat allergies. So cleaning also includes washing the furniture with the Spot Bot.

5. Cook the following: Pulled turkey, a ginormous chocolate chip cookie for my husband's "cake", grape salad (I guess that's not really cooking....), potato salad, and then throwing the rest of the stuff together in a presentable form: cheese/sausage platter (doh... still need to buy the cheese), snacks.... I'm probably forgetting a crap load.

6. Get my sister her gift card. I'll just do that when I'm buying my son a flashlight (last minute birthday gift for him)

7. Take kids to swimming lessons Saturday morning.


Yikes.

Oh well.

I live for pressure... right? RIGHT?

Happy Friday!

Wow. A week has gone by since my play. It went super well, and had record-breaking attendance. Well... it broke records since I've been director but we know that's all that really counts in the end, right? Right??? :)

There hasn't been a whole lot to update on. It's been a pretty good week. I'm reading a Barbara Kingsolver book, Pigs In Heaven. So far I like it - but I pretty much like all of her books. If I think about it, I'll review it when I'm done. I tried reading the second Forrest Gump book (I never read the first one, but of course saw the movie) and WOAH. Different. Wowzers. I didn't picture Forrest Gump with a potty mouth, but there you have it.

So yeah. The hecticness (is that a word) is over, and now I'm on the calm swing. Chuck and Charlie's birthday is next week. Charlie is getting a Spiderman cake. When I asked him what flavor of cake he wanted, he responded "red." Hmmmm..... red-flavored cake? I'll see if the cake lady has red velvet. It'll probably tickle him to no end.

Still lots of stuff to catch up on, grading-wise. Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to.

Happy President's Day

I'm not supposed to be working today, since it's President's Day. There's no school in session, but I'm here. My play opens in two weeks, and I'm taking advantage of the "day off" to paint sets and practice music and choreography. WOO HOO!

No really.

For realz.

I have a few observations:

1. Wal-Mart in the morning is a very tranquil, peaceful place to be. At 8:00 in the morning there are actually more employees than shoppers, and I've decided it's making my top 10 list of happy places to be. I had to buy paint this morning, and everyone - EVERYONE - was happy to help and willing to have a conversation. I had a perfectly lovely conversation with a complete stranger about decorating one's home.

2. Wal-Mart black paint isn't actually black. It's like a dark grey-blue. If you want true black, have them add 12 oz of black. Nothing else. So, if you're looking for a true black - don't pick up any of the samples.

3. School is a much nicer place without students.



In other news, we're entering birthday season at my home. Between my family and Chuck's family (and our family), we have 13 birthdays between Feb. 12 and March 13. That's one every other day. HOLY CATS no wonder I'm broke. AND, throw in the musical? Oy to the vey.

We celebrated my baby brother's birthday on Saturday - he turned 13. We bought him underwear, and the look on his face was a beautiful thing. Well, that's not all he got - we also got him a video game... but secretly, I believe he was kinda happy to get boxers. His first pair on non-tighty whities. Yesterday, Isabel had a birthday party for a school mate.

Next Saturday we have two more parties. *sigh*

Until tomorrow (?)


Oh - a postscript. We came home late on Saturday from being gone all day. First words out of Chuck's mouth was this (imagine him with a wrinkled-up nose): "What is that smell?"

I replied: "It's the flowers, honey. The flowers."