7 Quick Takes (Vol. 39)

-1-

August is a big birthday month for our family.  We have my birthday (today), then Stella's birthday tomorrow, and Sly's ten days later.  I wish we were all more spread out throughout the year, so we could celebrate each person better.  It's hard to make the time and effort to throw each of us our own shindig.  And we can't ask Tom's parents and sister to drive out to us two weeks in a row for the kids' parties.  So for as long as I can get away with it, Sly and Stella will continue having combined birthday parties.  So far, no complaints from them!

-2-

I admire the fun themed birthday parties some parents throw for their kids - which seem to get increasingly creative and elaborate each year (or maybe it's just the Pinterest effect).  They're fun, kids enjoy them (I think?), and some parents mothers really get a thrill out of planning them.

I find myself somewhere in the middle, though.  It can turn into more stress than its worth, at least if the kids aren't old enough to really appreciate it.  When Sly turned one he had a rubber ducky-themed party, and when he turned three and Stella turned one, they got a Beatrix Potter party (the in-between year was when Stella was just born, so Sly's birthday just got tacked onto Stella's baptism party).  So I decided that unless one of the kids is really itching for a particular party theme, I'm just going to make things easier on myself, and not do one.  I asked Sly what he wanted at his party.  He said, "cake, balloons, and party hats."  Just Good old-fashioned birthday stuff.  And you know what?  That's plenty to make a kid completely happy!

-3-

 So the kids' "theme" this year is going to be just that: "Good old-fashioned birthday"!

It will be easy on me, yet still festive.  Colored balloons, two cakes, ice cream, party hats, party blowers, plastic tablecloths, paper plates, maybe pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey (?!).  It will be so uncommon that it will seem like a novel idea, right? 

Anyways, the kids are only turning four and two years old, so it doesn't really matter.  They'll love it no matter what.

 -4-

Myself, on the other hand, will be turning the big 3-0.  Yikes.  I haven't given much thought to the fact of rolling over another decade.  But something tells me my thirties will fly by much more quickly than my twenties, which seemed to last an eternity.

-5-

So do you want to see what we're giving Stella for her birthday?  Because I'm so excited about it!  It's an Ergo doll carrier.  It's even the same fabric as my real Ergo that I use to carry Linus (and Stella herself, sometimes, when she really needs to settle down). 

I have visions of us going out in public with me wearing Linus, and Stella wearing her doll in her little matching carrier....and the crowds just fainting away from the adorable-ness....

-6-

I have finally found a foolproof way to make vegetables taste delicious (and not just palatable).  I grew up with a very limited veggie selection.  Pretty much just green beans, peas, and corn (which is really a grain anyways).  I've tried for years to expand my palate and get myself to like more vegetables.  But it's hard to develop the taste for some of them.  I'm fine with most things if they're cooked into a soup, stew, or casserole.  But most days, a big ol pile of soggy (i.e. boiled or steamed) veggies as a "side dish" is just not appetizing to me. 

But I've discovered roasting them.  I just cut up some veggies (whatever I have in the house - beans, broccoli, onions, brussels sprouts, peppers, mushrooms, etc.), mix them with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and spices of my choosing.  Then I stick them in a 450° oven for 15-20 minutes.  Absolutely amazing every time!

The trays of vegetables are in the background.  The vat of olive oil and the pound and a half of bacon were for another portion of the deliciously fatty meal I was cooking ;-)

-7-

I found this down in the basement the other day.  Just in case I wasn't sure who it was that transferred most of the cat's food to the water dish, the culprit helpfully left some evidence at the scene of the crime...

Quick Takes is hosted at Conversion Diary

A Simple Celebration for the Assumption

I'm re-posting this from last year, in case anyone is looking for some simple ideas for celebrating the upcoming Feast of the Assumption.  So far, this is really the one feast day (aside from Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter) that I've really managed to turn into an ongoing family tradition.  Everyone who gives advice about celebrating Catholic feast days in your family (Maria von Trapp, Mary Reed Newland, Auntie Leila, Kendra, Haley, etc.) suggests just starting with a few, and building as you go.  So that's about where I am!

****
From 2013

The Feast of the Assumption celebrates the day Mary was taken into Heaven, body and soul.  It's a Holy Day of obligation for Catholics, and one of the most (the most?) important Marian feasts in the calendar.  It also happens to be my birthday, which means it's a day especially close to my heart.*

I decided to host an Assumption party/playdate for some of the moms from the Catholic moms group I'm in.  Here's a peek at how we celebrated:

I noticed after cleaning everything up and uploading photos that one of my children placed a lovely fingerprint right on the lens.  Excuse all these blurry photos.

According to several of my books, the Assumption has been traditionally a harvest festival, when people would bring fresh fruits, herbs and flowers to the church to be blessed.  This is also connected with a sweet old legend which Maria Von Trapp writes about in her book:

When Mary the Mother of Jesus felt that her end was drawing near, she sent her guardian angel to summon the Apostles, who had gone out into the world to preach the Gospel of her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.  When they received the summons, they came in a great hurry and were just in time to witness the happy death of their dear Mother.  Everyone had come except Thomas.  He was three days late.  When he heard that the Blessed Mother had been resting in the tomb for days, he cried bitterly and pled with the Apostles to open the tomb once more and let him glance at the beloved features.  The other Apostles yielded to his plea, but as they opened the tomb, they found it filled with flowers, which gave out a heavenly scent.  On the place where they had laid the body there was only the shroud left – the body had been bourne up to heaven by the angels, where it was joined by the holy soul of the Mother of God.  According to the legend, all the flowers and herbs on earth had lost their scent after Adam and Eve committed the first sin in the Garden of Eden.  On the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, however, the flowers were given back their scent and the herbs their power to heal.

 
Food
Lavender-lemon cookies, cut into tulip shape (to work in the herbs and flowers theme)
"Heavenly punch" (cheesy, I know)
Cookie dough pretzel bites (just because I saw them on Pinterest and they looked amazing)
Fresh fruit salad (nectarines, strawberries, red grapes, blueberries)

Just a simple shortbread recipe with (blessed) lavender and lemon zest mixed in

It looked more appetizing before the ice cream "clouds" melted all over the place

very yummy!

Decorations
Dark pink roses (no significance to the color - I just thought they were pretty)
A statue of Mary surrounded by cotton batting "clouds"

cheeeeeesy

Activities for the kids [forgot to get pics]
Assumption coloring page
This cute craft from Catholicmom.com

Favors [forgot to get pics]
I sent the moms home with a few sprigs of blessed lavender tied with a white ribbon

***

Anyways, if anyone else is celebrating the Assumption today, I'd love to hear what you did!  (and link me up, if you write about it on your blog).  Happy Assumption Day!


*It wasn't always.  When I was a kid, I got SO MAD every year that I was forced  to go to church on my birthday, of all days!

Celebrating Birthdays and Bringing Back Old Technology

For Sly's birthday, we gave him an old-school Fisher-Price cassette tape player (very similar to the one I had as a kid), and a little box of tapes.  I had been lamenting for a while that there were no good modern ways for kids to listen to their own music.  I wouldn't trust a three year-old with cds.  And he couldn't use an mp3 player without being able to read (right?).  I wanted a way for Sly to play his own music in his bedroom, as I did when I was little.  "There's just no modern equivalent that works as well for kids as tape players!" I remarked in frustration to Tom. Then it dawned on me: we could just get him a tape player.  Who cares that it's not the newest technology?

There were a few failed attempts to snag one on eBay (I wasn't willing to pay more than $20), and then one day - as always happens to us if we just wait long enough - there one was, sitting on the shelf at Goodwill, just waiting for us.  For $5!  I still have some - though certainly not all, and certainly not a few of my favorites - tapes from my own childhood.  We rounded out the collection with a few more we picked up at thrift stores for 25 cents each.  Sly loves it, and has been listening to music at naptime every day.  I can't explain how heartwarming it is to hear him (via the baby monitor) begin to learn and love some of my own childhood favorites.  We also gave him a toolkit which has been a huge hit.

We gave Stella a Rock-a-Stack, which is amazingly one of the only toys we don't already own (or so it feels some days...) and Good Night Pittsburgh - a cute book featuring local places (I think they make them for other cities too).

And of course they got a billion other gifts from friends and family, and we're feeling a little overwhelmed by toys once again, and I think another silent purge is in order soon.

***

The birthday party went well.  I did a Peter Rabbit/Beatrix Potter theme, mostly because it involved very little work for me.  That's the theme of the kids' bedroom/nursery, so I just kinda raided their room for decor a half hour before the party.

It's not a party without punch!  This is just the traditional pineapple juice+ginger ale+sherbet.  Always a big hit.

Table is still a little bare because Sly's cake was in the fridge.  Stella got Beatrix Potter cupcakes.

Utilizing bookends as a napkin holder.

Sly loved his dirt cake with worms and dinosaur candles.  The plants are real, but edible - it's mint!  I saw the idea in a magazine, and would never have thought to do it, but it makes a nice touch.

This cutie pie kept her party hat on the entire time :-)

There were only two other children as guests, and both of them were with their parents.  We kept the invitees to family and a few close (adult) friends.  But it was still pretty exhausting dealing with my hostess duties as well as a much-too-hyper birthday boy all afternoon.  I am definitely not ready for the type of kids' parties where you invite just other children and then have to keep them entertained for a few hours!!

Feast of the Assumption Party/Playdate

The Feast of the Assumption celebrates the day Mary was taken into Heaven, body and soul.  It's a Holy Day of obligation for Catholics, and one of the most (the most?) important Marian feasts in the calendar.  It also happens to be my birthday, which means it's a day especially close to my heart.*

I decided to host an Assumption party/playdate for some of the moms from the Catholic moms group I'm in.  Here's a peek at how we celebrated:

I noticed after cleaning everything up and uploading photos that one of my children placed a lovely fingerprint right on the lens.  Excuse all these blurry photos.

According to several of my books, the Assumption has been traditionally a harvest festival, when people would bring fresh fruits, herbs and flowers to the church to be blessed.  This is also connected with a sweet old legend which Maria Von Trapp writes about in her book:

When Mary the Mother of Jesus felt that her end was drawing near, she sent her guardian angel to summon the Apostles, who had gone out into the world to preach the Gospel of her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.  When they received the summons, they came in a great hurry and were just in time to witness the happy death of their dear Mother.  Everyone had come except Thomas.  He was three days late.  When he heard that the Blessed Mother had been resting in the tomb for days, he cried bitterly and pled with the Apostles to open the tomb once more and let him glance at the beloved features.  The other Apostles yielded to his plea, but as they opened the tomb, they found it filled with flowers, which gave out a heavenly scent.  On the place where they had laid the body there was only the shroud left – the body had been bourne up to heaven by the angels, where it was joined by the holy soul of the Mother of God.  According to the legend, all the flowers and herbs on earth had lost their scent after Adam and Eve committed the first sin in the Garden of Eden.  On the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, however, the flowers were given back their scent and the herbs their power to heal.

 
Food
Lavender-lemon cookies, cut into tulip shape (to work in the herbs and flowers theme)
"Heavenly punch" (cheesy, I know)
Cookie dough pretzel bites (just because I saw them on Pinterest and they looked amazing)
Fresh fruit salad (nectarines, strawberries, red grapes, blueberries)

Just a simple shortbread recipe with (blessed) lavender and lemon zest mixed in

It looked more appetizing before the ice cream "clouds" melted all over the place

very yummy!

Decorations
Dark pink roses (no significance to the color - I just thought they were pretty)
A statue of Mary surrounded by cotton batting "clouds"

cheeeeeesy

Activities for the kids [forgot to get pics]
Assumption coloring page
This cute craft from Catholicmom.com

Favors [forgot to get pics]
I sent the moms home with a few sprigs of blessed lavender tied with a white ribbon

***

And for dinner tonight, I'm making myself my favorite food ever, "my mom's" chicken pot pie which happens to be loaded with herbs, so it works for the feast day celebrations!  But really, I decided to cook myself my favorite food because it's my birthday.  Is that lame?  That I'm cooking my own birthday dinner? Should I feel bad about this?  (That's the same question I asked myself when had to drive myself - all alone, no one else in the car - to the church on the morning of my wedding, with my hair done and my veil already pinned in.....I got some strange looks from other drivers).

Anyways, if anyone else is celebrating the Assumption today, I'd love to hear what you did!  (and link me up, if you write about it on your blog).  Happy Assumption Day!


*It wasn't always.  When I was a kid, I got SO MAD every year that I was forced  to go to church on my birthday, of all days!

Pierogi Party!

A couple weeks back, we invited some friends over to make pierogies with us.  I've eaten plenty of Mrs. T's and similar frozen ones in my lifetime, but have never actually had a homemade one before (despite being from Pittsburgh, I have no Eastern European ancestry).

It helps to have a lot of people making them at once, which is why a lot of people hold parties for making them.  The process was much easier than I expected, and we all figured managed to figure it out with no previous experience.  I made all the dough.  I used this recipe, and I think I ultimately made six batches worth. It was simple, easy to work with, and tasty (but as I had to yell at one of the men when he took a crack at mixing - "don't overwork the dough!!").  I had each friend/couple who attended bring one bowl of a filling of their choosing. 

We ended up with: potato+cheese, potato+onion, potato+garlic, smoked chipotle sweet potato, potato and walnut cream cheese, and prune.

rolling out the dough, cutting it with a shot glass, and rolling again

Tom and Rosemary manning the filling station

sealing up the pierogies

At the end of the afternoon, we cooked up a big batch and got to taste them all.  And everyone was sent home with about thirty-five pierogies for their freezers.  They'll be a great meat-free food for Lent.  I hope to make this a yearly tradition!

Too Much Christmas!

Total mess.  TOTAL.

I'm finally getting a chance to write after the craziness and busyness of Christmas and the days surrounding. We had what was, in all respects, a happy and joyful Christmas - we got to spend time with many different friends and family, we enjoyed much good food, exchanged many gifts, got a couple beautiful snowfalls, and there were no mishaps or fights or anything like that.  However....it was stressful.  The social obligations ended up just being too much.  Tom and I are already planning out ways to ensure that next year's Christmas is calmer and simpler.

The thing that made it hardest was the fact that Sly was kept at an intense level of excitement for days on end, which was inevitably followed by many huge "crashes".  He did nothing but go to parties, see lots of fun people he loves, eat cookies, eat candy, drink pop [soda, for those of you who don't call it the right name], miss naptimes, and stay up way past his bedtime.  He turned into an ABSOLUTE mess for a few days, and made us all miserable.

*****
Here's a rundown of the past week:

Friday the 21st
Our community had a little Christmas party.  Sly ate nothing but cake and ice cream for dinner, and then met Santa.

Saturday the 22nd
We had a cookie exchange party at our house, an annual tradition dating back to our college years. It was a wonderful time.  So many of our friends have scattered across the country since college, and many of them travelled back to Pittsburgh just for this party.  It made seeing them all together so much more special than it was back in the early days of this party.  Overwhelmingly positive.  But Sly ate nothing but cookies, helping to set him up for future disaster.

Sunday the 23rd
Mass, then brunch with friends who had stayed with us the night before.  Then, unless I'm forgetting something....it must have been a blissfully activity-free rest of the day!

Monday the 24th
On Christmas Eve, we went downtown to see the Christmas displays.  We ate lunch there, and my dad  met us there.  Sly got to meet Santa (again).  Stella screamed her head off while we were waiting in line because she wanted to be swadled, but the only thing we had in our under-packed bag was a travel changing pad - so yes, we used that instead.  We enjoyed the seasonal stuff downtown, and when we were all too tired to move, we went home for the briefest of naps.

Then it was time to get dressed up and head to my mom's house.  We ate some appetizers there, and opened all our gifts from her.   My mom went completely and utterly too far with gifts the kids, and we need to have a serious talk with her to ensure that it never happens again!!  Our intention is to keep gift-giving for various holidays on a moderate scale.  For Sly's birthday so far, we have given him one gift.  For Christmas, about three, plus some little dollar-store stocking stuffers.  I think this is plenty.  And we are, of course, factoring in the expected additional gifts from family members.  But I don't think any grandparent should be giving the kids more than "Santa" gives, and my mom gave many times more.  We had to totally rearrange the kids' bedroom just to fit all the new stuff!  It's a ridiculous situation , and has been causing some tension between Tom and me.  I hate to be so strict about it, but we're going to have to establish a "one gift only" rule for the future, at least for my mother.

After exchanging gifts with my mom and brothers, we went to my aunt's house for a little party with my mom's side of the family.  We loaded the car with the absolutely ridiculous number of gifts from my mom (and we actually had to come back later for a second trip), and I realized that my camera was missing.  We were already rather tired and stressed at this point, and Tom and I had been snipping at each other a lot, and I just kinda lost it.  I got upset and started crying, insisting that we had to find my camera right then.  I was convinced it would be destroyed if we didn't find it.  Either it was lost inside wherethe dog would likely find it first and chew it to bits,  Or it had dropped on the ground somewhere outside, where there was a freezing rain falling.  I searched all over with a flashlight, but couldn't find it.  Resigned, we finally left for the party half an hour later.  Sly stayed up way too late, and ate nothing but junk, and got very riled up by my three brothers.  But luckily, at the end of the night we found my camera!  Stella had been sleeping on it in her carseat.

Tuesday the 25th
On Christmas morning, we pried ourselves out of bed around nine.  We had to rush through present-opening more than we liked, so we would have time to get ready for Mass at eleven.  Sly kept having little tantrums throughout the morning.  He opened one gift from "Santa", which was a drum (in great shape, found by us at a thrift store).  He was excited for a moment, then asked where the drumsticks were.  Uhhh...oops.  We didn't really realize he knew what drumsticks were, and wouldn't have thought he needed them anyways.  Can't kids just play with their hands?  But he flipped out because he wanted drumsticks.  Tom grabbed two wooden spoons from the kitchen, and showed Sly how to use them instead.  Sly was elated and asked to try.  But as Tom handed them over, Sly realized they weren't actually drumsticks, but were spoons, and had a screaming, wailing break down.  Ughh.

 
Mass was spent mostly in the back of the church where Sly was being b-a-d.  It lasted until almost one, and then we had to stop home quickly to pack diapers, presents, etc.  Leaving the house a huge mess, we headed over to my dad's house to exchange gifts with him.  Another load too big to fit in the car.  After that, it was over to my uncle's house for Christmas dinner with my dad's whole side of the family.  Again, Sly ate no real food whatsoever.  And he developed an aggravating new habit of picking up full cups and dumping them on the floor intentionally.  Ooh, did that make us mad!  We punished him so many times on Christmas day, but I think he was too tired and cranky and full of sugar for it to have any effect.  We ended up leaving the party earlier than I've ever left it in my life.  I hated having to "answer" to everyone about why we didn't want to stay.  But it felt so nice to just go home and go to bed.

My dad's side of the family, minus 26 people.

Wednesday the 26th
We let Sly open more presents, which had been mailed to us by various relatives.  I was intending to hit the stores in the morning to score some great discounts, but there was a snowstorm, and the roads didn't seem safe.  I really think this was a grace from God, as it forced us to spend part of a day just staying home as a family.  Tom decided during naptime, though, to drive over my mom's to pick up the rest of the gifts.  What should have been less than an hour round trip took him more than three.  Poor guy.  As soon as he got in the door, it was already time to leave for yet another family party.  Again, Sly was spilling people's drinks on purpose, and making his parents very angry!

Thursday the 27th
I went to see Les Mis with my best friend.  It was the only day we could do it, but Tom was working a half day, so I had to get my dad to come over to watch the kids until he got home.  I was out of the house about four hours total, and Stella screamed her head off and refused to take the bottle the whole time.  Awesome.  Tom's parents came to town for a visit.  We went out to dinner, then came home for yet more present-opening.

*****
I think we managed to pull off a fairly holy Advent this year (not to say that there isn't room for improvement), but we have a long way to go on celebrating Christmas appropriately.  I feel like there are too many family obligations on us right now.  While they should help make it festive and jolly, they instead have felt like they were weighing us down this year.  Christmas was just much more stressful than it should have been.  Each individual activity, party, etc. was enjoyable.  But added up, and in such quick succession, it was just too much.  We barely got a break between activities.  Sly was a total nutcase for about five days, missing naps, going to bed late, and being the crankiest we've ever seen him.  One good I can say about this year is that it was a useful learning experience for us.  Next Christmas, we will just have to put our foot down.  We will insist that the grandparents cut down on the present-giving, and prepare them for the reality of us possibly arriving late or leaving early from parties.  Also, I want to insist that Christmas day itself be "immediate family only" time, at least up until dinner.

Things have calmed down a bit now...except that Tom and his dad are currently constructing built-in bookshelves downstairs so the dining room is a wreck.  Oh, and Stella is sick.  I feel like I've finally officially joined the "parent club" because I've actually been thrown up on now.  Sly has never - literally never - been sick.  So this is all new to us.  In the past 24 hours, poor little Stella has vomited on basically every blanket and sheet in the house, and also the Boppy, the couch, the floor, and a few other things.  The pediatrician's office says she probably just has a virus and to keep breastfeeding as usual, but to monitor her for dehydration.  And luckily, she's still been pretty pleasant and smiley, so I don't think she minds too much.  I'm glad I don't have to drive her to the doctor (yet), because there was another snowfall this morning, and the roads are not looking friendly. Overall, yesterday was a success because I finally had a chance to catch up on many little projects while Sly was entertained by Grammy. 


How was everyone else's Christmas?

Our Halloween Costumes

 

We all had to dress up this year since we were invited to a party at my aunt's house on Saturday.  Had Tom and I not been totally distracted and stressed by all the moving and unpacking in the week before Halloween, I know we would have tried to put together another family-themed costume.  Alas.

Sly's lion suit was chosen from four (yes, I said FOUR) store-bought costumes that we own in his current size (if you're wondering who to call "crazy" for that excessive purchase, the answer is my mom).  He also has a giraffe, a St. Bernard (the dog) and a monkey suit.  But the lion fit him best, and looked pretty cute.  Since Sly's costume was already decided, Tom and I would have wanted to base our theme off of that.  Most likely, we would have done a Wizard of Oz theme.  I would have been Dorothy, of course, and Tom the Scarecrow (since it's easier to put together than a Tinman costume!).  If I had just had a week to put it together, it would have happened.  Ah well.  Maybe some other year.

Things came together pretty well, considering that the two of us didn't even start looking for something to wear until a couple hours before the party.  I donned cat ears and tail from a previous Halloween.  Tom got a fortuitous last-minute text from a friend, asking if he wanted to borrow the sweet Kool-Aid man costume he (the friend) had worn last year.  Check that thing out: it's homemade from plastic cups and spray paint!

 Here's Tom and Sly, about to head out trick-or-treating on Monday night.  Originally, we weren't going to take Sly, figuring he was still too young.  But I think we were just excited about the thrill of having a KID to share holiday traditions with now!  Tom says Sly just seemed really confused at every door they went to, but that all the people thought he was adorable.  And it was a great way for Tom to meet some of our new neighbors.  So I guess it was a success.

Here we are, forty minutes later, looking over all the great treats he brought home.  We already confiscated the ones that aren't baby-appropriate, like the M&Ms.  And this morning, I had to hide the pumpkin bucket from Sly, because he remembered what yummy things were inside it, and just kept pointing at it and crying "ee-die! ee-die!", refusing to eat his breakfast.

A Ducky 1st Birthday Party

Here's how the cake turned out. I kept changing my mind about how I would make it. Originally, it was going to be a white sheet cake cut into the shape of a duck. It ended up a chocolate 3-layer cake with a duck frosted on top! It looks alright from this angle, except that the yellow icing was a bit too runny.

But this is what happened at the back. It just fell apart. And now I remember why I always avoid baking homemade cakes - they never stay together!! It is impossible to get them out of the pans cleanly, and I always have the most difficult time stacking them, and frosting them, since they are so flimsy and crumbling everywhere. Is there something I am doing wrong??

Here's the kitchen table, starting to get ready for guests.

The rainbow sherbet punch with, appropriately, rainbow-colored duckies.

Blue raspberry lemonade (this one was supposed to be reminiscent of a bathtub).

The backyard table all set up.

Sly, having no clue why we're all singing at him. Please disregard the back of the cake!

mmm - yum!
Helping him to open his presents out back.


Sly got four different Little People sets! They take up a lot of room, so that prompted us to have to sort through and pack away/give away a lot of his other toys last night!

These are the ridiculous (but cute and amusing) inflatable coasters my mom got. All the guys were using them for their beers :-)

He got a great wooden snail pull-toy.

Enjoying his car from Grammy and Grandad!


Happy Birthday to my big boy!

Getting Ready for Sly's First Birthday

I mentioned before that I wanted Sly's little party to be rubber ducky themed, since he loves them so.

Here are the cute invitations I made.


I'm not into scrapbooking at all (it's hard enough just to keep up-to-date with the hard-copy photos in my albums, let alone designing entire themed pages around them!), but MAN, do I love the scrapbooking section at craft stores these days. I feel like I've been doing a lot of little projects with cardstock recently.

Presumably, my mother's massive shipments of rubber ducky items have arrived, so all the decor is taken care of (she showed me the "inflatable rubber ducky coasters" last time I visited. Oh my gosh.)

I still want to make a cake. I've never decorated a cake before, beyond simply icing it with a knife! So I have a feeling my ducky cake might turn out pretty badly. There are several components that all have to come together in order for this not to be a total disaster: 1. the recipe I choose has to work out alright, and result in a cake which is edible, 2. I have to manage to sculpt the cake into something at least vaguely rubber duck-shaped (or do I?), and 3. I have to decorate it in such a way that it actually resembles a duck.

Luckily, I'm visiting a friend tonight, and she's going to teach me a few cake-decorating techniques.

One more week, and then my baby's not really going to be a baby anymore...