Fly Me to the Moon...

Fourteen years ago, I'd wanted to see Tony Bennett, when he performed in concert at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine. The tickets sold out immediately, I didn't go, and since that time, I've always wished I could have. Well, this morning I was able to snag two tickets to a benefit concert that Mr. Bennett will perform in May, at the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts, in Boise. I can't believe it! When he performed in Maine, he was 67 years old. He'll be 82 this year, and his voice is as beautiful as it ever was. For me, a dream come true.

A Day Off (well, sort of)

The house is quiet. The little ones are gone. I'm all by myself! Alas, before you get too excited for me, I have to tell you that I am sick in bed, so I won't actually be enjoying my time alone today. Bummer. Oh Lordy, please don't let me have the flu. I feel as though someone has beaten me from head to toe with a very, very heavy baseball bat. You know - - the kind of achy feeling where it hurts to move your eyeballs or comb your hair? Yeah, that. So, Steve has taken the day off to tend to the boys, so that I can rest in bed and hopefully cut this off at the pass. By 7:45 this morning, I could tell that Steve was already not having fun, and I'm pretty sure that I even heard him say that if he were me, he'd "throw the rascals in daycare" (I'm sure he was kidding. Maybe.) Anyway, the boys have all gone to Gowen so Steve can get some work to do at home, which he is really kidding himself if he thinks he is going to get any work done while tending to the boys, but you know, I didn't want to burst his bubble. Now, I don't know about you, but I have little to no interest in reading about other people's illnesses, so let's move on, shall we?

My parents will be here in 16 days. Whoopee!! The anticipation is just about killing us! Bertha, will you please make me some of your Chop Suey while you are here? (no, my mother's name is not Bertha, but I like to call her that). Not only are my parents wonderful house guests, but they are the Most Fabulous Grandparents, and I am so excited that the boys are going to get to spend two weeks with them. In anticipation of their arrival, I'm busy doing some baking and freezing. Yesterday, I made some fabulous Rosemary Cookies , compliments of P. Allen Smith - - so, so good. Just imagine a Snickerdoodle, but with a hint of rosemary. Perfect with a cup of tea, if you ask me. Herbs in your cookies? Too weird, you say? Give them a try, you will not be disappointed. I've also got to make some biscotti - - it is so simple to make, and it freezes really well.

My cousin Linda pointed me to a great website last week (thanks, Linda!), and I've been laughing ever since. Please take a moment to check out In the Motherhood - - it is hilarious! I'm loving Jenny McCarthy these days. Basically, real moms can write in to the website and tell their actual mothering experiences, and potentially have their story picked and then acted out by the cast, in "webisodes". My favorite at the moment is "Preachers, Panties, and Policemen". Watch it, and, especially if you are a mom, I dare you to tell me that you can't relate to it in some way!

Now, I'm off to suck down a mug full of TheraFlu.

Green Eggs & Ham, Anyone?

Just had to share this photo of the green eggs and ham I made for Story Time at the library yesterday - - mighty appetizing, huh? They had the effect I'd hoped for, though - - the kids giggled and squealed and all gathered 'round so they could poke the green eggs & ham with their pudgy little fingers, and then giggle some more. It is actually green eggs and Canadian bacon, because that is all I had on hand, but luckily, none of the preschoolers in attendence questioned my choice in meat.

I'm on day #2 of trying a new morning tactic, now that Griffin is actually Sleeping Through The Night. (Shhhhhhhhhhhh! Don't make too much of a fuss over it - - I don't want to jinx myself!) Camden didn't sleep through the night until he was 2 1/2 - - I'm not kidding. Right after Steve got back from Iraq, he finally gave in. So, for Griffin to be doing so at 1 1/2 is nothing short of a small miracle. However, I digress - - let me get back to talking about myself. So - - now that I am feeling somewhat rested in the morning, I'm getting up at 5 a.m. so that I can shower, dress, read the news, sip a cup of coffee, check my email, and post to my blog, as I am doing now, before my day of craziness begins. I cannot tell you what a glorious effect this has on my mood, to be able to steal a few quiet moments for myself. If you are wondering why the heck I would get up at 5:00 a.m., that would be because the boys generally wake up between 6:00 and 6:30 for the day. I'm not a night person, so I actually got 8 hours of sleep last night. I really think I could be on to something here. If I could do this every morning, it would be really, really great.

Camden went back to school yesterday, and it sure fired him up. When I picked him up yesterday afternoon, his mouth was going about 75 miles per hour. I can usually be guaranteed that he will first mention his nemisis, Nate. Camden and Nate have a love-hate relationship - - they seem to be buddies, but then again they seem to be arch enemies. Sure enough, the first thing out of his mouth was that Nate had "thrown a block at him" and "knocked him over". Then he went on to make mention of Nate's girlfriend. "Nate has a girlfriend??" I asked. "Yeah, but, but she's a toddler," replied Camden. Ahhh, preschool love.

Griffin is now up, and is already busy, plotting as to what kind of mischief he can cause for the day. My job now is to attempt to keep him from waking Camden up. Usually, that doesn't turn out so well. The good news is, I'm clean. I'm dressed. I've had my coffee. Yay!

A Mocha and a Mammogram

I paid a visit to one of my favorite Starbuck's this morning, and then headed over to St. Luke's BCDC for my first mammogram. I get to start having them a little early since my mother has had breast cancer, and let me tell you, I'm now intimately acquainted with the kind woman who performed my exam! In all seriousness, I was so impressed with how thorough the exam was, and I've already made my appointment for next year.

The boys were busy while I was away this morning, catching up with their dad, who has been pretty swamped with work these days, and therefore, not around much. Steve and Camden just left to do some fishing, and Griffin is still standing at the kitchen door crying! It stinks to be the little guy who gets left behind, you know.

Since Easter is now officially less than a month away, I feel like I can go ahead and dig out my decorations. You know I love any excuse I can find, to decorate for a holiday. Oh, and eat jelly beans.

What Not to Wear

Closet-cleaning can be a humbling experience. Yesterday, I decided to tackle mine, and purge it of all the clothes that I no longer wear, or just should not be wearing. The fact of the matter is, I pretty much wear the same thing every day. Jeans and a t-shirt. Sure, when I decided to become a stay-at-home mother, I chuckled to myself quite frequently, because I was not going to become one of "those" mothers - - you know, the ones that don't brush their teeth, wear their jammies to the store, and basically just don't care anymore. Not me! Yet, here I am, a year and a half later, wearing my standard jeans, t-shirt, and Dansko clogs every day, with dry, cracked hands, mousey hair, and not a whole lot to get dressed up for anymore. I wouldn't say I've totally let myself go, because I do put on make-up every day. I don't know why I do it - - some days we don't ever leave the house - - I guess it is just something I do to make myself feel like I haven't totally given up. Anyway, back to my closet. As evident from the 6 bags of clothes and shoes that are currently on their way to the thrift store, my closet was bursting at the seams with suits I won't wear anymore, things that were purchased because they were "a bargain", clothes that were too big, clothes that were too small, and clothes that, whether they fit or not, I have absolutely no business wearing. So, they are gone, and it feels good.

Did you see Oprah the other day? I love watching Oprah - - it is my daily "mental break" while I am preparing dinner. The episode I am referring to is the "Shlumpadinka Makeovers". Yikes, that was scary. I'm pretty sure I'm a shlumpadinka. Along with my desire to declutter my home, this was the other inspiration for cleaning out my closet. I especially loved the list of "10 Essentials" that Lloyd Boston talked about, and that if you base your wardrobe around these 10 items, you can never say you have "nothing to wear":

• gauze scarves (in bright colors)
• a trench coat (right now, I'm in love with this one)
• a black turtleneck and a white turtleneck
• a tunic
• a pair of white jeans, and a pair of dark jeans
• a black dress
• a white denim jacket
• a black skirt
• a cashmere sweater (sorry, there is no way I'm wearing cashmere around two little boys, lest it be covered in jam, boogers, and dirt)
• flats (in leapord print or a bright color)

I think some of things on this list obviously don't fit it to my day-to-day activities, but we do go out in public a lot, and it wouldn't hurt me to change out of my "uniform" once in a while. It was fun to see all of the makeovers and to think that there may be hope for me after all! I love clothes, I love make-up, and I have always been a girly-girl at heart. The fact of the matter is, it is hard to find the time to spend on myself. Just this morning, Griffin, for some reason, decided to "sleep in" (he's usually up at 5:00 a.m.) so I quickly rushed into the shower. Seriously, I had just closed the shower door when Camden knocked, and informed me that Griffin was awake. Rascals.

Homemade Granola Bars

We go through a lot of granola bars in this house. We are becoming more label-conscious though, and it is really hard to find a good granola bar that isn't made with high fructose corn syrup. A lot of them are just way too sweet, too. I've tried my hand at granola bars in the past, but didn't have much luck. Then, I saw Alton Brown prepare these granola bars on The Food Network, the last time I got sent to Boise for the night, and had free cable t.v.! The key to making a successful batch is definitely pressing the mixture down into the pan, using another pan. Equally important is letting them cool 100% before trying to cut them up, otherwise you will end up with a crumbly mess. We have a grocery chain in our area that offers a huge variety of "bulk bin" items, so the ingredients for these bars were quite inexpensive. For the dried fruit, I used a bag of cherry Craisins, which provided just the right amount of sweetness. I'm pretty sure I won't be buying granola bars again!

My Brain Hurts

Oh Lordy, I've been suffering from a terrible case of Blogger's Block. I've read many, many times out in the blogosphere that one should never write, "Sorry I haven't been blogging!" when one hasn't been posting regularly - - apparently it is one of the cardinal sins of blogging. Alas, here I am today, writing about the fact that I have nothing to write about. To prove it, here are some of the highlights from the past week:

• Steve went on his annual arctic skiing trip last weekend. He slept in a tent in the snow. He got a sunburn. He can't wait to go again next year. Boys are strange.
• The boys and I developed a serious case of cabin fever over the weekend. Okay, actually the boys were fine, but I just about went loopy. I've had it with winter! I'm tired of being inside, rarely seeing another adult for days on end! Ack!!
• The good news is, the weather has taken a turn for the better. The snow is melting. I can see grass. GREEN grass. Yippee!!
• I took Roy to the vet on Monday, along with a very inquisitive 4 1/2 year old, and a 17-month old who thinks every stranger is a doctor, and therefore proceeds to claw at me and cry hysterically when the public figure du jour looks at him.
• Ummm...I just spaced out and looked out the window just now, and it is SNOWING. Lord help me.
• There was an earthquake in Nevada yesterday, in case you haven't heard. I somehow missed it - - I was busy making pancakes and wrangling little boys. Steve felt it at his office in Boise. Roy felt it, because he burrowed in through a hole in Riley's dog bed and wouldn't come out . Riley felt it - - and let me know it - - by pooping on the living room floor.
• We are car-less today and this weekend due to Steve's Army commitments, so I am trying to figure out how amuse these boys and remain sane all at the same time. Hopefully the weather will be pleasant because that will surely help.

As you can see, there hasn't been a whole lot going on here, except things that make me whine. Rest assured, Dear Readers, I am digging deep today, and I vow to uncover that creative portion of my brain, so I can get back to some regular posting.

Camden just emerged from his bedroom and informed me that he and his brother are having a "diaper fight". I guess I'd better go...

A Few of My Favorite Things: Kitchen Edition

I love my kitchen. Like the rest of my house, it has a major '70's feel to it, but I love it anyway! It has great counter space, great cupboards, and since it seems the boys and I spend quite a bit of time in this room, I'm glad I love it so much.

Today, I give you a glimse of a few things in my beloved kitchen that are bringing me joy, on this beautiful, crisp Idaho day:

Fresh baked bread (okay, so I baked this yesterday...but we've been eating it today, toasted, with butter...so it still counts). Consequently, I also love the pull-out bread board that you see beneath the bread. There are two of these in my kitchen, and they are so handy.

The beginnings of Butternut Squash Soup, simmering on my stovetop

My salt pig. What?!? You don't have one? You must get one. I had wanted one for a long, long time, but couldn't really see the point. As a matter of fact, you are probably saying to yourself right now, "What's the point?" One day I found one at TJ Maxx, and I've never looked back. Oh, how I love my salt pig.

My Kromex bread box. I've mentioned this bread box before - - I bought it from the former owner of our house. I want to hug it, I love it so much.

My butter crock. I love real butter, and this keeps it fresh and at room temperature. I found this in Maine, when we were there last fall.

Sipping tea from this vintage Fire King tea cup...I found this at a little antique shop in town.

These Apple Cider Donuts that I just baked for the boys. Boy do they smell good...

Sugar High

So today I had the chance to use my new Norpro Donut Pan, because, you know, nothing says "I love you" like hopping your small children up on sugar before 7 o'clock in the morning. Normally, I actually do put quite a bit of thought into what I will and will not allow my babies to eat, but today was all about sugar. I'm sure I will be paying for it shortly, when I attempt to put the rascals to bed, but we had a fun day. Back to the donut pan - - if you love kitchen gadgets like I do, then please, you must buy yourself one. We are not big on donuts here, but shoot, if I can bake them instead of frying them in oil, then I think I will make some once in a while. As you can see, Griffin was impressed . So impressed, in fact, that at one point today, he pushed a chair over to the counter, removed two donuts, took a bite out of each, and then put them back. He's a stinker, that one.

Our big Valentine's Thrill for the Day involved a return trip to the animal shleter to adopt Roy the Kitten. He is such a sweet kitty, and a great addition to the family. He had absolutely no reaction when he met Riley, so that was great. Riley, on the other hand, followed him around all day, and could not seem to stop himself from licking Roy's head over and over. They seem to be best friends already.

Okay, so I don't normally allow animals on countertops (ick!) but I figured I'd cut the little guy some slack today.

Getting lapped to death by Riley

Camden bawled his eyes out when I reminded him that he had school today. After I informed him that Griffin would be napping while he was at school, and therefore would not be playing with Roy, he felt much better.

I promised you a heart-shaped pizza, so here it is! We had to move our Friday pizza night up a day, because Steve and his equally crazy friend Chuck will be heading out tomorrow for their annual 20-mile roundtrip cross-country skiing/camping trip. Yes, they ski 10 miles into a hot spring, and then camp out in the snow. They also spend quite a bit of time sipping whiskey while sitting in the hot spring, I might add. Steve is as giddy as a school girl right now, in anticipation of his "boy vacation". I had been hoping to ply him with some Vermonty Python and then talk him into giving me a Valentine's Day foot rub, but I can see now as I type this post, that he is far too worked into a dither over his trip, so I might as well grab a good magazine and go to bed!

I got an email notification today that NaBloPoMo (remember National Blog Posting Month, back in November?) is going to happen year-round now, with a new "theme" each month. I'm sitting here wringing my hands over whether or not to try it for the month of March, just to shake things up a bit. I already know that the theme for March is "lists", which I really doubt I can sustain for 31 days, but then again the themes thing is optional so maybe I'll give it a try.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Cupcakes & Kitties

Today started off with a bang, when I remembered that I'd promised to bake for a library fundraiser today, but it managed to slip my mind, like so many other things tend to do! You'd better believe I fired up my mixer and whipped up a batch of cupcakes. Of course, the boys decided to "help" me which was all fine and good, until I was decorating said cupcakes and looked to my right to see Griffin, totally eating one of the cupcakes with his face, hands clasped behind his back. Not sure why he chose that method, when he could have easily picked it up, but I suppose messier=more fun. So, the library only got 23 cupcakes instead of 24, and Griffin got a massive sugar charge at 10 o'clock this morning.

We are thinking of adding to our family. NO! I'm not pregnant, lest Steve run for the hills at full tilt and never come back. Camden has decided he would like a cat. I'm not sure I am 100% ready to take a kitty on, but I think another critter might do old Riley some good. He is pretty lonely without his Sadie, and maybe a kitty would perk him up a bit. We payed a visit to our local shelter this morning, and Camden immediately fell in love with a sweet little boy kitty named Roy. He is only 15 weeks old, so a good age, and he was super-friendly and not the least bit skittish around the midgits, so another plus. I'm thinking it all through this afternoon while Camden is at school, although I'm pretty sure my opinion doesn't count for much, since Camden exclaimed he'd rather "go get Roy" than go to school.

Now, please excuse me - - I must get back to my baking - - tomorrow is Valentine's Day, after all. Stop by tomorrow for a post full of sugar, butter, and heart-shaped pizza.

Watch Out Ladies...

...he's at it again. That's right, that crazy husband of mine was cooking again tonight - - this time, a little "early" Valentine's dinner, since he's a working boy and all. Tonight's menu was roasted new potatoes and parsnips, a touch of salad, and pan-roasted chicken with lemons, olives, and rosemary, from the fabulous cookbook, At Blanchard's Table. Oh, and I feel inclined to mention the delish sauvignon blanc that I washed it all down with. I had to chuckle a little bit, because Steve has cooked more for me in the past month than he has in the past year. I am thinking that he is feeling the pressure, after having read all of your flatterning comments here on my blog. Lest you think that he is perfect, I must let you know that he has retired for the evening, but has left all of the dirty dishes from his cooking escapade lining my countertops.

Another note about dinner - - Steve was running a little late, so we fed the boys, and then somehow came up with the utter brainstorm of bringing the little DVD player in from the car, setting it up in the bedroom, and voila, it was almost like being out on a real dinner date. Okay not really, but it sure was nice to chat with my spouse without constant interruption. Griffin has about zero interest in television, so he spent most of the time annoying Camden, but still, at least they were down the hall, in their bedroom while we ate.

Steve has every other Monday off, so tonight ends a fabulous three-day weekend for us. We decided to shake things up a bit and declared this past Saturday "family day", and headed for the Big City. I think we tend to get into the rut of feeling like we have "things to do" around the house on the weekends, so we forget to get out and have fun. We decided to take the boys to the Discovery Center of Idaho, which I am ashamed to admit, we'd never been to before. A little over Griffin's head, but at this point in his life he is happy just to run around and squeal, so he was happy none the less. Camden loved it, and I envision us getting a family membership in the near future. The boys sure loved the little play market, and this picture of them shopping really cracks me up.

From there we headed over to the Boise Co-op for some assorted treats, which we then took to the Boise Train Depot for a bit of a picnic lunch. I love the view of the Capital from there - - just lovely.

After that, we made a quick stop (to humor me) at a little antique shop, which, unfortunately didn't allow children into the best part of the shop (hmmm...I wonder why?!??), so I was left to make a quick dash through, where I made mental notes of the oodles of vintage Pyrex, Fire King, and deviled egg plates lining the shelves. Alas, in a couple of weeks I will be sneaking back there, all by myself, so that I can look and linger.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day working on my most recent project, which is, decluttering my home. That's a topic for another post, but let me just tell you, it is life-altering. I am currently reading a book by Peter Walsh, and has totally changed the way I view and think about "stuff". If you have even the slightest problem with clutter or disorganization, I highly recommend his book.

Today, we took Camden shopping to get some soccer gear, because he's just signed up to play spring soccer. I'm still feeling a little anxious about all of this - - the state of organized sports anymore makes me a little distressed, which was only amplified, when I had to sign a "Parents Code of Conduct" form at the Rec Center, when registering him. I kid you not, it was two pages long, all about how I would promise not to act like a complete idiot whilst my 4-year-old child plays soccer. I mean, really. It makes me so sad to think that there are parents out there who behave in a manner that makes these sort of forms even necessary. So, back to the soccer gear. Camden was so excited to try everything on when we got home, because, you know - - it is like another costume of sorts, and you know the boy loves a good costume. The boys headed into their room to play, and Steve and I were each seperately occupied when suddently we heard what sounded like a gun shot, followed by hysterical screaming. Long story short, apparently Camden sat on his soccer ball, and it exploded, peppering his bare little legs (he was wearing soccer shorts, you know) with bits of soccer ball shrapnal. That kid is going to have some nasty bruises, I can tell you that. I'm happy to report that the afternoon drama did not deter him from wanting to play soccer, but he certainly won't be sitting on a soccer ball any time soon.

As for the rest of the week, it is jam-packed with Story Time tomorrow (Valentine's theme), Valentine's party for Camden at school, Valentine's festivities at home of course, more decluttering, and certainly our weekly fill of reading, playing, and all things little boy. Steve leaves this weekend for his annual arctic camping trip - - more about that in a few days.

Ending with a shot of Griffin, reading with Steve. He spent a good part of the weekend bringing book after book to us, wanting to sit and read. I love it!

And the Winner Is...

Okay...so it isn't yet 6:00 p.m. Mountain time, but the anticipation is killing me, I tell you! Mind you, this was all done very scientifically - - names written on strips of paper, placed into a Tupperware container, and then a name chosen at random by my trusty sidekick, Camden:

So, there you have it! Winner, you are now the proud owner of a brand new copy of Stonewall Kitchen Favorites, by Jonathan King, Jim Stott, and Kathy Gunst. It is a wonderful cookbook, and I hope you will love it as much as I do! Please email me to let me know that you are aware you have won! Thank you to everyone who entered - - I enjoyed doing this, and am hoping to do it on a semi-regular basis now, because, well - - it is fun to give stuff away!! Most of all, thank you for reading my blog - - I appreciate it so much.

Doing What You Love

Are you doing what you love? Something that you are passionate about? Here is a story about somebody who is.

Congratulations, Kev - - I am so happy for you!

p.s. - don't forget to check in tomorrow evening to see who has won the cookbook!

Super Fat Tuesday

Yes, it is Super Tuesday, but it is also Fat Tuesday, people! Camden and I love a good party, and Mardi Gras has it all - - beads, masks, craziness, and sugar. What more can you ask for?

That crazy-looking cake in the middle is a King Cake - - we made one last year, too.

My own little creation - - the muffaletta panini. I used this recipe for olive salad (with a couple of minor changes) and slapped it all on some ciabatta bread (without the mortadella though - - you can't get that in this one-horse town!) and grilled it on the George Foreman. Yum.

Camden and his King Cake baby

Scenes From a Wonderful Day

Walnut pancakes with carmelized bananas, made for me by Steve -- the best pancakes I've ever eaten. Yes, the recipe is in Stonewall Kitchen Favorites....yum.

A wintery-wonderland morning walk with my beloved Riley James.

Snow piled up in the middle of Main Street - - not something you usually see around here.

Cousins

The apple thief strikes again

The Birthday Foot Rub (my apologies to you, if you happen to be eating breakfast while reading this post - - I'm sure the last thing you wanted to see was my icky feet!).

Thank you all for the birthday wishes yesterday! I had a nice day with my boys - - they are good to me. Steve whipped up a fabulous breakfast, and then really out-did himself by making pork medallions with mushroom cream sauce for dinner. It was so nice to be cooked for, for a change! Steve is such a good cook - - I need to try to bribe him into cooking more often, don't you think?

My big accomplishment for the day was figuring out the Bluetooth earpiece that my parents sent to me for my birthday. I am a technological idiot, but I actually figured it out all by myself, so I'm feeling rather smug.

Turning 30 didn't phase me in the least - - there is always such a big deal made about turning 30, but it just wasn't a big deal. Turning 36, however, has caused me to do quite a bit of thinking. I don't really have my thoughts organized yet, but in a nutshell, I would like to start living with a bit more purpose - - I want to take better care of myself and my health, I want to distance myself from negativity, and I want to do a better job of "not sweating the small stuff". I really hope in a year from now, I can look back and see that I've made some strides in those areas.

As for now, I have some little boys to dress, and teeth to brush.

P.S. three more days to enter the contest!

The Joys of Bakewell Cream

I ask you, is there anything as lovely as mile-high Bakewell Cream biscuits? I think not.

The Transmitter

Recently, Steve began referring to Camden as "The Transmitter". The reason for this is, the boy Never Stops Talking. I'm not kidding. I don't know how he does it, really. As awful as it sounds, I frequently have to say, "Camden, stop talking," when I need him to focus on such things as crossing the street. Or eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Or going to sleep. Or not making my head explode. He talks so much, in fact, that when he was strangely quiet on our way home from the grocery store the other day, I actually caught myself asking, "Camden, why aren't you talking?" Of course, I wanted to smack myself as soon as I realized what I'd said. In no particular order, here is a sampling of the topics we've touched on today:

• Why doesn't Santa live in the South Pole, instead of the North Pole?
• Why do some trains have cow catchers on the front?
• Can we get a cat when Riley dies?
• Why do dogs have to stay in the yard, but cats don't?
• Can I have chocolate milk for breakfast?
• Can I be a lion? (costume change #1)
• Where does Paul Bunyon live?
• Why is the world so huge?
• If we did Ring-Around-the-Rosie, could we reach around the world? (in case you are wondering, we bought a globe at the trift store this morning, so he is a bit obsessed with the Earth today)
• Can we do a project? What kind of a project? When?
• Can I be Paul Bunyon? (costume change #2)
• When is it pizza time? (we make pizza every Friday) Is it pizza time now? How about now?
• Can I be a pirate? (costume change #3)

This is about 1/8 of what we've talked about today, but you get the picture.

Now, pardon me while I go and fix myself a cocktail.

*p.s. If you haven't done so already, you still have a few days to enter the cookbook contest. Simply leave a comment on the January 30th post!*