Making a Death Star Cake

I've had three people contact me about the Death Star cake pictured in my previous post. I honestly don't have any advice about how to go about it...I just wing it when I make cakes, but I'm happy to share the process I went through.  

This was four layers...enough to make two whole cakes. When cooled, I frosted them and stacked them up on top of each other and put it in the refrigerator to firm up.  Once chilled, I started cutting it into a sphere shape.  When that was done, I put it in the refrigerator to chill some more, while making homemade fondant. It was my 2nd time making fondant...which is ridiculously overpriced and disgusting if you purchase the stuff, but really easy and pretty tasty if you make your own out of marshmallows. I tinted mine dark.  

Once the fondant was made, I covered the sphere, used a ball (about the size of a billiards ball) to make the indentation, and then sprayed it with edible silver paint.  Then I used a paint brush and edible black paint for the decor.  I drew lines all around it, and painted them in.  Added a green candy for the laser-thingy, and it was done.  

Here are some snapshots of the process, including one with Gator and his cake, and the cake half-eaten.  Hope this helps some of you with your Birthday Jedi needs!  

(You may be interested in my all-time most popular blog post about hosting a
Star Wars Birthday Party. I get about 50 visits a day to this post.)

The Usefulness of Journals

Recently, the value of keeping a journal has been on my mind, and Gator, my eleven year old, pointed out to me that he didn't have one. 

I know...Major Momma Slackitude!  (If that were only the worst of it...)

Bunch has a robust collection of pretty blank notebooks and journals, and loves writing in them.  It's kind of an odd thing to collect, but she loves them and has been journaling for years.  (She also collects pencils. They pair nicely with the journals.)

While I began keeping a journal as a 5th grader, the ever-overachieving Doc started keeping a journal when he was in 3rd grade.  He was a special child.  In fact, it was this very journal that made me fall in love with him.  I am absolutely serious about this, even though you might think it was his handsome looks, his winsome personality or keen intellect. Nope. It was his journal that hooked me.

Doc and I were already close friends.  He'd been knocked for a loop by my certain charms from the very start, but I had kindly told him "I just want to be friends." He surprised me by saying that was fine, and quickly proceeded to become my favorite person. But I hadn't yet been caught up by his tractor beam.  It's possible I might have had trust issues. 

So one night Doc announced that he wanted me to read his journal. The journal he'd vowed early on that no one would ever read so he could be completely honest in it.  About everything (including me. As it turned out).

It took some arm twisting, but I finally agreed to it.

By the time I turned the last page, I was done for.  My heart was captured and confirmed his.  In those pages it was as though I came to know the soul of this young man, and in knowing him I couldn't resist just loving him.  (I believe that's where that expression actually originated.)

He was just eighteen years old, and that journal had started when he was nine.  Half his life was represented.  And unlike my journal, which I was suddenly very self-conscious of, his was focused on things actually worth remembering. 

To clarify: I'd spent years faithfully writing about my days...what I ate (fascinating!), what time it was when I went to bed, how much sleep I got or didn't get, what I wore that day, who gave me rides to things, how much homework I had, and wondering why if I was defective.  Every now and then I tried to include something with the intent that if someone ever DID read select entries, you know, AFTER I WAS DEAD, they'd maybe think I was kind of awesome.  So there I was, writing to my invisible audience. 

It was painful to realize what a waste of time and what a missed opportunity my journal was.  Doc hadn't written as often as me, but when he did write, it was to record significant experiences, things he was thinking about as he grew from a boy into a man.  He wrote down spiritual experiences, answers to prayers, things that were important to him, his hopes, plans and dreams.  He didn't omit things that might show his frailties and shortcomings...it was the whole picture.  And I was dumbfounded by his honesty and trust (in letting me read it). 

I wished someone had taught me the why, what and how of keeping a journal. I had no idea how useful and worthwhile keeping one could be.  Mine is truly so awful that I've only glanced through it a couple times in the past 30 years. 

But this past weekend I finally bought Gator a journal, and in an overcompensating attempt, I even had his name inscribed on it. (I think Bunch was jealous.) 

After he'd written his first entry, he asked if he could read my journal from when I was a kid.  In case I needed to edit out any parts Because my penmanship was positively terrible, I decided I'd read it to him and use my fifth-grade self as a kind of what not to do when it comes to journaling. 

It was enlightening to say the least...especially reading it out loud to my kid. I really was completely all-or-nothing as a child.
 

Turns out that tomorrow, March 17th, is the 31st anniversary of my first journal entry...and since this post is already too long, I will continue this tale, INCLUDING SHARING the very first two journal entries OF MY LIFE, complete with errors.  Which faithful readers will note means blog posts for 3 days in a row.  It's like a party. Without food!

 

HELPFUL TIP FOR THE DAY:

Don't forget to wear green to bed tonight...kids these days start the pinching early!

 

 

Broken

So my big plan, my "I'm going to make lots of money this month" plan...well, not so much. 

Yesterday the elementary school called.  I"m trying to think if there has ever been good news when I've gotten a call from the school in the middle of the day.  I don't think so, and yesterday was no exception. Gator had fallen and was in the office. "He is in a lot of pain, and is really pale.  He's not crying, but he's wincing a lot." the secretary told me.

That Gator is pale is a given.  He has nearly translucent white skin.  I am IN LOVE with that kid's skin...I think it's the most beautiful white skin ever.  And I say this while confessing that I was never really a fan of white skin (it was one of the things I tried to change about myself as a teen.  Baby Oil, you failed me!  But thank you, skin cancer Gods, for overlooking my youthful follies.)

When I got to the office (Fully Dressed!) aproximately 7.934 minutes after hanging up the phone, I found Edward Cullen lying there instead of my son.  He was definitely a few shades whiter than I'd ever seen him. 

An hour later the radiology report came back announcing a displaced fracture through the proximal humeral shaft.  In other words, he broke his arm.  

Happily it's right below the growth plate, so that is good  news.  Because of the location, they can't cast it, so bummer! No signatures this time. (Quick story that illuminates the struggle I've had with packraticism: When Bunch was 11 months old she broke her arm and had a pink cast from arm pit to fingertips.  When they cut the cast off, I saved it. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY.  Was I thinking someday we'd erect a shrine to the cast?  Build a tiny, wooden pedestal for it, and surround it with candles and leave notes for it? I finally threw it away when I was purging my life five years ago.)

Back to Gator: they secured his arm in a sling, and then bound the whole thing to his torso to immobilize it.  And then we had to make some headway with the whole "I don't swallow medicine" issue, and get him to the point where he could take ibuprophen to reduce swelling. This kid has eschewed ALL MEDICINE as long as he's been alive.  When he got strep throat and was utterly miserable, he still wouldn't take medicine.  Had to have the doctor give him the shot...which I PAID FOR FOR DAYS I promise you.  But there was no way I would get him to swallow meds twice a day for 10 days.  It's really fortunate that he's been such a healthy, non-accident prone (he didn't inherit that from me!) child. I guess this was the first situation that was severe enough to force him to overcome his aversion...because he's gotten his Advil cocktail down every time I've given it to him so far.  

All this meant I wasn't going to be flying out to Boston today for work.  I had to give away my high-productivity trips (which were snatched up by happy crewmates as fast as I posted them)...which means no big paycheck for me this month.  But I got to be here with my kids, and attend a mommy/daughter function with Bunch tonight. So it's fine.  Maybe I'll get caught up on writing some things!

Grateful for:

1) Helpful people all around.  The teachers and staff at the school. The nurses and doctors. Friends.

2) The contest Gator and I had today to see who could think up The Most Good Things About His Life.  Prize was a Cadbury Creme Egg (which we love). He won by default when we got to 50 things.

3) Learning opportunities. Often not fun, but such a necessary way to grow!

4) It's his left arm, and Gator is right-handed!

Battle of the Jedi - A Stop Motion Movie

Gator isn't interested in sports, which, he laments, makes him different from other kids. Most of his time is spent reading, playing with his Legos, or begging for screen time, which features Star Wars a disproportionate amount of time. But every few months, he also decides to make a movie.

His interest in movie making dates back about seven years, when one day a question that had just occurred to him popped out of his mouth, "do people who make movies get paid for them?" The concept seemed to blow his four year old mind.

Not that he has specific film industry ambitions. It's just a fun hobby and we've enjoyed a number of his short productions in the past two years. It's quirky, but I've assured him that before he knows it, he'll find "his people" who have similar interests. Meanwhile, my favorite movie creations star his massive paper airplane collection, and his snakes and plastic animals. So far they have all just been on the camera, without audio tracks.

This year he decided to make a movie to enter into the Reflections contest held by the PTA. I'd like to say I was a supportive, involved parent, but the truth is it was all his initiative. Suddenly, he informed me that he had hundreds of photos that he needed to edit.

So I did the honorable thing of A) giving up the computer so he could work on it, and B) walked him through a crash course in Windows Movie Maker software so he could put the thing together. Oh, I also bought him the music and installed a new font for him. But this is his baby, including adding all the "blood" and special effects (just in case you were wondering if that was my handiwork).

As far as I'm concerned, different IS good!

Grateful for:

1) Gator. And yes, I realize that the movie calls him something else, but as far as we're concerned, he will always be our dear Gator. Just like I will always be Blue to my online besties!
2) That sunset tonight was a gift straight from the good Lord above!
3) Working out to "24". I'm doing stepper while I watch it. Hope it gets me into exercising again!

Yesterday

School started!
Here's the traditional "leaving for the first day of school" pictures of Bunch & Gator.






Technically, I should probably have written "Gator and Bunch", as the first picture is actually of Gator--who prefers riding bikes or being driven to school over The Bus. But the good news is NEW BUS DRIVER who has a lovely accent...I'm thinking South Africa but could be off by a few continents. We bribed her with gave her some of my amazing toffee and a friendly note so hopefully she'll be superniceallyear to my kid.

Bunch is my lovely 8th grader this year. She couldn't wait for school to start, and was SO EXCITED to get rid of me when I took her to school that I was summarily dismissed and told to "go and do whatever it is that you do" when we got to school. (That "thing I do" would be the forest-worth of paperwork that it takes for a student to be completely registered and official these days.) I do believe it was the first time in my life that I didn't receive a hug and "I love you" upon saying goodbye.

She made up for it after school.

Gator and I rode bikes to his school which is a nice form of forced exercise as I have two round trips minimum on those days. He's had a fantastic attitude so far this year. I'm very impressed. I'm thinking 5th grade is going to be his year!

More tomorrow.

Grateful for:

1) Happy kids in the morning
2) Great school teachers. If they get more of my kid's time than I do, I want them to be nice!
3) Tomorrow.

Eleven

Eleven years ago today my last baby was born. I didn't know at the time he'd be my last, but it's become clear that he is.

Gator is a lot of things:

• a great snuggler in the mornings
• a terrific hug&kiss goodnighter before bed
• Possibly Lego Corporation's biggest fan
  
• obsessed with all-things Star Wars
• super quick to forgive others
• not super confident about himself
• mischevious
  
• funny--he seemed to be born with a remarkable sense of humor.
  
• highly creative and talented in fun, unique ways
  
• sensitive
• sometimes stubborn
  
• super observant of details
• very intelligent
• disinterested in school (to put it mildly)
• sometimes anxious
• has a seemingly unlimited appetite for electronic games (which we try constantly to keep in check)
  
• can't get enough of Night Games--especially capture the flag
• a builder of Binder Clip Warriers and stager of Paper Clip battles
  
• a maker of cool stop-motion movies
• completely content with an absurdly messy room. [sigh]
  
• a great strategist in battle scenes
  
• an avoider of bathing and changing clothes
• fair-minded
• tender-hearted (can't stand to see any living thing hurt.)
• fiercely devoted to his cousins, whom he adores
• a great reader
• a big sweet-tooth (it's genetic!)
  
• honest (one of the qualities I love most about him)
• kind-hearted.
  
• a huge fan of his "can do no wrong" dad
• a home-body
• a lover of John Williams music
• not into any kind of athletic sports
• an eschewer of fashion/shopping/clothing
  
• terrific at making lots of different sound-effects with his mouth
• an introvert
  
• a dreamer
• a great example to his big sister
  
• a believer in keeping the rules
• a truly good person
• now done with Cub Scouts
• not a fan of change
  
• newly into riding his bike
• loather of riding the bus to school
  
• a lover of adventure movies
• a highly-selective eater (is that diplomatic enough?)
• a very important person to a lot of really cool people
  
• keeper of an enormous piece of real-estate in my heart. He's the greatest son I could ask for!

I love you angel boy! Thank you for bringing such joy and happiness to my life. You teach me so much, and our family just wouldn't be as awesome without you! Happy 11th Birthday today!

Birthday celebrations begin at breakfast and last (at least) the whole day long! This year we partied a few days early since Doc's on a grueling surgery rotation and Bunch is away at camp.


His party was at Nickel Mania--a local nickel arcade.




The party crew. Dad, Uncle, sister, and all the friends we could round up on the second-to-last weekend of summer.


First game he tried out. Naturally!


Gator and his favorite guy...Daddy...hitting the speed-boat games.


My favorite picture of the day. Love my boy!


Grateful for:
1) Boys and all their boyness.
2) Childhood with all it's mystery, magic and wonder
3) Lots of time to celebrate during this last, lazy week of summer

"I'm Sorry!"

Last week when Doc was slated to put in over a hundred hours at the hospital*, Gator came up to him late one night while he was lying on the floor, exhausted.

"I'm sorry, Daddy", Gator said.

"Sorry for what?" Doc asked.

"I'm sorry that I wanted us to stay here."

"Why?"

"Because you have to work so hard."

From the moment Doc mentioned that he was interested in the considerably more relaxed Transitional Year program near Boston as his first choice, Gator started praying that we wouldn't have to move. I mean, it was like a desperate mantra with him.

Worried about the fallout if we did end up matching elsewhere, I tried to steer his mind towards a more accepting attitude. "Sweetie, instead of praying that we won't have to move, why don't you pray that everything will work out how it is supposed to! That no matter what happens, we'll be happy and have the life experiences we need to have."

But Gator wasn't having any of that. Month after month, his constant prayer was that we wouldn't have to move. Nothing short of staying put was acceptable in his mind.

When we finally found out we staying here, Gator viewed it as a direct answer to his heartfelt prayers. That was one very happy moment in this kid's life.

And now we find out he feels personally responsible for the insane hours his poor daddy has to put in.

Grateful for:
1) My sweet boy's faith that God will answer his prayers.
2) My sweet Doc's way of handling the pressures he faces during difficult rotations. He's amazing.
3) My life here. I'd have been fine with an adventure somewhere else, but I really love living here.

* Note: Doc's resident called him and said they realized his hours were way over the legal limit, and told him to take the next day off. Major!!!

Change

Change is hard for a lot of people. But change is also necessary and good in many many cases.

Yesterday I went to a salon to get my hair colored and highlighted. I'd been feeling like I needed a change in my appearance for a while, and while color alone would have been a little different, when the stylist mentioned that a cut was included in the price, I dug deep ala Steve Martin in Roxanne and told him "Cut it off!"

Much as I dreamed about having fabulous hair to my waist, that has never been a possibility for me. It just doesn't grow fast enough, and when it's beyond my shoulder blades, it's not that healthy. I've conceded that having an attractive style should trump having long hair that doesn't usually look that great (without a LOT of fussing. And perfect weather conditions.)

When the stylist was finished and handed me the mirror, I was very happy with the outcome. Nothing like a make-over to invigorate the soul! I waltzed home to my kids, who knew I was getting my hair done, and when they saw me Bunch thought it looked awesome. But Gator took one look at me and said it was "horrible". He told me he hated it. "You don't look normal!" He started to cry, and literally carried on in a for the next few hours till he went to bed. It was really bizarre...even for my beloved little anxiety boy.

Gator doesn't like change. In fact, most change essentially terrifies him. He was beyond happy when Doc matched here for residency, because the thought of moving had him nearly undone. He doesn't like to change his clothes, hates all schedule changes, hates getting older, loathes movies about change such as 2012 (end of days stuff), dreads friends moving away, learning new subjects in school, meeting new (potential) friends, trying new foods, and, apparently, apparently his mom getting a new hair style.

This morning he did apologize for being rude and treating me poorly last night, and we are back to normal again (I hope!). And I did make him change his underwear before he left for school.

Parenthood. Gotta love it.

(here's the horrible, no good, not "normal" new hair)


Grateful For:
1) Affordable, talented hair stylists
2) The chance to parent Gator. He definitely keeps me on my toes!
3) New bicycle I got to ride bikes with Gator to school in the mornings. (He hates the bus!) My bum will adjust eventually, right?!

Who Needs Toys?

Gator truly has one of the most imaginative minds I've ever encountered. He's always coming up with something.



For example, who else has ever designed BINDER CLIP WARRIORS?



Capable of wielding MIGHTY Weapons.
(Is not the pen[cil] mightier than the sword?. And who can withstand the crushing weight of The Ball?!)



As his soldiers organize themselves, they prepare for a MIGHTY BATTLE.



Against...the Evil Paper Clip Army!
(Take pity on them...they don't stand a chance.)



Gator is the Great General. The order and discipline of his troops is impressive.
(Much more impressive than the usual state ofhis bedroom, I might add.)



Watch out Lego...Office Max might just take over your market-share.

Grateful for:
1) Creative kids. They surprise me regularly.
2) Laughter...especially the spontaneous kind.
3) My Dentist and dental insurance. I'm still numb up to my eyeballs, but in addition to a new crown, the two chipped and stained teeth I've been bothered by for over a decade are now flawless.

Trying to catch up

I am frightfully (heh. Halloween) behind on a load of posts. Seriously dating back to at least August.

For example: I never managed to write about the trip I took Gator on to California to see John Williams conduct his annual “Night at the Movies” concert at the Hollywood bowl. Gator is crazy for John Williams…it's the only music he really likes. So it was a chance for Gator to see him live, you know, cause John is getting along in life and I felt like we should carpe diem and all that.

It was a fantastic show, and next time we'll know to bring a light-up light saber because the moment the Star Wars theme started, the entire audience pulled them out and "conducted" along with JW. It was so awesome. And actually the show choked me up. So many memories tied to his music. What a master. Gator loved this trip.

Blog friend Debbie and I had corresponded online for better part of a year at least, but we finally had our first in-real-life meet up, and she is as delightful in person as she is on her blog. We met during the trip to CA for the John Williams concert, and enjoyed sunshine, sand, sounds, smells and sweet conversations while Gator played in the ocean. She brought me a beautiful book (“Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh) tied up in a fabulous ribbon with a heart-rock and some blue sea glass which she collects on her many walks. It was a lovely visit.

In August, I flew to Syracuse, NY where blog-reader-stalker friend Keri and I met for the first time. Keri has the distinct honor of being the one who sought ME out…and can I just tell you what a massive deposit that was in my self-esteem account?! She contacted me and we began corresponding back and forth, till I ended up visiting her where she spends summers with her inlaws on an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence river which is the boarder between the USA and Canada. It was such a wondrous time for me. I loved meeting Keri and her darling children, and we became fast friends within about 20 seconds I think. Among other things, she introduced me to river baths (what it sounds like), and got me up on water skis for the first time in a couple decades (which my muscles paid for for days) It was a spectacular visit, restorative in many ways. Fast forward to this past week when I was able to visit her again in Connecticut for a couple days. I feel Seriously, So Blessed!

Also last week I met up with the amazing Lorrie at her home in Mid-town Manhattan. Her adorable children delighted me, and then we all went over to her studio and painted pottery. Her devoted spouse, who definitely earned his title (SexyHusbandOfMine, or “SHOM”) showed up too. It was so great to finally meet her IRL after reading her blog for the past year+. Meeting Debbie, Keri and Lorrie in person has been one of the highlights of the past 3 months.

The reason I was in NYC in the first place is because my bestie Joni planned a girls-weekend get-away with some friends and invited me along. Joni is responsible for much of my mental well-being this past year, so please send her thanks if that matters to you. She likes FastBreak candy bars and Starbucks. Joni watered and dined me all over the city for three glorious days, and truly, if she hadn’t planned the trip, I wouldn’t have gone out at all. I’ll have to do a separate post about that trip, because it’s full of adventure and intrigue, and I saw a lot more people than I have mentioned here.

School started back in August and Bunch & Gator attend two different schools now, which is a first. It’s tricky to keep up with their different schedules, but I’m starting to get the swing of it. Bunch is loving junior high , and Gator seems to be writing an updated iteration of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. We’re working on it.

And finally, Doc is racking up interview invitations for Transitional Year and Residency programs. He’s got them strewn from coast to coast in the next three months. When I told him he didn't need to interview at SO many places ("we're not going to end up matching at your last choice" I said), he said "you never know..." To which Bunchkin replied "I guess there is such thing as being too modest".

It’s going to be a spendy few months, because despite the fact that he has flight benefits on my airline, the fact is you just don’t fly standby to job interviews. So we’ll be buying up seats, hotels, and car rentals all over the country. Good times. (I’m hoping I can get away and join him at some of his interviews…of course it’s okay if I fly standby!)

Alrighty then. I’ve been working on this post for 3 days and it’s kind of lame, but I’m posting it now and moving on because the day is beconing and there is work to do.

Grateful for:
1) Debbie. You will likely read this; you are insight in my life.
2) Joni. You may never read this, but you are light in my life.
3) Lorrie. You might read this; you are kindness in my life.
3) Keri. You will probably read this, and you are joy in my life.
4) Insight, Light, Kindness and Joy.

The Best

This Sunday I will be officially released as the cub scout den mother. For this I am very grateful.

Typically Mormons don't talk about this kind of thing till after the release has happened, but I'm making an exception here on my blog because it's a CUB SCOUT job...and in my life I've never really made peace with the relationship of the BSA and my church. But that's another topic for another day.

For over 2 years I have been meeting every Tuesday with the boys, and dragging myself along while trying to conceal the fact that I'm just not into it. It hasn't mattered that scouting is Gator's only extra-curricular activity, and he likes it, and that it's a good program for boys and that there is all kinds of evidence that boys who receive Eagle Scout awards do better in life, and the boys seem to enjoy being there etc etc etc.

None of that has mattered. Most of the time, the fact that I've been a den mom has just been a millstone around my neck. A millstone that is shrouded in guilt. Mommy guilt of the worst order. Even talking to my darling FIL who loves scouting and has been active and involved in it for decades didn't help. With his encouragement I tried to rally, tried to change my attitude about my role. It helped me feel better about scouting in general, but worsened my guilt about my involvement in it.

The other den mom will be moving soon, so it's a good time to change it up. But this morning while we were waiting for his bus he brought up talking to the driver about letting the other boys in the den get off the bus at our house on Tuesdays, so I ended up having to tell Gator that starting next week I won't be his den leader anymore. He looked very stricken and then he burst into tears.

"Honey, you'll have a new leader, someone whose even better at it than I am", I tried to reassure him.

"But you're the best" he told me, clinging to me.

This was NOT how I wanted to send him off to school.

While his sentiments yanked on my mommy heart and made me love that kid even more, Gator doesn't have any basis for comparison. He can think I'm "the best" because he's never had a scout leader who really got into it and went above and beyond. The boys have skated through Bear and Wolf, and they're doing okay, but not one of them is really into scouting yet. I don't think any of them would work on things without it being spoon-fed to them. So I'm hoping the new leader will help them transition to that kind of relationship to it. I know it wasn't going to happen with me in there. It may not with the new leader either, but they're getting old enough that it's time for that to start occurring. And I am committed to being a more supportive mom-of-a-scout than I was as Den-Mother-Of-A-Scout. I'll even sew on patches and work on his book with him.

Still, it's kind of bittersweet to be released from the job without ever having managed to get a handle on it. To go out "on the bottom" so to speak. But I don't think I'd have ever gotten on top of it with everything I have going on inside my head/heart right now. It just weighed me down because I wasn't doing more.

Speaking of. Not only haven't I been doing more with scouting, I also haven't been reading, or writing, or creating, or seeming to accomplish much of anything lately. Hence the no blog post in a week.

But this morning I got up and started working in the yard. It's a nice day, and my toxic, profaning, vulgar, exhibitionist, evil neighbor wasn't up and at his usual nonstop screaming, yelling and shrieking to himself yet, which is a huge deterrent to me enjoying my yard. So I cut back the shrubs for winter, trimmed bushes, and pulled some weeds and made a start on getting it spruced up a bit. It felt good to get something accomplished right off the bat, and it's the 2nd day this week that I didn't wake up feeling like I needed to sleep another 100 hours. Carpe diem.

Grateful for:
1) feeling rested enough
2) brown rice with homemade hawaiian sauce and veggies.
3) today Doc is taking Step Two of the Medical Board Exams...and he will be a new man with that weight off of his shoulders.

Picture Day

Today was school picture day for the kids. Our family seems to be half larks and half owls. Bunch is a perpetual early riser...taking strongly after her remarkable father. Gator, poor lad, favor's his mother so far. Maybe he'll grow out of it. Even though I never have.

So anyway, Bunch rose early like usual, and got herself ready for school. Meanwhile I discovered a few grams of untapped energy which I cashed in to get myself up, and then climbed the ladder into The Gator Lair about 20 minutes before the bus was scheduled to fetch them away. A short snuggle, coupled with a promise of some COW* for breakfast, and he managed to drag himself out and make it on time.

We even had a moment for a quick photo shoot outside before they dashed. Since the School Picture Industry is notorious for A) crazy overpriced "deals", and B) notoriously bad photos, I have never purchased them for my kids. I do get them a class photo for memory's sake, but the individual shots have never been anything close to what I'd pay good (student loan) money for.

Here they are, a month and a half into the new year. My flippy-haired angel boy and my own real-life Rapunzel. I announced an Official Mommy Proclamation decreeing that they are not allowed to get any older or more beautiful until I figure out how to bottle these moments to savor forevermore.

~he was sound asleep 20 minutes ago. What would it be like?



*COW is our euphemism for Cream Of Wheat...which we eat a lot more of around here than we do beef. It's just more economical. And healthier!

The Making of A Pirate's Den...

...or
How to Create a Cool, Inexpensive
Pirate Bedroom...
in a jiffy!

My little scalleywag was sad that he had to leave his former mateys and set sail for different climes. It pains me to see Cap'n pining so for his former position. So one day his saucy wench sister and I decided to decorate his sleeping quarter so it would be fit for a king. Or at least a captain.

Problem is, we were running short on treasure. It'd been some time since our last raid. But havin' limited means didn't prevent us from creating a right smart berth.

We sent the Captain to pilage a neighboring ship for 3 hours one day, while we set forth to work our magic.

When he got home, Cap'n was SO Ecstatic over his new digs that he danced a jig and promoted me from kitchen wench to Bosun.

The secret cave where I acquired all the goods is called Zurchers. It's a common-enough type cave...catering to those searching for party supplies high and low.

I purchased ye ole plastic wall hangings that would be typically be purchased to decorate at a party. Only this was one party meant to last.

I didn't want to pin, tape or staple them to the wall. Sometimes we hit storms so mighty that I knew mere pins and stapels wouldn't survive. They needed something more substantial.

So I procured a can of spray adhesive. This was a sticky job, and I'm sure my lungs are to this day gunkier than the pipes on a Salt whose spent his days down in the bilge. But in the end, the result was worth it. For less than $35 dubloons and in less than 2 hours, I transformed all four plain white walls of his private bunk from bare to beautiful. The berths are adorned with pirate sheets, which I scored in a raid during a close-out special. Note the parrot on the ladder to the top berth, and the hats and his spare hook.Here is the cherished Treasure Map that our Captain studies before each forray out in search of more booty. The addition of a few accessories completed the transformation. A net pinned in the corner of the ceiling holds a few stray shells, sea creatures, a spy glass, lei, spare eye patch. When Captain Gator returned to his ship three hours after leaving it, and found his quarters thusly transformed, words escaped him.

So did this great big smile.

Pirate Birthday Party

Seven Year Old Pirate Birthday Party

Ahoy Me Hearties! If ye be among the unfortunate land lubbers who're regularly terrorized by pirates, this here party may be just the thing to appease the rotten little bilge rats.

First, every (dis)respectable Pirate needs to look the part. Builds confidence.

For the best selection, this here Lassy recommends you pay a visit to yer local thrift store. Find stripy shirts and pants that you can cut off all jaggedy-like for your Scalleywag. Trim around the neck opening, if ye have a mind to. An eye patch, bandanna and sash'll complete the ensemble, bonus doubloons to you if you can scrounge up a parrot. Hoop earring optional. This Captain has a spare outfit for more dressy occasions.
Every year I tell my favorite deck hand "all ye'll be getting fer yer birthday from me is toilet paper.

He wails and hollers and gnashes his teeth. And then he always threatens to just throw it out without opening it.

I reply, "what if it's a roll of treasure? You wouldn't even check to see if it's treasure?"

He tells me there is no such thing as a roll like that.

This year I taped a play $100 bill around a roll of TP, and wrapped it up. Ye got te make good on them promises. Keeps yer crew in line and mindful-like!

He pretended to be insulted, but secretly me knows it was his favorite gift. It certainly wasn't his new shipAfter being terrorized into giving him all our treasure, we could really use a few pieces of eight ourselves. Ye can take pity on us.

Here is the booty haul from all his adoring mateys. No party is complete without some hearty Pirate Grub & Grog.

When serving yer crew, be sure to use phrases such as Well, me hearties, let’s see what crawled out of the bilgewater. If they run away screamin', it just means more for you.

For our gathering, we made Pirate-shaped Pasta Mac&Cheese...a staple on board our ship...once the rats have all been eaten. And Ships Cook also concocted a green sea-water Jello, with gummy sea creatures swimming in it. A fresh catch of Goldfish Crackers made for aplenty good snackin'. Amazingly it vanished faster than treasure sinking in the briny deep.

A Proper Pirate Party clearly needs a Worthy Cake.

For Captain Gator's birthday, this Kitchen Wench concocted up a treasure chest, laden with all manner of gems, jewels and coins. . When I finally carried the cake out onto the poop deck, the gasp from the crew was audible. They came running from the prow so fast it's a wonder not-a-one of them ended up as shark bait.Cap'n Gator was beyond excited. This chest was created by baking a 9x13" of Cap'n G's favorite cake flavor du jour.

• Once cooled, I cut it and stacked it up high to create the base. Of course you frost between layers for "glue".
  
• I cut a piece of cardboard for the "lid", and covered it with foil.
• Frost the sides of the cake with chocolate.
  
• Frost the covered card board with chocolate and stick it to the back of the cake with frosting. You might want to also do the words and trim before attaching it to the chest.
• I had to push some toothpicks through the cardboard into the back of the chest to add stability.
  
• Frost the top of the cake with gold frosting, using the same to create the lock, hinges etc.
• Now it's time to load on the treasure. Candy necklaces, chocolate coins, ring pops, colorful little Skittles or M&M-type dealios. Heap it up...this is no time for stinginess!
  
• Stick a dagger in it for good measure. I admit to pilfering Cap'n Gator's for this cake. He was mighty happy to see it again.
  
• Sink Me! That'd be the best-lookin' treasure I ever laid eyes on! And twas so delicious, methinks I'll have to walk the plank a few times tonight!
  
• If you want to embellish the serving platter with pirate toys, cutlass, cat-o-nine-tales, etc. feel free. Whatever floats yer pirate's boat!
  

No Proper Pirate Party is complete without a Skeleton Pirate to raise a ruckus and do battle against. We captured a few slaves and forced them to help us keep things running. The Sea Dog pouring the grog was especially diligent, which is more than can be said for the Sorry Salts lazying around on the deck. Piñata.
This poor piece of sharkbait was filled with plastic sea creatures, snakes, crawlies, and enough pirate booty candy to satisfy all the Brethren of the Coast. Be sure to yell Gang Way! when they start swingin' their belaying pin. Sharkbait's head got a wee bit addled before he was knocked overboard by one of the deck hands and paid a visit to Davy Jones' Locker! At least Dead Men Tell No Tales! It's best to include all the little pirates in your life...after all, they are the future. Shiver Me Timbers, the party ended up being right ship shape. The invitations were unfortunately lost at sea, but I can describe them for ye.

• Print yer Party Info on brown or antiqued paper
• Scorch the edges with fire to give it that aged look. Watch yer fingers!
  
• Slip a gold coin in the envelope as passage to board your ship.
• You could put your Party Invitation in an old root beer grog bottle and toss it out to sea...or just onto a doorstep.
• You could write the party details on random pieces of plastic (cut up beach ball etc) with permanent marker. Put this into a zip lock bag with a little sand and add blue-tinted water and a tiny shell or two.

Well, Buccaneer, tis' about time to weigh anchor and crawl up into me Crow's Nest. Have a swashbucklin' good time! Yo-Ho-Ho!

Star Wars Birthday Party

By the time Gator turned six, it was All Star Wars, All the time. If you've got a Jedi of your own to celebrate, feel free to swipe any/all of these ideas. And May The Force Be With You...*

Star Wars Birthday Celebration.

Activities: Pin The Light Saber On The Yoda

• Have a talented artist friend make you a Yoda poster. (Serves dual purpose as wall art in your Jedi's room after the party.)
• Make a paper light saber for each young Jedi with their name on it
• Blindfold the Jedi and have them try to pin their saber on Yoda.
• Try not to be annoyed with Jedi who seem to be peeking
• Closest match wins a prize.
• Note, Yoda's saber is Green. This is very important. Do NOT under any circumstances make an offensive RED or YELLOW light saber for this activity! The force would definitely not be with you

Treasure Hunt

• Make up a bunch of clues. Each clue must be written in Yoda Voice, and lead the young Jedi cluster to the next clue. Obi Wan has found that with treasure hunts for young Jedi, it's best to send them hunting all over. Up, down, to yonder galaxies and back. They have lots of energy, and are generally of the male persuasion. Running around is good.
• The pack of Jedi will use the force to search for the missing treasure by following the clues. Clues will lead them to search in the most random locations.
• When said treasure is at last found, there will be much rejoicing.
• Light Saber battles will undoubtedly ensue (so long as your treasure is a light saber).
• An assortment of colors is fine in this case. There's always someone who wants to be the bad guy (or who just doesn't have every color saber at home already).
• Their light saber was their "take home prize"...cause going home empty handed seems to have become a cardinal sin for any kid party anymore. Obi Wan isn't sure when or why this has happened, but suspects Darth Vader has something to do with it.
• Let the Jedi Masters play. I promise, they can do this just fine. Sometimes less structure is more.

(EDITED ON IN 2012) Here is a link to a post about making The Death Star Cake

Cake:

• First off, this is one of the easiest cakes I've ever done. I'm confident anyone else could do it too...that means YOU, Jedi parent! Just let The Force guide you...it's that powerful!
• Bake your Jedi's favorite flavor in a 9x13" pan.
• Remove it from the pan and when it's cool, you're going to make a light saber template out of paper to guide you.
• Trace the cake onto your paper. Your goal is to make it as long as possible, while tapering the ends so they meet up with the one before it. My cake was cut into thirds.
• Once you have the template made, use it to cut the cake and line it up. I found a long board and covered it with foil to mount the cake on.
• Buy concentrated Wilton frosting colors. Black and whatever color your saber is. Our Jedi is Blue (an excellent choice if I do say so myself)
• Frost it.
• Decorate the handle of your light saber. I cut up large marshmallows to make the white trim, and spelled my Jedi's name and age with those letters and numbers you buy in the cake deco section of your grocery store. Our light saber was lit up with those long, sparkler candles that keep relighting.
• Hide the finished product till it's time to eat. When you emerge with it, your Jedi Knights will be amazed!

Additional Suggestions:

• Use bathrobes or cut up brown fabric and tied around them as capes.
• Tae Kwan Do or Karate outfits make fine Jedi attire...modeled here by Jedi Gator with his unhemmed, brown fabric cape knotted at the neck. Princess Leah is wearing a white turtle neck and a sheet draped around and tied at the waist with a cord. Nothing fancy needed.
• Have Obi Wan show up and conduct a Jedi Training Session.
• Have Darth Vader make a surprise appearance and engage the Jedi Knights in battle. Or fight Obi Wan...if you can find two recruits at the same time.
• Play the soundtrack from the movie as background noise for their battles. It really adds.
• Songs are available on iTunes for $1.00 each. Burn a CD as a gift for your Jedi. Prepare yourself for hours of this:
  
  
• Video tape their little battles...they LOVE this!
• Help them make a mini movie with dialog, music, costumes and battles.
• Put them on You Tube. Apparently it's THE place for homemade Star Wars movies.
  
  

• If it's okay with the parents (and you just don't want the party to ever end), you could let the Jedi Knights watch one of the movies. (The newest Clone Wars movie will eventually be on DVD, and it's my Jedi's favorite one of all, plus it's only an hour and a half).
• Relax. No matter the age, for Star Wars fans, this party really takes care of itself. Not a whole lot of direction or Ewok herding needed. You can sit in the corner and pretend your Jabba the Hut with the leftover cake.

*...ALWAYS