Racing Machine

This is a video Levi did when he was home with Gideon the other day...

Cakes

I've discovered I like to make cakes (with a little more time and alot more money I think I would try something new every day)! I probably prefer the one's that look and taste like they are out of a fancy magazine, but I like to see the end result of the fun birthday cakes as well. It's usually an experiment from start to finish (with no set pattern and very little training), so it's especially satisfying when they turn out kinda cute. Here are some of the cakes I've done for recent birthdays (I'll try to find the other ones that I've done and post those pictures another day).

This Strawberry Shortcake was my first attempt at fondant... it was for my niece's 3rd birthday... it was done in a really big hurry (we were still dismally late for the party) on a very hot day in July. It was fun and Levi helped me a ton!

This was Levi's birthday cake a couple of weeks ago... I didn't get a really good picture of it, but it was a VERY chocolately three-layer cake.

This was my most recent cake (last night, actually)... for my nephew's 4th birthday party with a pirate theme. It was an adventure and experiment from the beginning (I'm glad it worked!). It was funny because I did it in the living room on the floor (with an assortment of cutting boards and a blanket underneath to catch the huge mess), because we were trying to watch a movie and I couldn't do it on the table. It was pretty funny trying to knead fondant on a cutting board on my lap or the floor with my 7 month pregnant belly in the way (cutting straight lines without the help of a table was also a pretty funny joke). Levi helped with the kneading when I couldn't do it anymore (takes alot to get a brown like that)... he was also the creator of the lock portion. He's always a big help with cakes when I am stressing out and need help (whether he wants to or not... how awesome is he?!?).

I'm making another chocolate layer cake for the Relief Society birthday dinner on Tuesday... I signed up for March thinking it would be fun to try something green- but a classic chocolate layer cake tastes so much better than fondant, so I'll have to see what I can add that will jazz up the March theme. Any good cake recipes... or frosting?

So like me...

I got this forward from a friend the other day... it's so like me it's almost scary...

*Recently, I was diagnosed with C. A. A. D. D. --
"Child Activated Attention Deficit Disorder"

This is how it manifests:

I decide to do the laundry. As I start toward the laundry room, I notice that there are cheerios all over the floor and my car keys are in the cereal bowl. I decide to pick up the cheerios before I do the laundry. I lay my car keys down on the counter, put the cheerios in the trash can under the counter, and notice that the trash can is full.

So, I decide to take out the trash. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash I may as well pay the bills first. I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left, my extra checks are in my desk in the office/playroom, so I go to my desk where I find a sippy cup full of juice.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I decide I should put the sippy cup in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the sippy cup, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye --they need to be watered.I set the sippy cup on the counter, and I discover baby wipes that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back in the bathroom, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the wipes back down, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote, one of the kids left it on the kitchen table. I realize that after school when they go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote as they fight over who lost it, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down, get some paper towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day: the laundry isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm cup of juice sitt ing on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I can't find the remote, I can't find the wipes, and I don' t remember what I did with the car keys.

Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent.

This is Fun- Thanks Amy!

Take the Quiz here!

"You're a monkeybird Daddy!"

Last weekend I was playing with Gideon and I picked up his Tigger (stuffed animal) and asked him "who's this?" and he "said T-I-double Guh-Err (tigger)." I was teasing him, and I said "Noooo, it's a monkeybird." Gideon was not impressed, and yelled back "NO, it's a tiggery-guy!" I thought that was pretty funny so I kept teasing him that all of his toys were monkeybirds which he was not happy about, but he soon caught on to my laughter and laughed along with me. I hadn't thought much about it afterward, and I left town for a couple days and totally forgot about the whole incident. On Thursday after I got up in the morning, Gideon was playing with his tigger and he walked up to me poked me in the chest and said in a loud, laughing voice "YOU'RE A MONKEYBIRD, DADDY, HA-HA!" and then ran into the other room.
I am amazed at how much kids will learn when you least expect it, and at how smart and funny they can be! So, remember don't mess with a 2 year old and his stuffed animals because they will get even with you when you least expect it!
-Levi

Singing with Mommy

Gideon has been singing so much more lately... He's learning the words and sings to himself and his toys. He doesn't usually like to perform because he's so busy all the time, but he does love to see himself on the camera, so I tricked him into singing for me.