Not quite Ace of Cakes, but.....

Operation wedding cake is going remarkably well. I copied this from a Food Network show where Bobby Flay makes a wedding cake to challenge a real cake maker. I thought it seemed really pretty and elegantly simple. My first attempt the other day at a practice cake was a real cluster, and I was getting discouraged. I just jumped into the project without reviewing all the techniques I know to use, and it was terrible. It was a "remember as you go" type of deal. The things I had not done were pretty much crucial, and I was frustrated so I quit too soon and then the kids got a hold of it and made an even bigger mess. So sorry, Maddy I coudn't bring you any cake, it had finger lines and big chunks out of whole thing by the next morning. I chucked the whole thing this morning. I was thinking I'd take another stab at a practice today. BUUUUUUUT....My practice cake(s) turned out awesome. So now they have become the actual cake. All 4 tiers are frosted and ready to be stacked and decorated with fresh flowers. I have an extra fridge-freezer in my garage where they will chill for 8 days until the wedding. BTW this is not the cake that is being served, it is just there because you are supposed to have one to cut and the groom to stuff in the brides face, and the top for the couple to eat later. We are serving sheet cakes to the guests. I must admit though, I used the white mix with the pudding in it, and is it ever YUMMO. It will still be delicious. I just can't see making it all over again, for one thing it takes about 9 mixes and 2 dozen eggs, plus about 6 pounds of powdered sugar. and a LOT of work. I could do it again, but now I'll have one less thing next week to do. I seriously can't WAIT to put it together, I am so proud!

Here are some pictures I took of it (not stacked yet, of course). The bottom and 2nd layer are covered in thick flake cocount, and there will be Small and large buds ( probably roses) in contrasting colors around the base and all of the base of all the layers except one, and that will have big balls of white frosting piped on top of clear sparkly beads with a silver bead on the tip of each frosting ball all the way around. Then a little nosegay of the roses on the top. So pretty and simple. The coconut is genius because the frosting dosen't have to be smooth. SO I will transport it in 4 parts and assemble it there at the reception and sick a dowel through the whole thing and out the flowers and frosting balls on. It will still take me about 45 minutes to put it all together. Oh yeah, her colors are fuchia and lime, they look GORGEOUS!!

Brain buster.....

Dayton (age 4):

"mommy, why is water invisible??"

How cute is that? Future genius right there. Stumping me already.

Boy I'm on a ramble today, eh??

I hate it that I have to be up early to watch my neice this morning. I love her, she's darling, but she gets up WAY too early. 6:30 this morning just a'int right on a summer monday! If it were my kids I could go back to sleep but I can't take the chance that they will mess up the cake I am practicing making for my sisters wedding next week. There is mischeif in numbers, apparently.

Mark went to scout camp voluntarily on his 2 days off for the week. I wont lie and say it didn't hurt my feelings just a little. So since we've been back from Vegas last tuesday, he worked wed-thru sunday, came home and slept an hour after church yesterday, then left for camp, he'll get back tuesday(tomorrow) then work wed thru sunday again.And work sunday night. Its not me so much, I just feel bad because he dosen't see the kids hardly at all. I don't really love the single mom scemario I've got going on. Its just a long stretch of 2 weeks on my own. Luckily I'm REALLY busy which keeps me distracted but I am SO bored at night. He did not have to go to this campout thing, and really didn't consult me in the least, just "hey, I'm gonna be gone" which I think is the part that hurt my feelings. Oh well I guess if he would have gotten my feedback I would have said "don't go, we hardly see you as it is" and then he would have gone anyway and I would have been pissed then too. BTW we do this whole "scout camp drama" every year, but it usually involves me running some sort of one of his businesses while he is gone for a week at the thing, so its not as bad this year. I'm sure he's having fun sitting around, shootin the breeze with the guys and the boys and making up funny skits and blah blah blah, I'm just saying give it a rest for one stinkin year. And you can bet I'm gonna milk my "girl time" next week with my sisters wedding stuff. We are staying in a hotel suite, going out to dinner and getting our nails done as wedding "prep". Cuz now he owes me BIG TIME.

SO now I'm starting to get geared up for my fall schedule. I signed Cade up for serious football, I pinky promised Sadie dance lessons, and the boys want to play something too. I think I can put them off till later, like a winter soccer league. I'm taking on one extra day of babysitting, I think it will be a full day which will be challenging, but the ONLY other thing I am adding is teaching piano lessons.(I need to call you, Maddy)I can't decide when to start, I'm thinking first week of August, just bedcause that will get everyone a chance to get the school year going and get the routines in order and won't disturb summer fun time. But then I think mabye starting in July would be good, that will get the piano thing going so things don't go too crazy all at once and we'll be all established. I already have 6 students and I think I'm gonna cap it at that in the interest of time and because It will be somthing of a trial. Who knows, mabye I'll suck at it. Well, it would be hard to suck at teaching beginning piano, but certainly possible. My hair business is picking up as well which I am really excited about, I've been pretty busy with it for about 3 weeks straight because my client base is growing which is so awesome. Usually I'm busy for 2 weeks, then kind of dead for a couple weeks and it cycles like that.

SO I have some serious scheduling to do, I've always just kind of taken things as they come as far as hair clients and baby sitting random kids and all that, but its time to put the brakes on it all and get a schedule. I need to pick specific hair days, and specific piano days, and work those around the babysitting days, etc. I know it all seems like a lot I'm taking on, but I'm only babysitting for one more year. I told the mom yesterday, I'm good till the end of the school year,mabye part of the summer, then I'm done. I'll have all my kids in school all day, and my babysitting days will be at a close (besides the casual favors and playdates, of course) So once I stop babysitting, I can do 2 piano days, and 2 hair days, it will be way less overwhelming. I am basically looking at 1 more school year of chaos, its the last big push to the end.

Now to the big question...the Fitness thing. There is no WAY I will be able to pull this off this year without working out and eating right. I'm preachin to the choir here, but we all know that the only way to live a turbo-lifestyle and have the energy to not either A> Crash and burn and quit everything, sinking deep into depression or B>start using illegal drugs or C> check into the loony bin with a nervous breakdown - is to get some energy and endorphins flowing every day and cut out starch, fat and sugar. I gotta do it, or I won't be able to do all the other stuff and still be a good mom/wife. Simple as that.

BTW What happened to my cool template?? Is it gone?

Fricken' Summer

OH sure, they talk about the lazy days of summer, days stretching out on end of nothing to do, YA WHATEVER! This week has been horribly busy. Well, Monday and Tuesday I was in Vegas which rocked and was a nice getaway,(can anybody say Seafood buffet at the RIO??) but it all went to crazy land after that. I haven't made it to the gym and I'm TIRED. At 11 o'clock today I will be hatin it, I have my 4 yo neice (spent the night and got my boys up at 5 AM!!! I could kill her right now)I'll have the girls I babysit, my 5 kids, plus my other friends 2 boys. WHAT THE HELL???? How many is that?? 10?? Yeah, 10. Oh yeah, and Mark is gonna be sleeping because he's working graveyards. Oh wait....I'm doing a hair appt (a weave) at 1, and...whoopsie I told my landlord he could come fix stuff at 1 today....Yeah, this is s sucky day. Luckily I get rid of 3 of the kids at 1, and you know we are just heading out to the park. Its only gonna be about 93 today, so this morning will be nice anyway. And if I start to lose it I will just relax and think about how great Vegas was......



How can you not love the end of that??? Its kinda hard to film because the whole thing is like a quarter mile long. Anyway...welcome to summer. Hopefully I'll have hair left by the time school starts.