M hit a nerve over my Friday lunch break when he complained that "there was nothing to eat" in the house. MY DUDE. We have four different kinds of fruit, a dozen noodle boxes that take less than 10 minutes to make, frozen potstickers and biscuits that are even faster, salad fixings, eggs and bacon, just...there's so. much. food. His idea of lunch is slapping a half-dozen slices of lunch meat on some bread and calling it a sandwich, and anything that takes longer than that is just too much. -_- 'Bout to slap a boy, I tell you what.
The rest of Friday went fine, until bedtime, when I discovered ANOTHER fresh pee spot on our bed. -_- So now it's no more cats in the bedroom. M decided that we weren't going to try and save this bedding set anymore, since it was already in pretty poor condition and now it had been peed on again, so we tossed out the comforter, hand washed the sheets, and M went out to Macy's to pick us up some new bedding.
So, we went into the weekend $300 poorer, and with groceries still needing to be ordered. We made a very minimal order to get us through the week, mostly near-instant lunch stuff for M like taquitos and frozen pizzas. *rolls eyes* And he complains that he can't lose weight. Yeesh.
Made some fried pork chops with mac n' cheese for dinner, and it turned out very well. I think I've finally found a good recipe for Southern-style fried meats, which can translate well to whatever protein I use.
Saturday was pretty low-key. No sewing was done, of course, because my pattern for the corset is somewhere in the bedroom closet, and M slept until 3PM, so I didn't have a chance to dig it out. Same story on Sunday, so nothing at all happened, hobby-wise. I made a big pot of chili on Saturday night, which lasted us for the rest of the weekend and still has enough in it for dinner tonight.
Discovered the likely culprit for Kate's extra sleepiness and foodiness lately - all four of her canine teeth are coming in at once. No wonder she's been chomping on all of her chew toys lately. At least they don't seem to be causing her much pain, as we haven't noticed any additional crankiness and haven't had to give her any Motrin, and at least three of them are at least half-way in now.
Kate's language assessment is tomorrow. M fairly confident in what diagnosis they're going to give her (expression delay), which I don't argue with, but he's also worried they're going to say she has an understanding delay, as well. I don't think that will be the case, since I know she'll follow directions when she's inclined to, she just doesn't like to listen when she's busy doing something else. M kept trying to get her to follow directions for random things while she was very focused on playing 'fold the laundry' with her dirty clothes pile, and cited that as an example of her not understanding orders. I mean, when I'm really focused on something, I'm not going to drop it either if you tell me to do something random! But if I tell her to lift her arms when we're changing clothes, or grab her plate when it's time to eat, she does that just fine. So, I'm less worried about that than he is.
Anyway, the main thing I'm hoping for out of tomorrow is getting some tools to help her develop her speech, that's all. If they can set us up with weekly lessons for her, or whatever they want, I'm all on board.
"Good day, Madam! Please allow me to welcome you to the West Rutheford Winery, Gastropub and Patisserie. Might I offer you a moist towelette?"
"Um, no. I just need to order a cake for my son's birthday, please."
"But of course! We have many, many cakes to choose from. If I may point out on our Ménu dú Jöur, here you see we have our Incredibly Moist Chocolate Cake Uniquely Finished By Hand With Butter Cream Icing."
"As you can see, it is 'Great For Any Occasion.'"
"Finished by hand? Are you sure feet weren't involved?" [smirking]
[ahem] "Ah, yes, very amusing. Well, Madam, if that is not your particular cup of Earl Gray, might I suggest our Moist Gold Cake Uniquely Hand Finished Tastes Just Like A Real "WATERMELON"?
"Soooo, it tastes like a watermelon?"
"Not at all, Madam. It tastes like a 'WATERMELON.'"
"Ah."
"Ah, but I have saved the best for last! It is the pièce de résistance of our repertoire, the crème de la crème, the horloge de le stylo du la baguette fo di fa fa! Behold!
"A Rich Belgian Chocolate Cup filled with a layer of moist yellow Cake, Fudge, and sweet cream Ice Cream and topped with fluffy white Frosting...
...and a menstrual duo."
"Ew."
"As you might expect, this is available but once a month."
...
"Madam? Wait! Where are you going?!"
Thanks to eagle-eyed Wreckporters Dawn C. and Aimee W. who are just glad that last one isn't red velvet.
Oh, and since *I* couldn't figure it out, I thought you might want to know that last label should read minstrel - which is apparently a type of cake. Plus, when Aimee pointed it out to the manager she shrugged, said they were all probably like that, and put it back on the shelf. Yay, quality control!
No one does "dainty" like our grandmothers did. Mine recently gave me a bunch of her old jewelry, and there are necklace pendants in there smaller than my pinky nail. I'm talking TINY.
Kind of like the little accent flowers on this bottom tier:
The green even has a slightly translucent feel to it, like leafy green depression glass. SO PRETTY.
Did your grandparents go through a cherub phase? Mine had art, statues, some particularly memorable soap dishes... but sadly, no gorgeous cakes like this:
YES. Grandma, I take back everything I said about your avocado green fridge. (But I stand fast on my opinion of mustard yellow carpets.)
Did/does your grandmother wear pastel skirt suits? You know, those woven ones that were kind of scratchy? And that always had a giant matching brooch on the lapel?
I've found myself a bit of sewing mojo, and so this weekend I'm planning to attempt a Victorian maternity corset. I still have all my research from the first time I contemplated such a project, back when I was pregnant with Kate. I started the research way too late in my pregnancy last time, though, and wasn't able to get the project going before I ended up in the hospital. This time, I think I have enough time to get it done.
I'm still basing everything off the 1893 maternity corset in De Gracieuse but I'm going to be using my already sized, already know it works for me 1872 pattern, so I can skip trying to fit something on my ever expanding torso. I'm going to try and dig the pieces of it out tonight so I can get up early over the weekend and get things cut out and assembled.
I'm quite excited about this project. No fitting, just cut->sew->wear. I may be optimistic, but I feel I can get a good chunk of it done this weekend.
John, sweetie, I just want you to know that I think you are all the way beautiful. Not just handsome, but smart, and kind-hearted. And if I were a lot younger, I would marry you...
...again.
And maybe we'd have a couple of chubby, freckle-faced kids:
And we'd laugh ALL DAY LONG.
...and go camping, play Yahtzee, and tell ghost stories by the fire.
And every day, for the rest of your life, you would thank God... that I was the appropriate maturity level for you.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know how I felt.
I think you're very special.
And most of all, I wish you love, and I wish you contentment, and I wish you would put some pants on while I'm talking to you.
That's all.
“Eye”
“Heart”
“Ewe”
Thanks to Kate B., Judi G., Camille B., Aria P., Reba S., Jennifer L., Adrienne, and Jamie B. for helping me get that out there.
Well, things didn't quite go according to plan, but they still all worked out.
On my way home from work on Wednesday, my rotten tire finally gave out and went flat. Luckily, I was still in the parking lot at work when it happened, so I was able to pull into a vacant spot. I called M, who called Chance, who watched the baby while M came and got me. It was too late in the day to get the tire replaced, so he dropped me off at home, and then he and Chance went back downtown to get the old tire off the car.
I took Thursday off instead of taking a half-day, since M had said that we could get the tire done in the morning before his interview, but alas, that did not end up happening. So, instead I was just up at dawn, hoping to get chores done, which was also thwarted by the baby getting up super early. I fed her breakfast and we had a bit of playtime, and by 9:30 she was ready for her nap, so she went back down, and I finally had my own breakfast. It was actually really nice, since the house was quiet and I could just sit and really enjoy eating without interruption.
Baby slept until about 12:30, and M got up not long after. We had a bit of lunch, then M started getting ready for his interview. I had planned to take the baby out to the library during that time, but she started acting really sleepy, so instead I attempted to get her to nap. While she didn't actually end up sleeping, I was able to keep her quiet and contained while M was having his interview.
Interview ended up being another panel, which was unexpected. His friend had told him to just expect one guy, since that's what he had experienced when he interviewed for the team, but instead it was three people. M didn't quite seem as confident coming out of this interview as he did coming out of the others, but it's overwith now, and all we can do now is wait to hear if he's in or not.
M called Chance immediately after the interview was over, and as soon as he arrived they went off to complete the tire replacement. I think it helped him to have something to focus on after the interview rather than fretting about it.
Leftover lunch pasta for dinner plus a little side salad to stretch it. M retreated to play video games, and I got the baby down for the night a bit early since she hadn't napped since her morning snooze. Shower, ice cream, Star Trek, then to bed.
Baby has entered a new toddler phase and has become and absolute nudist. If she disappears around a corner for more than 30 seconds, you can bet that she's going to be nude. Put her down for a nap? Nude. A time out? Nude. She woke up at 4:30 this morning and was babbling and laughing, and when I checked the baby monitor? Yup. Nude. I wouldn't care at all if she'd just keep her diaper on, but nope, it's a full strip. Hopefully this passes soon!
I know it can be scary asking a bakery to do something custom, like, say, a school or brand's logo. But DON'T PANIC; I'm here to walk you through it.
First, print out a nice, clear image to bring in as a reference:
With something as simple as this Chanel logo, you can be sure there is simply NO WAY...
...that the results won't be hysterical.
When ordering a Saints logo...
...it helps to have the patience of one.
Oh, and when you give the baker your reference image, be sure to mention how closely you want your cake to match; some bakers take it more as a "guideline" than an actual rule.
"Why'd you use the S?!" "Because I don't know what the F is going on!"
Still, the most important thing, my friends... is to be glad you aren't ordering a Texas Longhorns cake.
Because seriously, that thing is the Kobayashi Maru of cake orders:
...you can't win.
(But hey, at least this one's got heart!)
Thanks to Amy B., Ashley B., Candace F., Amy B., Allison, & Chris L. for getting that last one off his chest.
I want y'all to picture the pair of sweet little faces that looked up at me expectantly as I walked into the kitchen and realized that their dishes were completely empty, and the horror I felt upon remembering that i didn't buy cat food. Not once in all of our stops or at any point in the day did I ONCE consider the fact that I had put the last of the last tin out that morning and had been proud of myself on the weekend for calculating how much food I needed to get me to that morning.
Oops.
I did go through M's bags of donations, and walked out with an armful of items, mostly shorts and leggings. At Costco we ate dinner first (bc one should not Costco while hangry) and then shopped (I got new pants, water bottles and GF crackers -- and no cat food -- and M got coffee). Then we went to Michaels, where we delighted in the early Halloween decor and I bought the skelly cat pillow. Successfully resisted some other decor, but they had several empty display areas with product planning sheets, so it's still early! I wondered if, with the absence of Joann and Michael's now reigning supreme as the only big box craft store (and, as I mentioned, it was the ONLY game in Canada for a long time; some fabric stores [of which Fabricland is the main chain, very much like Hancocks (RIP)]), it might pick up more fabric options like the US stores might? And lo! M walked around a corner and announced "When did Michaels start carrying fabric?" They always DID, but it was usually pre-packed fat quarters and MAYBE a 1-2 yard bolt of quilt backing, canvas, or baby flannelette. But no, this was bolts of 8 yards, a full aisle with a small selection of quilt cottons, vinyl, tulle, and denim. No pricing or idea on how it's supposed to be cut, IF it's supposed to be cut (it was unwrapped though), but looks like they are expanding into that market.
Then we scooted up to a nearby Homesense/Marshalls bc M was on the lookout for a cute ghosts-reading-books blanket or tea towels. Nothing, but we had a good time wandering through all of the sections that might have it. Then we tootled on home, about half an hour ahead of a rockin' thunderstorm. An excellent evening of friend-date :D
I woke up at 2 and dropped off again around 4, but managed to ignore a couple of alarms until 7, which is when I dragged myself out of bed, realized I hadn't bought food, filled the dry dish (I was judged. Harshly.) and wobbled out the door all disoriented. I thought I'd grab sandwich makin's for lunch today but oh no, I was not fucking around with all that when it was already past 7 am.
Tonight I will make potato soup and put those buttonholes on. And before I even THINK about stepping in through the door, I will get at least one can to fill their little bellies. I am so sorry kittens!! They finally started eating it again and then I go and forget!
m_of_disguise (m_of_disguise) wrote2025-08-1308:30 am
Got home for my lunch break yesterday, and M told me that Kate had been completely wild, getting into everything and being chaotic. I thought, well, he was just suffering a short temper, because when I got there we had a cuddle, then she ran to get the kitchen sponge and went over to wash the windows before going down easily for a nap. XP
WELL. When I got home after work I got to see her in full force. She was into everything, and has just discovered how to open the fridge door all by herself, so every five seconds I had to run into the kitchen to stop her pulling all her favorite foods off the shelves. She was also constantly hungry - I fed her two oranges, two bunches of grapes, a batch of raisins, two Babybel cheeses, about seven strawberries, a yogurt, part of a bagel, and some hummus, and she was still giving me the sign for "food".
I was already exhausted and running on fumes, so for my own sanity I put her to be a half-hour early. She protested, but was asleep within 20 minutes, so she must have been tired.
I took a half hour on the couch, ate an ice cream sandwich, ordered a fridge lock, skipped making dinner and crawled into bed around 9, hoping to catch up on whatever sleep I've been missing. M had already been in bed since I'd gotten home, and when I got into bed, he ended up waking up. He decided to stay up, so I had the bed to myself for the night.
Set the alarm for 5AM intending to do some chores before work. I had big plans - wash the remaining dishes, chop the ingredients for tonight's dinner, iron clothes for this week and next, and make breakfast. Well, only about half of that happened, since I vastly underestimated how long the dishes would take. Still, I got in a decent breakfast for once, and the kitchen is now free of Dish Mountain.
I don't think I'll manage another 5AM day tomorrow, but I'm aiming to have one more before the end of the week so I can get some other much needed chores completed, namely scrubbing the bathroom. Still need to iron all my clothes at some point, but AUGH, where is time?!
M's interview is tomorrow afternoon. Since it's well after Kate's nap time, I'm going to have to take her out of the house so M can have the interview undisturbed. Even though we're having a relatively cool week, it's still in the mid-90s by that time of day, so we'll probably head over to the library for air-conditioned shenanigans instead of our usual haunt of the park.
For Chocolate Day we decided to illustrate a beloved children's classic.
I highly recommend hitting play and reading along:
(Note: Mild language at the very end. Also, it’s a Morgan Freeman impersonator.)
Everyone Poops
An elephant makes a big poop.
A mouse makes a tiny poop.
A one hump camel makes a one hump poop.
A two hump camel makes a two hump poop.
Hahaha, only kidding.
Fish poop...
...and so do birds.
And bugs, too.
Different animals make different kinds of poop.
Different shapes, different colors, even different smells.
Which end is the snake's behind?
What does whale poop look like?
Some stop to poop, others do it on the move.
Some poop here or there. Others do it in a special place.
Grownups poop. Children poop, too. While some children poop on the potty, others poop in their diapers.
Some animals poop and pay no attention. Others clean up after themselves. These poop by the water:
This one does it in the water. He wipes himself with paper then flushes it down.
All living things eat, so everyone poops.
Thanks to Stephanie M., Beth W., Lisa R., Dede H., Robin, Robin E., Anony M., Anna O., Anthony S., Wendi P., Anita C., Cassandra M., Christie D., & John W. for our crappiest post yet.
(Can you believe none of those were supposed to look like poop? Except maybe the rainbow swirly one - which I'm guessing is unicorn poop, and therefore gets a free pass.)
(SEE WHAT I DID THERE?)
*****
P.S. In case your life was missing a set of cat butt magnets, I found you some:
Massive, stupid things at work yesterday. I was left off of an email chain (because why would you need to include the person who wrangles your paperwork on an email chain about paperwork, right?), and so didn't know that shift supervision was supposed to be turning in two copies of their logs. When I had called the audit team about supervision turning in two copies when they started showing up, the person I talked to said they only needed one, so I threw out what I thought was the extra. WELL. No, they needed both, and the audit team was supposed to get all our paperwork yesterday morning to begin going over it (it's a standing monthly thing), but instead I had to reprint the copies (about 56 logs in total!), run around to get a half-dozen signatures from different people, organize it all into its books, and run it over to the audit team. It was well after lunch by the time all that was done, and I was exhausted. So, yeah, the day was stupid.
When I got home, M told me that the baby had been sleeping a ton all day long. She slept in until nearly 11, then she napped from 1:30-3:00! We were sure she'd be up late into the night, but no, at about 6:30 she started giving me the sign for "sleep". I made sure she ate dinner, gave her some milk, then around 7:00 she grabbed her pacifier and blanket and very adamantly shoved her head into my lap, so I bundled her up and put her to bed. I checked her temp to make sure she wasn't coming down with something, and she was fine, and she wasn't in bad spirits at all, so I guess it's a growth spurt or maybe just a sleepy day? Who knows.
Tacos for dinner, and watched the season finale of The Gilded Age. If they continue to sort of loosely follow the Vanderbilt family history for the Russell storyline, it means that we could see them divorce next season. They have been sort of setting it up with Mrs. Russell welcoming divorced women back into society and trying to remove some of the stigma around them, so I could see them going forward with it.
Half my FB feed has been people at Pennsic, and the other half has been people at the Las Vegas Star Trek convention, and it seems like everyone I know was at either one or the other. My feed hasn't had this much event activity on it in a long time! And with stuff still trickling in from Costume College last weekend, my feed is just stuffed full of costume stuff. Can't deny that I'm feeling quite a bit of FOMO. Even had dreams last night about trying to get ready for a Victorian tea event, and running around my imaginary costume closet (which in the dream was also half Mardi Gras shop?) trying to find a gown for my sister. ~sigh~ Of course, all the gorgeous ballroom scenes in The Gilded Age finale episode didn't help! Very bummed that I won't be able to make it to an event until next Spring.
Laundry: did! Food: eaten! Cat box: scooped! Switched machines for buttonholes: ehhh... i made a space for the machine to go back on the table?
I broke my friend with a comment I'd made around lunchtime, so I got the laptop out and wrote 1.3k of filth, and then it was after 9 and I was trapped under a cat so...
Tonight the plan is to see M! Her new boss started work yesterday so I told her that I was no longer being held hostage by non-locals and was free for a Costco adventure if she needed it. But she didn't tell me she was free until I had JUST put the dryer on, so I would have needed an hour or so to retrieve it. Then she said that she is off today so that was also a possibility. I said yes, then we will have more time to wander Costco (it's been a year since the last time!) and possibly also go to the craft store (we have only ever had Michaels in Canada. Recently, anyway. I remember other stores in the 80s that are long gone), something else we have been talking about doing. This morning I thought it would be a good time for me to go through her donation bags and we can toss them in the car too.
So probably won't get anything done at home today. Tomorrow I'll do buttons.
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cakewrecks_feed) wrote2025-08-19 01:00 pm
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