Not really Ace of Cakes worthy but cute enough.

"Maybe if I tie my unused clothing together I can escape down the window"

I hope everyone is enjoying the new blog here at blogger. I can't help but notice I only have one 'follower' and since she is a blood relative and judging from her picture, a big lush, I must accept the fact that I could never lead a cult. I've always been more of a sheep, I suppose, with a baa baa here and a baa baa there. A black sheep though, or at least dingy gray.

Today is the Middler's birthday. I'm posting a photo of her monkey/mermaid cake. She couldn't decide between the two loves of her life. For her gift she received from her adoring parents, a fish tank and a trip to PetCo to fill it up. The last fish we had were two betas named Goldie and Rainbow (both males but obviously in touch with their feminine sides), who lived for over two years. We hope our new guys thrive on neglect as well.

Wish me luck on Saturday as it's the Birthday Party Slumber Party with one 5 year old, two 6 year olds, and one brand spankin' new 7 year old. And an 8 and 1/2 year old who has been instructed by the birthday girl to make herself scarce. Not that they don't love each other dearly: when they aren't attempting to kill each other, they get along quite well. Just this past week they finally decided to quit sleeping in the same bed. Up until now we've had a top bunk for them and the bottom for the dog. I think the dog is the most annoyed by this turn of events now that he has to share the covers.

Gianni has become a bit of a pirate lately. By this I mean he is pillaging the house and then burying the loot. I have lost in the past day alone 2 bottles of Zyrtec, 4 binkies, my camera, several Tupperware containers, a sippy cup of rice milk and I'm sure several other treasures I haven't realized are missing yet. I found the medicine under the bed and my camera in a cupboard and the sippy cup in the bathtub. I have torn apart this house looking for the MIA binkies with no success, and then he strolled nonchalently by me with the orange polka dotted one in his piehole this morning. Now I have to spy on him, peeking around corners when he doesn't know I'm there, just to figure out where he is stashing all his booty. I know, you pacifier haters think I should lose them for good, but to be honest there's no better invention in the wide, wide world than those binkies. I plan on using them through the high school years, popping them in their mouths when they back talk or when they want to try kissing for the first time. Then y'all will be sorry you didn't get them hooked on them when your little sweeties were babies! Think of all the chatty relatives and friends, and longwinded preachers, and American Idol contestants we could silence with a good binky!

Cora has her first swim meet next month. She seems to be missing the competitive gene her parents vehemently deny they have. It's too hard with the Moose to stay and watch her practice (he wants to try fancy dives off the side of the pool when Mom's looking away) so I rarely hang out. And to be honest, they all look the same underwater and I always lose her anyway. But she's having fun and had sore muscles for the first time which was amusing. 'Mom, my legs and stomach hurt!' Mine would too with that kind of workout.