Coconut Cream Pie

I just can't hold off any longer. Today is the day a coconut cream pie will be made over here! Mamma mia. After the failed muffins last night, I need a sure thing in the dessert department. I really miss Oliver's naps. It drives me mad to watch him refuse something he so desperately needs and to then pack up to go somewhere with him and then watch as he immediately falls asleep in the car. Eff! After picking him up this morning, I made us lunch and then we gardened for a while. After an hour or so, unable to stand the chattering and mosquitoes, we headed inside, and I told him he'd have to play by himself for a while. Mr. Independent 3 said, "No, I just won't do that." Who is kidding me. Ignoring him commenced, and after 10 minutes of scaling my body as if it were some rock wall, he finally threw in the towel and pout-slouched over to the Legos. He has realized that Legos are fun. Um, hel-lo?!! This is why they've been a popular toy for oh, I don't know, ever.

Jack's play was a-DORable this morning. The teachers really did a fabulous job writing it, and the children were awesome performers. Imagine 24 little voices singing Madonna's "Like a Prayer" re-worded to describe looking for a friend who went missing when she wished on a magic turkey feather and turned into a raindrop. Hilarious and darling.

Ok, off to make lemon curd. Tomorrow will be a massive cooking fest over here in prep for the baby shower on Sunday. Strawberry cake, chocolate almond cake, blueberry-peach tart, tea sandwiches, quinoa salad, shaved asparagus and mint, scones, rose  jam, and the lemon curd. Beautiful and delicious, yes?

Bummer! And not.

Oh dear. The mango cardamom muffins were such a disappointment. I scurried to make them because they sounded so darn good, but alas, we didn't like them at all. Blimey! Such a waste of good ingredients. I feel like I'm surfing an avalanche right now, trying to stay just ahead of the rushing curl. With 5 minutes to spare and muffin batter under my fingernails, I managed to clean myself up (rather nicely I might add) and get to my meeting at J's school on time. Afterwards, starving, I raced to get salads for a take-out dinner and hurried home to actually see this man I married. We've been like creaking, ancient ships in the night lately, and it'll be no better next week when, for the first time ever, he has to be away on our anniversary. Boo!

Anyway, salads consumed, we're now both tapping away, tired and behind and ever-hard-working. But I love to glance over at him and smile, this cute guy I fell in love with nearly a decade ago. Funny how a moment seems both JUST and ages old.

Tomorrow is Jack's class play, our last early morning Meeting for Worship together, a quick coffee with friends, Oliver's pick up and that's all before noon. I'm thrilled to be catering a happy baby shower on Sunday but there is much to be done before then, not least the rest of the shopping. Get some sleep, eat well, take care.

Tired Thursday, intense craving

I am extremely tired today. Like to-the-bone tired. The kids' sleep schedules are really off for some reason, and the early wake-ups are bringing me down. Pilates was a struggle this morning, and until my babysitter left at noon, I sent into the ether, regular tributes of thanks for her presence. Presently, I am pleading with the sleep gods to pull Ol into a good nap despite the fact that he is enthusiastically singing about wanting to drive an excavator when he's older. In addition to waking up with the roosters, he spent nearly 2 hours at the playground; the bags under his eyes are enormous and belie his claims of not being tired. Unfortunately I have to be at Jack's school tonight for a meeting when in fact I'd much rather be nestled on the couch, wrapped in PJs and a blanket. Sigh. This time of year is SO busy. About a half hour ago, I realized that I simply must make a coconut cream pie. Do you like CCP? I loooovvve it. When I was younger, still living with my parents, Mom and I would sometimes splurge and buy a Sara Lee coconut cake from the grocery freezer section, get two forks and go to town. I'm having an intense taste memory of that right now, but in pie form.

Did Oliver just crawl out of his crib? Oh man.