It's been so long....

since an update. I know and I'd like to promise it won't happen again but that's not something I can stand behind, so I won't do any such thing. Suffice it to say that we've been busy, busy, busy and this gets pushed to the end of the list.

Amiya and Daddy headed to Busch Gardens on Saturday to give Mommy some much needed time at home without a 3' tall shadow. They looked at animals, took a ride on the sky cable and Amiya even got up on stage and danced with Dumphrey the Dragon. I'm still in a bit of shock about it - she's always been intrigued but frightened by this feathery beast. Not so on Saturday, apparently. Having Daddy nearby bolstered her confidence and she talked with Dumphrey and even blew bubbles for him.

The rest of the weekend was pretty standard with Amiya somewhere between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When in a Dr. Jekyll mood, she either wanted to play Princess or a new "vawiation" of the o-rolling game. When it's time to be Cinderella, Amiya wraps herself in her blanket and sings and dances. Mommy is always the Wicked Stepmother (again, trying not to take it personally) and Daddy is assigned the role of the Fairy Godmother complete with blanket dress and measuring cup wand. I'd post a picture of Vinay in his get-up, but I like my marriage so you'll just have to use your imagination. He's got the bibbidi-bobbidi-boo down pat. The part of Cinderella is played so authentically by Amiya that we weren't quite sure what was happening when she wrapped herself up once, ran for the bedroom and started to cry. All at once we understood that we were in the pivotal scene where the stepsisters have torn her dress and Cinderella dashes off to the garden for a good cry.

I'd also like to report that Amiya is trying to turn Mommy's hair gray at the playground. We were, for a few months, content to play on the slides, the swings, the rope bridge. Now we must climb on all the things made for kids with longer legs and better coordination. It's hard to stand by and watch. In some cases, it might even be considered neglect - one climbing apparatus is wound like a tight spring and when she's at the top and lets go her chin goes thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk as it hits all 84 coils on the way down. So, a happy medium is what we're looking for. She needs the autonomy to try new things and see what she can challenge herself to do. I'd like her to come home with no more scars or bruises than when we arrived.

And what's Mommy been up to? Well, the last cake for our cake class. It was supposed to be a wedding cake of sorts with cascading flowers and pillars. That's so not Christy. I opted instead for a combination & variation of a tiled cake I had seen in the Wilton Yearbook and a fondant formed turkey as the topper that I had seen at www.cakecentral.com . I'm pleased with the results and equally happy that the class is over. This is stressful stuff and while I originally thought I might like to do big cakes, drop cookies might be more my style! This has just been too many cakes in a row, too many vats of Crisco and a whole lot of stained fingernails. That being said, I'd love to do cakes for people
who want them and I am looking forward to Amiya's birthday cake. I feel like I've got the confidence and the skills to do it now.

And finally, what you've all been waiting for -
recent turkey feathers go to:
Uncle Jon
Uncle Andy
Uncle Mikey
Coucou
and Grand-mère

That's right, still no Mommy. But, if I've been awarded the role of the Wicked Stepmother it's pretty much the same thing, right?