A Morning I Shake My Head At…

A while back I posted about a reality check that I had and yet again, today (yesterday, when you’re reading this), I had another.  I hesitate to write about this for 2 reasons – first, its embarrassing that I get down about life because of such minimal things and second, because the experience has worn off, as I’ve just enjoyed an hour of naptime. 

But, since this blog is supposed to be about my real life I can’t leave stuff like this out.  I’d hate to give anyone the impression that our life is all plums and no pits.  Ha.  I just made that up! 

Anyway, mornings like this seem to always come after a rough night, and I’d say that today was no exception.  Last night, I was up every hour and a half with Kaden.  The kid just won’t stay asleep. Every wake-time runs into the next and before I know it, its 6:30am and he’s kicking me in my back, pulling on my hair because at some point, without even knowing it, I brought him into my bed. And soon we are joined by Gage and Cooper jumping onto the bed, fighting over who gets to give Kaden a kiss first. Which results in tears from all three.  

Immediately, it is a morning where everything bugs me.  Each time I hear ‘Mama’, I cringe.  Kaden’s crying is like daggers in my ears.  Constant daggers because he’s especially fussy today (gee, could it be because he didn’t sleep last night?) I don’t get to take a shower.  And knowing we are having company tonight, I have to start preparing the house. And the dessert before it gets to hot in the house. 

     Ahh, the dessert.  Matt’s birthday cake, to be more specific.  He requested a spice cake.  Simple.  Not for me because I have the tendency to try to take everything to the next level.  So, I chose a 3 layer Debbie Fields Carrot Cake, that I would make from scratch.  This includes the toasting of the pecans, the shredding of the carrots, sweet potato, and apple all the way to the cream cheese frosting. 

I won’t complain because it was my choice to make it and I’d do it again for Matt if he wanted it, but sheesh.  What an ordeal.  Especially with my two helpers who asked every 5-seconds if they could lick the beater, and who felt that they needed to be as close to me as possible the whole time.  Thankfully Kaden napped most of the time, but since it was a SEVERAL hour process he joined us at the tail end. Fortunately he woke-up just when I needed to run down to my in-laws to borrow a cake pan because I needed three and I only had two.  I’m pretty sure Handy Manny taught me once to always be prepared before starting a project.  I’m also pretty sure that pausing at that point in the cake making process did not do good things for my batter.  

Back we came, and I kicked Gage and Cooper out of the kitchen when they started telling me that I was in their way from seeing what was going on. 

Then I found them a bit later playing HiHo Cherry-O in their room (it was monumentous!).  It lasted long enough for me to take a picture and they took that as an invitation to come re-join me in the kitchen.  Round-one of clean-up began with not-happy Kaden in the bouncy seat and Gage and Cooper launching paper airplanes at the ceiling fan. 

Everything was interrupted when I passed by the front window and saw my current arch-nemesis…  the gopher who has been terrorizing my front garden.  Ever since we had a cougar in our back yard I have been itching to shoot whatever creature reeks havoc on our peaceful existence next. So, like any self-respecting woman would do, I grabbed my son’s BB gun. I crept slowly and silently across the front lawn – trying not to alert our dog or to let the gopher know I was onto him. I had the BB loaded, the gun positioned up to my eye for aim… the little rascal never even saw me as he continued to stare toward my plants, considering which one to gnaw on next. Perfect shot… I was about 5 feet away… I went to pull the trigger… THE SAFETY WAS ON!  Who puts the safety on on a BB GUN??  The stinker DID hear me click off the safety, and quickly shot back down into the whole.  I stood there ready for about 10 more minutes waiting.  Nothing. 

Defeated, I went back into the house to make the frosting for my cake, which I came to find out was sticking terribly to the cooling racks.  It is now assembled and chilling in the fridge and I’m pretty nervous to serve it.  Note-to-self… don’t make a recipe for the first time for company. 

Anyway, the morning ended with Kaden having a blow-out diaper in his bouncy seat.  Nice. 

As of the time I writing this, its still naptime and I feel a bit better about my day. 

But, the BB gun is still out on the front porch, caulked and ready.  That gopher picked the wrong day to mess with me. 

 

** an update… party’s over and I’m off to bed, but thought I’d assure you that the cake turned out okay… that’s it in the picture below, and Cooper licking it off his plate in the background.  I guess he liked it.   

Oh, and the gopher lives on.