Thursday, July 14, 2011

Well, Harry, it's been a great ride.




Endings are sad, aren't they?

Tomorrow we head to the theater to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. This is big. HUGE. Exciting. And sad. While I can't wait to see such a fantastic part of the book brought to life on screen, I can't help feeling- this is it. It's over. There will be no more movies, no more books...no more Hogwarts.

See? There I go, getting all emotional. Skyler is emotional in a different way: Skyler is bouncing off the walls with excitement. By tomorrow noon, I'll probably need to repair some holes in the ceiling. My little wizard can't wait!

In an effort to make this even more special for Skyler (and to indulge my geeky side while blaming it on my child), I decided to make more cake pops. Cake pops are like a bad boyfriend. They make you angry, cause weight gain and emotional outbursts and generally drive you insane. But at the end of the day, you just can't help giving them another try because maybe THIS TIME will be easier. And if it really goes how you want it to, all the hassle will be worth it...

So here there are, folks. My Mad Eye Moody Cake Pops:

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Goodbye, Harry. I'll miss you. Hello, sugar high. You're a poor replacement, but I suppose you'll do!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

No person should eat that much in a week. Let alone 2 days.

Well, HELLO 29!

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This weekend, I celebrated the start of my last year as a 20-something by stuffing my face. And complaining about the resulting stomach ache. Then repeating the process. I would be terrified to calculate Weight Watcher points, and probably I should just skip sleeping tonight and spend 8 hours running as if a T-Rex were chasing me. But, dang, it was a great weekend.

I had crab ravioli. In cream sauce. With wine. And more chocolates than I care to admit.

Next up came eggs benedict florentine with a mimosa.

In the interest of not exploding, I skipped a meal after the eggs.

The skipping meals thing didn't last long. For dinner, Mom took me to get more pasta- three cheese tortellini with asparagus and chicken. Since at this point I was seriously thinking I needed to attend a WW meeting STAT, I did what any logical person would do. I followed the pasta with cheesecake and wine.

Today, I vowed to get back on the bandwagon. Until Ashley, Alex and I walked in to a restaurant which offered panko coated fish and chips. Really, now- not getting those would have been a tragedy, right? How could I have passed them up? I couldn't have. It just wouldn't have been right.

After an amazing lunch of deep fried goodness, we worked up an appetite by strolling the streets of Hood River. Turns out there was a kiteboarding competition in Hood River today. Since we didn't have a timeline and didn't think we'd get kicked out, the three of us headed to the waterfront to have a look. Because at this point I was feeling very much like a stuffed goose, I think that I may have been trying to guilt myself into not eating more. Which is why I had a beer by the water before stopping for ice cream in Cascade Locks, of course. (Since any sane person MUST get ice cream in Cascade Locks, I just can't count those calories. Those cones aren't fat- they are an Oregon tradition.)

Ash and I had a great laugh today when Alex tried to assert his authority while using a Port A Potty. I kept the door open just a little, and wouldn't let the little dude lock it. I realize that he is 5 and he has (mostly) figured out the basics of taking a pee at this point. However, here is a little known Brianna fact: I have completely unfounded, strange and illogical fears about my children falling in to portable toilets. I know you think I am crazy for this. Chances are, you're right. The beauty of being a parent is that I am allowed to be a bit crazy regarding highly improbable events (and the need to avoid said events).

Anyhow, since Alex is "a big boy" now, he decided to take a stand for his privacy. When I wouldn't let him lock the door from the inside, he marched right out to move me and see if there was a way to lock the door from the outside. Alex was GOING to find a way to keep his toosh behind a closed door. There was, unfortunately for Alex, one small problem with this: LittleHam forgot to pull his pants up before storming the parking lot. Bad news is, Alex didn't ever figure out a way to rid the Port A Potty door of Mommy's control. Good news is that Ashley and I had a fantastic laugh.

When I came home after dinner at my Mom's (where, again, I overate), the house smelled like the beautiful roses Dusty got me for my birthday. The clams he got on the coast this weekend are taunting me. They want to be made into chowder, or just steamed and eaten right away. But I will not give in. Instead, I will be hiding from the clams. I will also hide from the roses, because they are sitting right over a box of chocolates. I feel lucky, loved, and ready to make this a great year. And I have a massive tummy ache.

Tomorrow, I get back on plan. I only hope that my motivation will make the same choice.