Please note, that upon embarking on your birthday week, all hats must be worn on the forehead, preferably askew. Do not accept any help or suggestions to "remedy" the situation.

sugar in all forms

Complete with a bulldozer pinata, the festivities continued. The pinata was stuffed with lollipops which of course caused all the ladies to rally and form a lollipop coalition. They succeeded in ramping up their saccarin levels high enough to induce the sugared chaos that one expects at a two-year-old party, despite the introduction of a vegan birthday cake. If you must comment, please tell me how wonderful this cake looks. It is trial number three in an attempt to find a celebratory goodie that does not induce potentially fatal reactions in my child. Believe it or not, vegan fudge frosting is better than most other types of frosting - so sayeth the lollipop coalition. This animal-product-free confection was perfect for smashing the cement truck into as the frosting looked like "mud" to the birthday boy. Delish!

So, the Bug liked his Vegan cake and we can all tell that the day ended on a wonderfully chocolate note.

Who Cut the Mushroom?

This past Christmas season has been a fine Christmas season. It did exactly what I want Christmas to do. We spent time with family and friends and had some time to ourselves as a small and young family too! M had a few days off and we took loads of day trips and a few over-night ones too. This pic is of Bug on his first ferry-ride. His mouth is mid-WOW.




We also went up to Bellingham and down to Portland for a visit. Here, Bug is making sure that the P-family's old lab, Stitch, is keeping up on his long-distance friendships. Patient dog that he is...



But the best reminder and lesson and gift that I had this season occurred while chopping mushrooms for dinner the other night. I gave him a butter knife and a mushroom to "chop" with me while I was cooking dinner - thinking that it would take him forever and that the mushroom would essentially be whole by the time I got to it. Not so. Chopped is a mild word to describe the mushroom before Bug on the cutting board below. Minced is even a bit too timid. Perhaps, mutilated or annihilated is better? Regardless, he chopped right through that mushroom in no time flat and wanted more mushrooms. It wasn't pretty and wouldn't be in a picture for Gourmet Magazine, but it was chopped and, yes, booger-free edible. I gave him more and had a great time cooking with him. I learned/remembered/received the gift of not underestimating those around you, even yourself. Happy New Year.