Wordless Wednesday

Somehow I've managed to resist running from the house screaming for a full year.

I turned 35 this month, but I still feel like a ninteteen-year-old English major. I really do.

Just, you know... more tired.

Thought I'd update you today on what a 35-year-old does to entertain herself. First of all, after discovering some knitting time in my daily routine, I basically went crackers and started like 20 different projects. (Not exaggerating. Are you and I friends on Ravelry, Dear Reader? If so, go click on my name and have a good laugh! How many Norwegian Baby Caps have I started this month? That's right, six.)

I've also turned into Crazy Birthday Party Mommy and am throwing a little shindig next weekend to celebrate Bee's birthday. So we have to clean up the wreckage that is our house, and I'll be baking practice cake #2 later tonight BECAUSE I'M A FREAK. The first one, a cake-sized version of the Golden Vanilla cupcake from VCTOTW, came out with a strong baking soda taste. (Cake, Y U NO TASTE GOOD?!) The second cake will be the same recipe, but I'll bust open a brand-new box of baking soda, and probably use potato starch instead of guar gum (GG being what I used in place of corn starch, due to Bee's probably-gone-but-we're-not-sure-and-we-don't-want-her-to-be-writhing-in-pain-on-her-birthday allergy to corn). Confused and a little bored? So are we!

In other news, our almost-one-year-old still doesn't sleep in her crib, and I'm considering just using the damned thing as a big basket to hold all my yarn. (Joking, sort of.) Oh, and Bee still only naps in my lap (which, on the bright side, is how I turn out all those Norwegian Baby Caps). Can't believe we've been living like this for nearly a year, but whatever. Also, all three of us have an evil cold that Bee probably contracted at the local library, during the chaos that was last week's free puppet show.

One more thing. In 2012, I totally want to make an advent calendar. It's going to be based on this one, with design elements from this one (I love the white frame against the black base!) and this one. Wouldn't a combination of boxes and clothespins be cute? And wouldn't it be great if I wouldn't get craft-manic and start all these crazy projects? Yes.

P.S. Ben also had a birthday recently, and I made him a really crappy cake. Honestly, I should have taken a picture. Because gluten is banned from my diet, I haven't baked much in the last year and kinda forgot how.

Some things.

Some things I've been up to since I posted two weeks ago:

Made these gluten-free root veggie latkes. You guys! They were so good!

Started taking Bee to once-a-week baby and toddler "music class," which is totally as yuppie as you'd think. The first song of the morning is one that welcomes the kids, the mommies, the daddies, and the nannies. And I get sweaty and think, "man, I do not belong here." But Bee loves it, so whatever.

Visited our town's new yarn shop. OMG. It's six blocks from our house. For real.

Went berserk and cast on like nine different knitting projects. (See new yarn shop, above.) And finished one (Ravelry link)!

Found out about Steve Jobs' death, and felt sad. As an illustrator, I'm one of the zillions of people who continue to benefit from Jobs' life work every single day. Jobs was the visionary behind so many of the tools that allow me to interact creatively with technology in my profession. (And he invented the iPod, enabling me to listen to Meat Loaf, watch "Family Ties," and update my Facebook status on an aesthetically attractive device the size of half a Pop-Tart. Which is cool, I'm sorry.)

Was exposed to Paul Simon's Graceland album. Okay, now, what the hell? How did I never hear that record until I was nearly 35? What a lyricist, that guy! It's like when I was 31 and heard Hunky-Dory for the first time. I actually experienced anger (WHY DIDN'T ANYONE EVER MAKE ME LISTEN TO THIS BEFORE!). Honestly, what other great records of the 70s and 80s am I in the dark about?*

Started drinking afternoon coffee on a regular basis. (Morning coffee was already standard.)

Put away my warm-weather clothes and trotted out the sweaters.**

Determined that no one needs this many vintage sweaters, but was unable to purge any.

Bought Bee her first pair of shoes! We drove out to an old-fashioned family-owned place where our girl got her foot measured and such. She was assigned a pair of high-quality (if pizazz-free) shoes that cost more than my own shoes.

Cooked my last batch of marinara of the season from garden (and CSA) tomatoes.

Baked three squash(es?).

* Yes, I already know about Neil Young's Harvest.
** Of course, it then got bizarrely hot. It was 88 degrees out yesterday! In Minnesota, I'm saying, in October. But I can be flexible. Nice weather is nice weather, even when you're overheating in corduroys.