Toothpaste Bandit

Mary: please don't do that.
Cora: why?

I am at work all day and miss out on many of the fun little moments in our house that happen during the week. Mary is kind enough to send me text messages of the more significant events.

Cole is trying to swing from a piece of yarn attached to the doorknob like tarzan

"There's a tuba in my tummy" -Cole

word to the wise, don't wipe nose after cutting jalapeno.

"Why aren't I flat like a piece of grass?" -Cole

mental note: when listening to iPod, don't suddenly belt out song when daughter is sleeping.

I forgot to tell you Cora has a fascination with shoving things up her nose. Last week peas. Today stickers.

and today's gem: "Another tube of toothpaste bites the dust"

You can't roll toilet paper perfectly back on the roll after it has been pulled across the house and you can't get toothpaste back into the tube. And these are both stealthy types of mischief; you can't hear them happening until the child lets out maniacal giggles. Kids instinctively know these truths and derive disproportionate amounts of pleasure from these activities. How do we explain to her that toothpaste costs $170 per gallon? Is there a cost benefit to us of having 15 minutes of peace and quiet while she is in the bathroom strangling another tube? As far as fun goes, it is probably cheaper for us to send her skydiving.

I can't wait for the day when Cora discovers the wonders of shaving cream. As long as they don't start pasting images of Tigger or Dora the Explorer on men's shaving cream, I think I am relatively safe.

sweet and sour

Cole's fascination with claws has not yet reached alarming levels, but where he gets his inspiration is puzzling.

He is enamored with the movie/cartoon 'Madagascar'. I have not watched more than five minutes of the movie, but from what I have seen, the lion character is not what I would consider ferocious. At least not when compared with cartoon heavy hitters like Shere Khan (Jungle Book) or Mufasa (Lion King). No, Alex the lion--as voiced by Ben Stiller--is his totem.

So he asked me once again to make him claws and he was not to be placated by over sized claws that would bend when he scratched at stuff. He seemed to be satisfied by this design, even though he still was not able to use the claws to shred the walls and furniture.
This photo also lets me show off some nice pink pyjamas we scored from our friends Bindi and Tim. Cora is quite pleased with them.

music meets mythology

Cole: Dad, lets pretend.
me: Sure, can I be a unicorn?
Cole: No.
me: How about a minotaur?
Cole: No!
me: How about a centaur?
Cole: Oh yeah! wait, I will go get my guitar.

The cake of destiny

This has been the year of the chocolate cake for us and I don't think we have been singing a one-note tune. We have explored many different aspects of the fundamentals with regard to chocolate cake.

We were tempted to go with yellow cake and chocolate frosting for Cole's birthday, but we stuck to our guns and persevered on. The final tile in the mosaic fell into place on Tuesday night for Mary's birthday. I baked a cake so dark and rich we had to refrigerate it so that the full measure of its chocolate creaminess wouldn't hit us square in the face. I don't think it is within the reach of human emotion to experience this cake still warm from the oven.

The bad lighting in our kitchen doesn't do this cake justice.

I must confess that this may have been the first piece of birthday cake that I was not able to finish. I looked down on my plate at the half eaten piece as a broken man not able to endure any more fantastic-ness. Maybe it was the three fajitas I ate during dinner that filled me up, but I like to think this cake has the power to satisfy the seemingly unquenchable craving for chocolate.

Oh, I know I tend to exaggerate, but this is the real deal. We were even afraid to give it to the kids. As Cole lay down to bed that night he asked Mary "why wouldn't you and daddy let me finish my cake?". Well Cole, we didn't want to ruin every cake experience you have for the rest of your life. We want you to enjoy a life of color; of shade and shadow, not to be eclipsed by this one recipe.

Where was Cora during all of this? Asleep in her bed. She has been skipping her nap lately and Mary wisely put her down to bed early. The thing we needed less than an emotional two-year-old close to bed time, was an emotional two-year-old who was hopped up on chocolate cake.

And before you ask, the answer is "no." The only way you will pry this recipe from me is if you actually hop on a plane and experience it for yourself. I know this puts the folks on the other side of the puddle at a disadvantage, but think of it as an investment in your chocolate salvation. Mad props go out to my friend Katrina for sending the recipe my way.

my lovely wife

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Cole was also in the mood to shoot some photos Tuesday night with mixed results. These are my two favorite. A keen eye will note that he likes the same particular angle for both shots.