What's Going On

Well, thanks LeAnn/Gabby for scoring Angela her FAVORITE gift this last birthday.

My one-year-old monkey is now dead set on cracking her head open. I keep turning my back and then returning to this:

 Or this:

 Or this....

Or This....

Or, on occasion, this....

Just this morning, she fell off the table and got a big bruise across her face from where a chair intercepted her on the way down.

Fun story: the other morning, I heard sudden, frantic crying and ran out to the dining room and didn't see Angela. I dashed to the kitchen and didn't see her. I flung open doors to the bathroom, the laundry closet, and was confounded. I could hear that she was close by, but didn't see her anywhere. Did she close herself in a kitchen cupboard? Was she wedged underneath a piece of furniture? Oh, yes, that would be it. Finally found her- trying to climb onto a chair that was pushed in and she got herself stuck. 

Angela is getting a real nasty temper and when she can't have her way, she stomps back and forth screaming and flinging her arms around.

All of the sudden, Natalie does not seem like a difficult child! I guess it's all really a question of perspective...

Enjoying her new "my-size" wisk, another gift from aunt Gabby (geez, no fair- how did she end up with the gift giving talent?)

This is a funny scene that Natalie left behind after eating lunch one afternoon,

and this is a super delicious peach divinity icebox pie that I made from a southern living magazine. And it was amazing.

 While I was at Darlene's, I felt jealous that Darlene had a binder filled with her favorite recipes. I've been meaning to put together some of my favorites, but I never have a convenient moment to print them out (the computer I most use is not compatible with the printer), so I decided to just stop worrying about printing nice recipes and start neatly copying them by hand as I use them. You can see where in my transcription a child came up and began to require my attention...

And last but most significant, today is my sister Gabby's 18th birthday. On this momentous occasion, I shall share five things that I have learned in my 8 years of legal adulthood. Maybe you could find one or two of them helpful?

1.) There is no substitute for hard work. That doesn't mean that you have to like it or even value it, but some things just need to get done and it's nobody else's responsibility to take care of those things for you.

 2.) Pay attention. I have made so many stupid mistakes and wasted so many resources over problems that could have easily been avoided if I had just looked into details and been more aware. The adult world is full of so many details. And when you are an independent adult, it takes a while to recognize which ones are important. So, to start with, just pay attention to EVERYTHING.
3.) It's okay to find George Cloony attractive even though he is more than 35 years your senior. The rule about age limits and romance (the older one should half his or her age and add seven, this is the youngest appropriate age of a romantic partner) does not apply to celebrity crushes.
4.) If you really want something, make it happen. The way may be long and fraught with complication, but you can find a way.
5.) Learn to cook. I thought as a teenager that the personal progress goal about learning to cook was stupid and I am so, so glad that I completed it because knowing how to follow a recipe has taken me SO far.