Still Here

When you do not update your blog for 9 months there is some pressure to make your next post amazing, exciting, earth-shattering, etc...

So here it is:

Sweets FROM my Sweets

Luckily I have never tried smoking. Unfortunately I can't say the same about sugar. I have often wondered at what age my kids will start noticing that mommy eats a good portion of their candy from Christmas, Valentines, Halloween, etc... Last week after the kids were in bed I raided their stash of Valentines candy and came up with a box of Nerds. Carelessly I didn't make sure the evidence made it to the garbage. The next morning Mallory discovered this evidence and was overheard asking Kelly accusingly, "WHAT is this?" To which he replied, "Ask mom." The dirty rat!
The guilt was magnified last night after the rest of the family went to Krispy Kreme while I stayed in bed with a migraine. After eating their hot light specials on site they came home with two chocolate glazed sprinkle donuts. One for mommy and one for the kids to share the next day. By bedtime I was feeling better and ready for my treat. When I asked where it was Kelly revealed that Mallory had asked him to hide the donuts so "Mommy won't eat ours." Oh the shame!
I am however, happy to report that today after lunch I gave the girls their donut and begged only for one tiny bite before they split the rest. That's progress I think!

Going Bananas

The subject

The photographer

My mom obligingly got me exactly what I asked her to for my birthday - a dehydrator. After attending a dehydrating class several months ago, I foresaw a glorious future where my children had kicked their pack-a-day habit of fruit snacks and were happily munching on wholesome home-dried fruit.

I decided to start with bananas. The chart said bananas take 6-12 hours to dry (a rather large window). I didn't get things powered-up until 3 pm but I reasoned it would surely be closer to 6 hours especially since I'd sliced the bananas thinner than recommended to speed things up.

9:00 pm: not dry yet

10:00 pm: not dry yet

Kelly & I start a movie. Surely they will be done by the time the movie is over

11:00 pm: not dry yet

12:00 pm: the movie ends

still not dry - the lamenting begins

What am I going to do! I'll have to stay up all night!

Kelly says I should just go to bed and let the dehydrator run the rest of the night (does he know how much we are spending on fruit snacks?!)

Then they'll be ruined and all the work I've put in (buying, slicing, and don't forget setting them on the trays) will be wasted!

There's nothing to do but set the alarm and hope the torture ends soon.

1:45 am: still not dry

2:45 am: Hallelujah I think they are dry enough!

Now do I need to let them cool before I put them in a bag? Heck no how much more sleep do I have to lose!

3:05 am: Back in bed. I'd better try to squeeze a nap in tomorrow

The next morning: Kids do you want to try these bananas?

They love them. They keep asking me for more all day.

That afternoon: No you can't have anymore. You'll get constipated! To Kelly, exasperated: They would eat these all day!

His reply: Wasn't that the point?

Nothing like dancing to keep constipation at bay.