Dark chocolate, Brown Widows and Caca

Chocolate Midnight is a dark chocolate cake with two frosted cookies on the top--a white one in the shape of a moon (with facial features) and a chocolate frosted star. The kids took one apiece as Greg blew out his candles. It turns out that the cake is so dark chocolatey that it's too much for us. Greg has abandoned it for the brownies I made the day before and the kids say, "No thanks," when it's offered. Guess who's going to finish the cake. Yep, me and the diabetic babysitter are splitting it over the next couple of days. Unless I can get a neighbor to eat a piece.

Trouble is, my dessert-splitting neighbor Sarah has gone back to work. Her youngest (and only) has turned and is in full-time preschool and heading for kindergarten. It's beginning to be a trend. Moms are disappearing off the stay-at-home radar and are taking up jobs, gym memberships, hobbies or second and third babies. And when Aldo starts preschool (if?) who knows what will happen.

Owen's already been in full day preschool (8:30-12:30) for a while, which has allowed me to take Aldo to his toddler class. It is a place he can indulge his love of the parachute, which like many of his favorite things (bears, strawberries and blueberries) he calls "bear.

And having one kid has allowed me to further my pursuit of a whole new wardrobe through the thrift shops. I started with replacement t-shirts, then dresses, and now I'm up to prints, shoes, and belts. I was looking at a bracelet and I'd consider a new bag. Something purselike.

And the kids' clothes. So cute and so cheap.

It's nap time now. Owen still has a slight fever, so it might be a good nap.

Did I tell you he was sent home yesterday for fighting? A kid wanted him to do something at lunch, he didn't do it, the kid said, "Caca." At three years old, thems fighting words. So, Owen shoved him and the sippie cup cut his mouth and then Owen would not apologize. This is a write-uppable offense. Mom was called. Owen eventually apologized and went home.

So, we were a little relieved when he turned out to be sick. "See, it's the fever fighting, not Owen." Owen still got a lot of talking to.

Another wildlife story: Have you heard of the Brown Widow? It's like it's darker more famous cousin, but browner, slightly shyer and more poisonous. They're easiest to identify by their spiky egg sacs that look like old sea mines. If you get the right angle, they have the little red hourglass on the belly. They're also breeding in our backyard. Yikes! Under the playthings. Greg showed me a few before he torched them with the lighter. And then I found another one today along with 3 egg sacs under the wagon where Aldo was putting his little bare foot. All this while Owen got his hair trimmed at the hair salon.

Non-stop excitement around here.