I think I have mentioned before that around here March is Birthday central.

Also, Birthday cake central.

Seriously.

There has been a WHOLE LOT of cake over here.

None of which I am able to eat, though.

So, when I came across a recipe for a Paleo Lemon Almond cake, I was definitely up for just a little more baking.

And it was worth it.

I made it twice in one week, it was that worth it.

I modified the recipe a little. Using Olive oil as my oil of choice. And a Flax Egg instead of regular Eggs or a Chia seed Egg.

(A Flax Egg is 1 Tablespoons of ground Flax seed mixed with 3 Tablespoons warm water and left to set up for anywhere from 15 minutes to overnight in the fridge. For this recipe, if you go the vegan route, you'll need to triple it.)

Also, because I figured there was a chance, what with the Honey and the Lemon juice and the Olive oil, and no real Egg serving as a binder, if I went ahead and added the Blueberries the recipe called for, my cake might get too moist.

So I left them out of the baking and just threw a few fresh ones on before eating.

With a good dollop of coconut cream for good measure.

Though, to be honest, the cake needs neither. And is perfectly delicious on it's own.

http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/blueberry-lemon-almond-cake/

Just a little Easter bling...

Today was our firefighter's birthday.

And he spent it in true firefighter fashion...

on the Interstate, from 2 a.m. on, as part of the Rock County Hazmat team, dealing with a large chemical spill.

So exciting.

And tiring.

And maybe not real festive?

E and I spent the day in a much more mediocre and yet still productive way.

We baked a birthday cake.

So come tomorrow, after naps and naps and maybe more naps, when we execute a full blown birthday-re-do, he will have something a little sweet, a little decadent and more than a little deserved to dig in to.

Breakfast. At 11:26.

Thank you daylight savings.

Now it is once again dark when we get up, I have no idea what time it is or should be or even feels like all day long. My watch says one thing. The car dash another. My cell phone went above and beyond the call of duty and 'Sprung' itself ahead a full 2 hours. 

Lunch happens around 3. Dinner is an "Oh my gosh, it's 7:00! How is it 7:00? We got to get this done and bedtime started" kind of ordeal.

And then bedtime. 

No one's sleepy. Despite the earlier wake-ups and the playing outside and the walks. No one is actually getting to bed any earlier. So why are we rushing dinner?

Yeah. I certainly don't know. The whole idea that we 'gain some extra time' in our day is a joke. All we've done is lie to ourselves.

"It's 6:00 pm and look how light it is!" 

No. It's really 5:00 pm. All you did was adjust a clock. Actually, it really is 6:00 pm. Solar time. What you've really done is just spent half the year living as though 6 is 5 and 5 is 4 and on and on and now that you're good and adjusted and in a rhythm...

reverse-ho.

In addition to being relative and relatively confusing (just Google it. And while you're at it Google solar time and mean solar time and see if you don't get a headache...) the whole thing is a little sadistic. Especially when you have young children. 

In fall; "We get an extra hour of sleep."

Wait, no. No, we don't.

In spring; "Well, the clock says it's 7:30 so you need to be in bed."

Yeah. Goofing around for another hour. Or more. Because you can't fool us. It's 6:30 and who's tired at 6:30?

Dearest E,

Yes. A pink, ruffled, chocolate cake. Is there anything more appropriate for you? I doubt it.

Happy Birthday. You are 7. And I don't know where the time has gone. 

Last year I wrote you a ridiculously emotional letter. And I was ridiculously emotional. I sat at the computer with tears streaming down my cheeks, feeling like 5 to 6 was a huge transition and everything was changing and couldn't you stay 5 for just a little bit longer.

But 6 to 7 is different. So, too, will be my letter.

Things that are true of you, my birthday girl, on your first day of being 7: 

You are a voracious reader, a cat lover, a never-sitting-still ball of energy, a wealth of words. Many of them quite large.

You love cooking. You are still a bit of a drama queen. You can be hilariously sarcastic, with a dry sense of humor that is surprising for one not yet a decade old. 

Your eyes have changed color, from brilliant blue to the same pale, lucid green as your Dad. Your hair is getting darker. You have lost 2 teeth already and 2 more are nearly ready to go. But you are in no hurry. 

You have an amazing imagination. And a desire to know exactly what is happening, exactly when. 

You pay attention to everything. Especially when we hope you are not. You have an innate 6th sense for those moments. 

You can't wait to drive. You think weddings are wonderful. Most days the thing you want to be when you grow up is a mom. 

You appear to get taller everyday, looking right at home with a group of Third Graders on a recent field trip. Yet weight-wise and despite your enormous appetite you may never get out of your booster seat. 

You continually win at Go-Fish, you can sometimes beat me at Memory and you enjoy decimating Dad at the game Sorry. Really, you have no mercy for him. 

But board games aside you have a very tender heart. Like your Mom. You say goodbye to the house when we leave on vacation. You feel sad when Dad throws stuff away, like your deflated snow-tube. And you get teary during prayers.

You sleep with an ever-expanding pile of stuffed animals surrounding you in bed. And no fewer than 5 blankets. Which need to be put on in a certain order. In a certain way. And heaven help Dad when he questions this logic. (Me? I don't question it. Whatever gets you in bed before the clock strikes the magic hour and you turn into a pumpkin is fine by me...)

You are not a picky-eater. Dark chocolate, ginger and licorice are just some of the strong flavors you love. Curry, Cabbage and Asparagus, are some of the others. They only thing you consistently refuse to eat is Watermelon.

You love to be outside. You love to ride your bike. You love to walk over and visit with all of our neighbors. If I ever have a question about what is happening on Columbus Circle, chances are pretty good you know the answer.

You have the most amazing way of sitting on the floor. Never on your butt. Never on your knees. Rather, you squat like a frog. And can do so for an unearthly amount of time. We are pretty sure you are double jointed.

I can not say what changes and challenges the next year will bring. But I know you will continue to grow, you will continue to keep Dad and me ever on our toes and before I know it you will be 8.

Lemons. Fresh from my lemon tree. If only there was a way to blog their scent for you. Because it is unreal. More like a floral-blossom smell than anything else.

Field Trip Day...

...otherwise known as we are sick of winter and sick of being trapped indoors and it's March, for goodness sake, time to stop hibernating so let's do this thing...

We headed to Madison today. Yes. In the snow and sleet and less than stellar road conditions. And we went to see

our state's beautiful, beautiful Capitol building.

At 8 am we were lucky enough to have it mostly to ourselves. 

Full of echoing footsteps, the distant hum of elevators and the smell of coffee it seemed an even greater juxtaposition of relatable and majestic on this gray, damp day.

We wandered on our own for an hour and then took an official tour with a group of Third Graders from a local school. We learned a lot.

Like, for instance, we learned about this, just one of the glorious murals in the Capitol building. 

It actually has nothing to do with Wisconsin but is in fact the illustrated and allegorical wedding ceremony that commemorates the union of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans when the Panama cannel was built.

I think this photo, in the Governor's room, is so amazing. It's like a glimpse into our state's future. Because one day some of these eager little minds might actually sit in these exact same seats and help run things.

The view from the roof top of the nearby Children's Museum. It ended up turning out kind of moody and arty. But mostly I was just trying to get a shot that didn't include the iced-over plexiglass barricades.

On our way up to Madison we dropped our Cat off at a clinic for a surgical procedure. We very much missed her and had a few teary moments, worrying about how she was doing. So drawing a little picture helped.

As did quite a bit of walking, warming up with Chai, Almond milk lattes and a gluten free brownie or two. 

A little iPad art, some Trader Joe's shopping, (found my Medjool dates...you have been updated...) and a good long wander through a Barnes and Noble bookstore didn't hurt either.

By the way, I realized today, that last thing is ten times more fun with a child in tow. Really.

(I love the tongue. You know some serious creating is going on when the tongue is out...)