Sprite's Keeper

She transcends cool.

(Staycation, Day 4, Last day. Today, we take on Sanibel and Captiva, hopefully without hostages. Thanks to an exorbitant amount of board games our relatives gave Sprite for the holidays, (which I am thankful for since I may proclaim a pox on Mattell for the obnoxiously small shoes they make for the Princess dolls, shoes I have no qualms about throwing out when I find them forgotten on the floor and then claim innocent bystandership when Sprite asks where they are), John and I have spent a large amount of floor time getting reaquainted with Candyland and the battery operated fishing game. Lesson learned: my kid cheats. Outlandishly cheats. TELLS US SHE IS CHEATING WHILE SHE DOES IT cheats. I have to remind myself that she's three, but when she's four, she's going to get called on it.
Don't forget, tomorrow we're back with the Spin Cycle!
Today, I am so excited to bring you Mrs. Bear from Outnumbered Two To One! Not only have I always admired her stories, her writing, her candor, (Folks, she can write an eye roll like none other, I can literally SEE the pupils look skyward when reading her stuff) but I got to meet her! And she didn't run away! At first. You probably already follow her, but if you don't, you should. She may not know where she's going, but it will be a hell of a ride.
And she is the epitome of cool.)

I have to admit, when Jen asked me to blog sit for a day, I was extremely flattered. Not only did she trust me not to rifle through the medicine cabinets, but she trusted me with her readership, which requires a far greater leap of faith.

I struggled a little with what to write about, since Jen’s got the market cornered on adorable Sprite anecdotes and clever wordplay. I figured instead I’d venture in to the similarly dangerous (but far less cute) territory of the teenager. Something I am only now beginning to familiarize myself with.

Teenagers aren’t fun. Think terrible twos with a dollop of apathy, a healthy portion of eye-rolling, and a smattering of sarcasm thrown in.

When I say, "Wow, it’s getting late, I should start dinner."

An average teen would say, "Pfft, you think?" Eyes fixed back in to their cranial cavity.

For months my fifteen-year-old has had a debilitating crush on a boy that rides her bus, whom we affectionately refer to as Busboy. Over time they’ve developed a flirtatious friendship that I as a mother will never possibly be comfortable with. That friendship has evolved to include never ending online chats and eventually, to my distaste, kissing.

Gah. Gurg. Blech.

The feeling is similar to learning that your parents are sexual beings. It brings about a wave of nausea it’s impossible to dispel.

So when over the holiday break, my daughter asked if she and Busboy could hang out at the park. Together. For a couple of un-chaperoned hours, I rolled my own eyeballs and said, "Sure, why not? But he has to come here and meet us first."

My daughter blanched. "Forget it."

But Busboy, apparently the adventurous type, agreed.

For days my daughter was restless, "If you don’t want me to go, that’s fine."

She wouldn’t get off that easy.

When Busboy finally knocked at the door, I was the one to let him in. My darling husband was conveniently on the can. My daughter was in her room, in denial that the whole thing was actually happening.

The meeting itself was brief and insanely awkward. He came in wearing a knit cap and carrying his skateboard, cool and aloof. I introduced him to the rest of the kids then we all stood around uneasily while I tried to fill the silence with nervous laughter and idiot statements. It was great. Later my husband walked out, his hand outstretched and asked my daughter what it was alright to say.

This met with the requisite eye roll.

When she returned, safe and un-murdered, but possibly smelling like someone else’s spit, I of course, asked what had been on my mind the entire time.

"So, what did he think of us?"

In my defense I knew the rest, they’d talked, they’d kissed, they’d marveled at the idiocy of all who surrounded them, nobody needed the explicit details.

"He thought you guys were weird. And giddy."

Weird? Giddy?

Okay, possibly I was tittering a wee bit in his presence. We’d been hearing about this kid for months. I’d agonized with my daughter over the brief exchanges, the attention, the nervous puking. Sure, I’d lost my cool.

But not just for that brief traumatic moment, when I was THE mom. I’m talking on a much larger scale.

I was no longer cool. I might never be cool again.

Cool involves indifference. Shrugging. And a general fuck it all attitude.

As a mom, I’ve got too much at stake. I’ve got four kids to obsess and worry over, it’s taken my neurosis to new levels. I can’t stand around glumly and think "whatever, who cares?" all the time. No matter how dapper I think I look in my Chuck Taylor low tops or how awesome I think zombies are, I, people, am NOT cool.

The tension in the shoulders. NOT cool.

The nervous laughter and forced jokes. NOT cool.

The sprouting silver hairs, spider veins, and subtle frown lines. So NOT cool.

Teenagers will make you feel old. Every. Single. Time.

What they don’t know though, is that I used to be a cool, aloof teen, smoking cigarettes and scoffing at authority and adulthood. Pfft. Yeah. Whatever.

Someday these teens too will be *gasp* in their 30s. They might have *gurg* children of their own. They might drive *oh the horror* a minivan. And then. Then. The shoe will be on the other foot. Or something.

Then again, by then, my shoes might just be the orthopedic kind.

Pfft.

Yeah.

Whatever.

You Stink, But I Love You!

(Day 3 of Staycation, 2009! The native is getting restless. No matter how many Christmas and Hanukkah gifts we throw her way, she still expects us to be her personal playground! For the record, Candyland is not meant to be played on elevated surfaces, i.e. Mommy's lap. It does prove to be bumpy roads when remembering that you were last near the knee and are now butting against the hip. But she was easily convinced that Connect 4's rules required grabbing as many circle pucks as you can and shoving them down the numerous slots to be "the winner". The traditional disclaimers were thrown out the window when our little pre-schooler decided counting only to four is SO toddler. Milton Bradley can bite us.

 Today, I bring you one of my personal favorites, someone who connected to me through Momformation. Mama Badger of Out of the Boondocks and Into the Burbs... fame has a level of wit that I admire. She is direct, unafraid of opinions or truth, and ready with a smart comment. She has two absolutely adorable boys, a job outside the home, a home life, and still said yes to guest posting. And got it back to me quickly. If the Mother of the Year committee would let me back into their site, long story, I would so nominate her.)

 

(Blush)  I am a little in awe that Jen asked me to guest post for her while she's away.  She's just the coolest.  Let's hope I can do the Keeper justice.  Here goes:

 

A week (or so ago)  Maureen from Island Roar posted about a past amore that had no sense of smell.  Nothing, nada.  Didn't mind the skunks under his porch.  And I'm betting most people blew this off.  But, I happened to read it some time in the wee hours of the morning, and it got stuck in my mind.  And since then, every time I smell something I think, "What would I have missed if I hadn't smelled that just now?"  Yeah, I'm weird like that.

 

For instance, today was Christmas.  And so little o got passed around the room as people ate and socialized and just wanted some baby time.  And at one point when I got him back, he smelled of Drakkar.  I knew my BIL, C, had been loving on him.  Little o had gotten some Uncle loving.  I love that.  I love the smell of Drakkar, and I love that my kids get snuggled by their uncles.  Not just patted, or played with, honest to goodness snuggles.  Not every kid gets that.  And if I hadn't smelled his cologne?  I would have never known C had been there.  It made me feel really close to our family, there's a lot of love going on there.

 

Another thing that occured to me a few days ago.  How much alike new baby smell and new car smell are.  No, they don't smell alike.  But how they make you feel.  A sense of pride, and a sense of "ownership".  The desire to hold onto what's yours.  You don't want the smell to go away, but it does.  Baby smell fades to toddler smell (which is not the same at all!) and new car smell fades to "lived in".  And you're a little jealous when you smell someone's new baby or new car.  You wish your was new again.  But you don't want the 2:am feeding or the monthly payment.  So you enjoy theirs until it looks weird that you're sniffing at their kid or their car.

 

When I walk out of my house in the summer, there's a smell that always brings me back to childhood.  It's that warm sort of funky smell of the woods in the morning.  Before the sun has dried all the dew off the trees.  Damp, but not wet.  Not a bad smell, but certainly not perfume (or even body lotion) worthy.  What were this guys memories attached to?  Only sights and sounds?  It makes me sad for him.  What did he miss that he didn't even realize?

 

Nobody in our house enjoyed our skunk experience, but now we can laugh about it.  Even bad smells are good. Poopy diapers and stinky feet?  You have to laugh, or you'd cry at the stink around our house some times.  Smells are such a part of life.  They round out the experience. 

 

And what about the way PB smells when he comes in from cutting the grass?  The smell of a job well done.  Deoderant working hard (but usually not hard enough).  I'll admit that I like that smell.  The smell of my little boy after he's played hard at school (part spit, part play doh, part little boy mank), yeah, I love that too.  Not all smells have to be "good".  You can still enjoy them.

 

I can't imagine what my life would be like if I couldn't smell.  Horrible.  No fresh baked muffins, or coffee in the morning?  No remembering my mother when I smell Chanel no 5?  Sigh.  Out of the five senses, I suppose smell is the most dispensible, but I'm not giving mine up any time soon, thanks.

 

Well, I'm done now.  I've written all I need to about smell.  It will no longer bother me. 

 

Here's hoping that Jenn and Sprite and John are enjoying their siesta.  Via con dios.

We're Headed to the Boondocks

(Day Two of Staycation 2009! We're still alive and still enjoying each other's company! No basket weaving yet, but there's time for that..
I've been a faithful foillower of Boondock Ramblings for almost two years now. Lisa and I have a lot in common, okay, we really don't have that much in common, except that our kids are less than two weeks apart age wise so EVERYTHING we go with our respective spawn through is disarmingly similar and poop stories are never without their warnings or high hilarity factors.
Lisa calls herself an amatuer photographer, but she is a wonder with the lens. Check out both of her sites and wonder why, if you're not already, following her.)

I am so excited that The Jen of Sprite's Keeper has asked me to guest post for her. I'm not sure I can live up to her exciting, hilarious, and often rhyming stories, but I'll try my best. I thought of trying to write a poem, like she does, but Brother is the poet in this family, not me. I thought of trying to relay a hilarious tale, like she does, but Sis K is the funny storyteller in the family.

So all I came up with was something I jotted down awhile back. A story of poop.
Yeah. Poop. Have you read my stuff? This "poop" stuff comes up from time to time. Or comes out. Well, you know what I mean.

That's just great, she's writing about poop and snot again, you're thinking.
Come on, I know that's what your thinking!

Anyhow, I should have closed the door the other day when I went to the bathroom on my lunch break. Jonathan (my  three-year old for those who are new here) wandered in, I guess to benosey . Once I was done I tried to usher him out quickly, but instead he decided it would be more interesting to watch the toilet flush.

I figured moving him downstairs to his dad would change the subject quickly enough that he wouldn't feel the need to offer commentary on our bathroom experience.

Hubby has been asking Jonathan each day if he told mommy what he did today. Usually Jonathan says, "I pee on potty!" with a big smile on his face. Lately, he seems annoyed and bored by the whole "pee on potty" thing so he just rolls his eyes and turns away from me. Today Hubby asked him after we descended the stairs and Jonathan thought it would be good to brag on someone else this time: "Mama pooped!" he declared and pointed at me.

"No, I asked what you did today," Hubby said, trying to change the subject and stifle his laughter at the same time.

"No. Mama pooped!" Jonathan shouted again, leaving Hubby on the couch and me in the floor, laughing, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

(I told this story at work the other day. At work. What.the.heck was I thinking? Seriously. I'm a moron. I bet I walked away and those two women were like: "Can you believe she just told us a poop story? Gross.")

Island "Tones"

(Vacationing Editor's Note: John, Sprite, and I are on vacation! We've sprung the kid from pre-school prison for the week and are just enjoying ourselves as a family. A few daytrips are scheduled, but so is an awful lot of free time to just go with the flow, waste time wisely, and maybe teach Sprite basket weaving. Kids like to work with their hands, right?
Anyway, I've asked a few bloggers to pinch hit for me during this week until Friday when I return with the Spin Cycle. The first person I asked was Maureen from IslandRoar. I can't say she's really new to blogging, since the typical blog's lifespan is mere months, so she's positively geriatric at this point, but she's a great writer. I noticed early on that she has a way with stories and tones which kept drawing me back to her pages. Funny how her tone carries into this post as well. If you're not following IslandRoar, you should make it a point to head over after this post and get reading. The best couple of hours you can spend.) 

(I'm not sure she wanted me to include the following italics, but she called my blog sacred. Dude, that is SO cool! Although saying "dude" and "sacred" in the same thought may negate the very essence of "sacred", but that's another post in itself.)

Thank you Jen, for trusting me with your sacred blogging space. I hope you're enjoying your time with Sprite and John, and that you'll come back with plenty of great stories for our entertainment pleasure.

 

With two of my three kids away at college, I have to say I am really not digging this one-child household.

Daughter #2, if you're reading this, don't go getting all crazy on me. You're great, everything a mother could possibly wish for in a daughter…and more (Too much? Maybe I should've stopped at "great?" Sorry).

There's nothing wrong with having one child. Plenty of people do and they're perfectly fine. Happy even.

But I'm just not used to it. And it's HARD. There's no padding.

With several kids around, if one child is in a bad mood, or biting my head off, or sulking or whining, there's still someone else around to talk to, someone that may actually ask me something about my day once in a great while.

I used to think that's what husbands were for. But that turned out to be a load of bunk.

I'm not looking for much here, people. An occasional smile? A reply to a question that doesn't include The Tone?

Yeah, The Tone.  You know what I’m talking about. Because if you don't live with adolescents, you surely were one once upon a time.

I mean, I know The Tone is to adolescents as naps are to toddlers. But when there's more than one kid around, rarely if ever, do two of them cop an attitude and hit me with The Tone at the same time.

I'm not sure why this is. Maybe one of them feels sorry for me and backs down? Or maybe there's some unspoken rule like: Thou shalt not be bitchier than thy sister. Or: Thou shalt take turns being bitchy.

I don't know; if there's an actual manual, they sure as hell make sure I don't see it.

Anyway, with only one 15 year-old at home, I seem to be getting The Tone 23/7.

It can't all be me. I mean, seriously, everything I say can't be stupid, embarrassing, or inflammatory, can it?

Wait, maybe you shouldn't answer that. Maybe I can't handle the truth. I'm very sensitive these days.

Who knew having more kids around was actually a buffer for my fragile ego?

I obviously need a life...

Spin Cycle: Resolving to Resolve, Can you do that???

What a way to start the New Year off, with a resolution Spin before 2009 is even over!

Kendra over at Life In the Slow Lane

Kate over at Recommended Daily Dose -Updated Monday!

Margaret over at Facts From a Fact Woman with her thoughts on A Nut In a Nutshell -Updated Tuesday! A Secret Santa Spin! I resolve to link up Spinners more responsibly!

Bessie Viola over at bessie viola -Updated Tuesday!

Jan over at Jan's Sushi Bar -Updated Wednesday!

Lisa over at Boondock Ramblings -Updated Thursday!

Stacy over at Stacy's Random Thoughts -Updated Thursday!

Laufa over at Morgan Madness -Updated Thursday!

Pseudo over at Pseudonymous High School Teacher -Updated Thursday!

Jenni over at Oscarelli -Updated Thursday!

Patty over at Pancakes Gone Awry -Updated Thursday!

Christopher over at Ca-Joh -Updated Thursday!

Vandy over at The Testosterone Three and Me -Updated Thursday!

Gretchen over at Second Blooming -Updated Thursday!

Rikki over at Cowgirls Like Us -Updated Thursday!

What are you resolving to start, stop, continue, wean off from resolve?

Spin it up and get that New Year's wish started right!

Secret Santa Cycle: I may end up on the Naughty list for stealing, but it's worth it.

I have a confession to make.

All of the participating Spinners had many different blogs on their lists which I had never seen before, however two of the picks I am very familiar with and would not hand out their names as Secret Santa choices.

I wanted them for my own. But my reasons are valid! To me, at least.

This time last year, when the Spin Cycle first ran the Secret Santa posts, I was introduced to two bloggers who quickly climbed my favorites list. They're such constants on my must check schedule, I honestly can't remember when they weren't on my blogging radar.

Pseudonymous High School Teacher actually joined the Spin Cycle to give props to another blogger, going by the handle Phhhst, which is in her URL, but she penned the nickname Pseudo which caught on immediately. When I checked out some of her other posts, I was amazed by first of all, the bravery in which she faced one of the toughest battles women can face, and then the eloquence by which she lives her life today.

Being a teacher, she is exposed to comedy on a daily basis.

Of course, sometimes her comedy comes from something as innocent as a nature walk.

Living in Hawaii, she also exposed to some of the most natural beauty in the world. (My opinion may be biased, but I have been to Hawaii twice and can confirm some of the splendor, at least in Oahu.) This led to her hosting a forum called Travel Tip Thursday, one I've participated in, even if my travel tips extended only to not flashing the turtles. (I was on vacation. It totally counts.)

Pseudo has an air of magic about her. No matter the subject, you always leave Pseudo's site feeling like you've received a hug. There's not many blogs who can obtain that stature, but Pseudo makes it look all too easy.

I met Jan at Jan's Sushi Bar thanks to Jeff of Good Father. Jeff hasn't posted in ages, but when he did, he was a regular on the Spin Cycle. I actually remember him sending me his list for the Secret Santa Spin Cycle and Jan's Sushi Bar popped out at me immediately. I sent her name back as the pick and I am so glad I did. Within a few days of combing through her archives, I actively began stalking her.

Did you know she's an accomplished cook? Did SHE know? She's so modest about her skills, but even her pork dishes make me reconsider my Kosher-style convictions. (Warning, when checking out her recipes, take special note at how many servings her recipes yield. One of my favorite things about her.)

She's also a budding photograper. Who seems bent on her workplace restroom.

And a new grandmother. (You KNOW that little boy is getting spoiled right this minute.)

But one of my favorite pieces of hers? (Which changes all the time since she is too freaking witty for her own good.) The one about her neighbors The Doormats. I think every block has one. And every time my across the street "neighbors" (quoted because they just seem to need air quotes when I mention them) do something slightly left of center, her post is right back in the forefront of my mind.

It's no wonder she posts so many recipes, she's a woman full of flavor. It must come naturally.

So, let me apologize yet again for stealing two names I am well aware you all know and love and throwing some of my own love at them. I hope you forgive me, and if you're one of the few who's never heard of either of them before, consider this my Christmas gift to you and click the links. These two gifts will keep on giving the entire year through.

I hope you're all having a happy holiday!

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The Secret Santas have been handing out their gifts and revealing their true identities!

Pseudo over at Pseudonymous High School Teacher with her thoughts on What I Should Have Said

Kate over at Recommended Daily Dose with her thoughts on Symphonic Discord 

Maureen over at IslandRoar with her thoughts on The South Dakota Cowgirl 

Lisa over at Boondock Ramblings with her thoughts on O' Mighty Crisis 

Mama Badger over at Out of the Boondocks and Into the Burbs... with her thoughts on Outnumbered Two To One 

Jessica over at Bern This with her thoughts on IslandRoar 

Stacy over at Stacy's Random Thoughts with her thoughts on Grand Pooba 

Keely over at The Un Mom with her thoughts on Tiptoeing Through The Tulips 

Stacy over at True Blue Texan with her thoughts on Zen, Texas 

Andrea over at Gathering Dust with her thoughts on Already Pretty -Updated today! Ho Ho Ho!

Michele over at It's A Dog's Life with her thoughts on Sprite's Keeper (I know I never call favorites on Spins, but can I?)

Mrs. Bear over at Outnumbered Two To One with her throughts on Pancakes Gone Awry -Updated Saturday! Fresh Spin!

The above list is nothing but nice!

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Next week's Spin Assignment: Resolutions

Sure, we did this last year, but everyone needs to freshen up their lists for 2010! What would you like to change? Do better? Do less of? Maybe you're perfect and don't need to change anything. Maybe your resolution involves a grander scheme of making the world a better place.

Spin it up and make it count! It's not like resolutions were made to be broken, right?

Just have it in by Friday, January 1st to get a head start on your New Year's plans!

A Clorox Christmas Carol

Twas the day before Christmas Eve and all though the land,

People were shopping, green money in hand.

Except for the Keepers, their shopping was done,

And they had turned their attention to some baking fun.

Sprite needed some cookies to please Santa Claus,

Made with loving design by her own dirty paws.

A sleeve of cookie dough was all it would take,

Besides, Jen figured, how much mess could they make?

With three kids in the kitchen, chaos could reign,

But only one child? Her doubts were surely in vain.

Jen decided it was time to get out the sprinkles,

And set Sprite to work smoothing out doughy wrinkles.

The oven was set to 350 with care,

With thoughts of the cookies which would be baking there.

Jen turned her attention to other items at hand,

Since Sprite was quietly plying the Pillsbury brand.

She switched out the laundry, put items away,

And set out Sprite's clothes for the next day.

When..

From out of the kitchen, arose such a holler,

Jen came running to gawk at the scene of the squallor.

In the middle of it all, Sprite could only stare,

At the sprinkles, the sprinkles! They were EVERYWHERE.

For nowhere she looked was a surface clean and bright,

She knew she was in for a scrubbing that night.

She enlisted John's help to secure Sprite in her bed,

From her computer she turned to clean the kitchen instead.

With Clorox in hand and her plans for sleep delayed,

Jen's thought was that next year, they'd get their cookies pre-made.

So my Christmas wish to you before I stop my bitchin',

Is keep Clorox nearby, and kids out of the kitchen.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

What's wrong with Paramus, NJ?

Utah also?

Don't Paramus and Utah residents need crafts too? Jeez, Michaels, way to exclude people!

The way they're going, I'm going to have to start importing my puffy paints from Canada..
 

RTT: Happy Ho-Ho-Ho to you!

Would you believe I actually wrote an RTT on Sunday evening and I guess I didn't save it so now I have nothing to show for that missing post except for this explanation? No? Man, it's gonna take a Christmas miracle to make this happen..

Does it count against me if I'm Jewish?

Okay, so yesterday, I told you all about Sprite's Santa list and how I was going to move mountains to make her Christmas dreams come true and make the fat man look good. Well, that actually happened in the frozen food section of Walmart right before Thanksgiving. I know that in the bloggy world, if you post it, it might as well have just happened because most people will interpret it that way, but I did write it up back on November 24th and life got in the way, so going through my archives, I spotted it and thought "How perfect! An already made post just in time for the Yuletide!" (Which, coincidentally, has nothing to do with high or low tide. But you probably knew that. Please remember, I grew up getting yelled at by teachers and friends alike for killing their Christmas spirits with the words "Santa's not real." Nothing I say in this post should be held against me. In fact, let's pretend I'm drunk.) So I linked it up. No big deal, right?

Well, I actually got the items on her coveted list during the Black Friday madness, which was in itself perfect timing since Buzz Lightyear and Woody were 50% off. Score! Since John had Sprite for the day with his mother, I was free to pick up the items (and maybe parade them around the store in a victory dance, but other shoppers were doing it so I thought it was to secure the discount, so I was covering my bases. That's MY story at least..) and get them wrapped in special Santa wrapping paper. (Another Christmas tradition I didn't know existed until a reader pointed it out to me and I thought, Crap! I need a separate ream of wrapping paper since the kid is too young to buy that Santa had run out of tinsel and needed to borrow from Mommy's stash.) (Seriously, these holiday standards are tricky.)

Wow, really off tangent here, but it's Tuesday. It's not supposed to make sense. Until it does. (That didn't make much sense, did it?) (Lay off the coffee, Jen.) Okay, where was I?

Yes, I just went back to see where I dropped the ball. (Sometimes, my mind needs a referee, especially when someone throws a flag..)

Okay, so, while I was out making retailers very happy, John and his mother decided to brave the Friday Fallout and took Sprite for a little retail therapy themselves. While at whatever store they were at, he picked up a few items that were seriously discounted down (and mowed down if my memory of Black Fridays past serves me right) for Sprite to play with, including a little Woody figurine.

I didn't find out about it until that afternoon when he and Sprite came to pick me up from my afternoon siesta for dinner at his parents'. I noticed the remains of the package while I was buckling Sprite into her seat.

"John, did you buy her a Woody doll?"

"It's a small one," he answered. "It was only a dollar, she wanted it, I wanted to make her happy."

I leaned away from Sprite so only John, and my father who was standing by, could hear me. "I already got her the Woody doll this morning. Why did you buy her one?"

"Jen, it's not the same thing."

"But she just got a two inch Woody and now there's a 20 inch Woody all wrapped up for the tree-"

My dad's laughter stopped me in my parental crusade and I realized the track my point was speeding down. John quickly caught on and joined in with Dad's chortles and I gave up the fight.

Sometimes, I have to wonder if men ever grow out of their childish humor.

And I KNOW those Disney/Pixar people HAD to see this kind of verbal confusion coming when they named a character Woody. They were probably men too..

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"Ah do believe I have the vay-pahs... "

The kid knows how to work the sick look. 

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A few weeks ago, we stopped by Dunkin Donuts for some coffee to sustain us through a long drive to see the family. While John ordered, I perused the seasonal offerings and my sharp intake of breath stopped John mid-sentence.

"What's wrong?"

I gaped. "They have a chocolate mint donut!"

You don't understand. In the world of sweets, there is a hierarchy to me. 3rd- chocolate. 2nd- caramel. 1st- mint. Now, in the rare times that you combine mint or caramel with chocolate (but not mint with caramel, I have tried to mix them up and they war too much with each other), I can't be trusted with important information when promised a taste in exchange for everything I know. Your secrets are basically screwed.

Okay, back to the story:

"Do you want one? It's cheat day," John offered. 

"No, not this time. I didn't plan for it. But I'm coming back for it. Oh, yes. I am."

I came back for it.

 

(If it's black and white, it's better for you, right? I've always thought color was more caloric..)

 

Okay, fine. Here's the full fat version. I was extra good for the entire week, forgoing little gingerbread men baked from scratch and offers of homemade fudge. For this one donut.

 

It was worth it. 

Looking at these pictures, this little point and shoot camera of mine did pretty well capturing the textures. 

Hell, it even managed to capture the two sources of my happiness:

 

This shot will keep me smiling for months. 

You know who else makes me smile? You! And Keely, of course. So go visit her and don't forget the eggnog! Alcohol content is a plus over at The Un Mom!
 
Oh, and happy 10th birthday to my nephew Bryan! Welcome to the double digits, little dude!
 
 
 

Secret Santa Cycle: Better than hot cocoa!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! (At least, Spinning wise..)

And it all begins with:

Pseudo over at Pseudonymous High School Teacher with her thoughts on What I Should Have Said

Kate over at Recommended Daily Dose with her thoughts on Symphonic Discord -Updated Tuesday!

Maureen over at IslandRoar with her thoughts on The South Dakota Cowgirl -Updated Wednesday!

Lisa over at Boondock Ramblings with her thoughts on O' Mighty Crisis -Updated Wednesday!

Mama Badger over at Out of the Boondocks and Into the Burbs... with her thoughts on Outnumbered Two To One -Updated Wednesday!

Jessica over at Bern This with her thoughts on IslandRoar -Updated Thursday!

Stacy over at Stacy's Random Thoughts with her thoughts on Grand Pooba -Updated Thursday!

Keely over at The Un Mom with her thoughts on Tiptoeing Through The Tulips -Updated Thursday!

Stacy over at True Blue Texan with her thoughts on Zen, Texas -Updated Thursday!

Don't forget! If you want to get in on the game, you have until December 23 to email me at spriteskeeper[at]live[dot]com with your list of 5 favorite blogs you love to stalk. I'll email you back with your pick and Spin up a lovely gift of flattery for that blogger!

And it's completely fat free! Show me a fruitcake who can lay claim to that...