Round Here

As usual, there are many exciting things going on at our house. To battle the bulge that comes with leftover birthday cake, I've come up with a new exercise plan. The one requirement is that you have access to kids and their stuff. You could borrow someone else's, I suppose, but no need for that here. I have my own supply. Jillian and her 30 Day Shred have nothing on my crunches with a toddler on your abdomen, my cardio routine on the kids' mini-trampoline, or my stretches while balancing against a Cozy Coupe. I'm gonna make millions. I can feel it.

When I'm not getting shredded, I'm baking things to get unshredded. My homemade hamburger buns were a bit of a flop, but we ate them anyway. At the end of many days, I'm ready to throw in the towel, stock up on Tombstone pizza, and call it a day. But then I get up again and have just enough energy to bake, roast, and stir for another three meals. Pretty soon I'll be ready to present my complete healthy lifestyle regimen...NOT! Did I mention the birthday cake?

Being the well-rounded people we are, Maddie has taken up horse riding lessons. Actually, she received three lessons as a Christmas gift and we're just now getting around to scheduling them. She loved, loved, LOVED it. And I loved watching her. Don't get me wrong. Having to sign my child's life away and stand next to the big sign where they claim no liability in the event of her injury or death wasn't so fun. But seeing her sit up so straight and pretty on top of a giant of a horse and watching her quiet confidence was special. When we left, she quietly asked, "Do you have to pay to go there?" When I answered, "Yes," her soft "Oh" made me a little sad. But she didn't complain...just enjoyed every second.

I must mention that, while I was enjoying seeing my little girl do a very big girl thing, my life was in jeopardy. I was left alone with a demon-possessed cat who would not even let me sit in a chair. I'm not kidding. Everywhere I went and tried to get comfortable, that cat would leap at me, chase me off, and take possession of that spot. Chair. Mini-fridge I tried to lean on. Papers that I had to write on. The cat was after me. He'd give me this evil death stare and make a very unfriendly sound which I'm pretty sure meant, "Back off, sister. This place is mine." So, like any brave, much-larger human, I stood in the back of the room and watched Maddie out the window. I've never like cats, but now the deal is sealed.

Just in case I haven't impressed you yet with all the productivity and excitement around here, let me leave you with the latest music video we've produced. Jack-of-all-trades is the phrase you're looking for. If you're wondering if an iPad would be a worthwhile investment (not that we bought the one in our possession), just take a look at what you can do with it. This will certainly lay all your reservations to rest.