What's keeping me away

I'm still in vacation mode which equals no interest in blogging. But I fear that you, my readers, are dropping off like flies. It's not that I don't have anything to write about, it's just that I don't feel like writing anything. The weather, while sketchy, still drives me outside to the garden, to the playground, just to sitting on the deck. In the evening, I'm knitting or sewing.

Sewing. It's been a long, long time since my poor sewing machine has seen any significant action. It's been even longer for the serger. But yesterday I got that poor beast humming again. Emily's birthday party is fast approaching, August 9, which means I'm already slightly stressed about it. This is Emily's first real birthday party, which means me against a bunch of preschoolers.

Her party is a cooking party. I settled on this theme for her because, as you all know, Emily loves cooking and baking. So, here are my plans: first, we're going to make the pizza dough that will become our lunch. I had always planned to do the dough myself before hand (and I will have some extra on hand in case the kid-made stuff fails) but then after reading through Shan's WCW post this week, I decided to have the kids do the work. After the pizza dough making, we're going to head outside for a little Just Like Mom action. For those of you unlucky enough not to have grown up in Hamilton, Toronto or the Niagara Region, Just Like Mom was a CTV game show based on the Newlywed Game where moms had to guess their kids' answers to questions. The last segment of the show, The Bake Off, saw the kids making cookies. The moms had to taste them and guess which one belonged to their kid. Typical ingredients included ketchup and relish. I just happened to find a clip of The Bake Off on Youtube. It is definitely worth watching.

We're going to do our own cookie Just Like Mom game show. Each kid will have their own station and have to mix up their dough. Then we'll bake them and all get a taste test. Prizes will be for best cookie, yuckiest cookie, funniest, prettiest, I still have to work out the different prize categories. Oh, better put prizes on my "to do" list.

After that we're going to make home-made pasta and the kids will take home some as their craft. After that it is make your own pizza, bake them, eat cake,which I plan to decorate like a sushi roll given that Emily has a fondness for sushi. Here is my inspiration:



then open presents and send them home. At the beginning of all of this they'll get an apron (which is the sewing I'm doing right now) to wear through the party and take home with them. So far I'm really happy with how the aprons are coming. I'll post a photo, and likely offer them on my Etsy site, when I have one done.

I know, it all sounds a little ambitious but I think it will all be okay. There will be a lot of stuff to do before hand and I really have to get on getting some of that organized - lists and such need to be made. Most of the party will be outside so the mess will be hose-able. I sure hope the weather cooperates or I will be so screwed. We would manage, but the house might not fair so well.

And so, that is what is keeping me occupied at the moment. Yes, I realize I've barely talked about our three weeks at the cottage (which were awesome) and the old sermon. I'll get to it.

Eventually.