THREE

Lu is three today. We had a little party Saturday with family and friends. Lu was kind of a pill. She took gifts at the door with little acknowledgement. She gave sullen, prompted thank-yous after opening them.

This picture sums it up.

At her explicit request, I made chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting and "sparkles." These made a her a little happy.

She also received a glorious fairy costume, among many other (for the moment) unappreciated gifts. The minute she realized what it was, she started taking off her clothes to put it on.

I worried so much over her ungracious behavior, but it turns out she is sick. She has a little viral something — not the end of the world, but enough to ruin a birthday.

A birthday. A third birthday. Three years with the most hilarious, insightful, direct, friendly, curious and amused-by-fart-jokes person I know (with stiff competition from her father).

Go Fly a Kite

Sunday, we went to the kite festival at Zilker Park. There is such romance to kites -- just nylon, string, imagination and wind. Lu seemed to like them, but she liked her snowcone more. I might have liked the kettle corn more myself. There is also romance in snowcones and kettle corn.

She looked at kites.

She bounced in the inflatable thing.

She met some dude wearing a grocery bag.

She got tired and we had to go home.

Love is...a Whole Wheat Pancake

I asked Lu's teacher if I could bring anything special for their Valentine's Day snack and she said to bring something healthy, instead of something sweet, and "not muffins, because they don't like them, they just smash them up." (Note: last week, I brought healthy muffins Lu and I made together.)

Last night, I spent a couple of hours making whole wheat blueberry pancakes, sweetened with honey, made in the shape of HEARTS, enriched with wheat germ and LOVE. I brought them to her classroom and set them on the table with all the other snacks: a ****ing chocolate cake, muffins and cookies. What chance does a whole wheat pancake stand against such sexy snacks?

Next time, for a special treat, I am bringing candy laced with cocaine. I bet they won't be smashing that s**t up.

An Offer I Couldn't Refuse

I have been in Chicago since Tuesday night at the Retail Advertising Conference, shut in this giant Hilton with a bunch of people who kind of scare me. Sort of like "The Shining," only with advertising people instead of ghosts. It is so cold here that last night, there was frost on the inside (yes, inside) of the windows of our cab.

I am really missing Lucy. Tuesday morning, I was packing, getting the house ready for the carpet guys and generally doing the manic thing I do before I go out of town ("Where are the tights I bought?" "Are they in your suitcase?" "NO, they were right here." After 15 minutes of frantic searching, I find them. In my suitcase.)

As I ran around, she and Jason were in bed watching Sesame Street. She said, "Mom, come snuggle in bed with us." I really did not have time. I was missing a shoe. The carpet guys would be there any minute. I had two of Seth Godin's books to read before 4:15 the next day.

I got in bed with them anyway.