Crazy Week

Ethan's Birthday cake from last week - and probably the nicest birthday cake out of my kitchen so far - four layers of grain-free cake, whipped cream with cherries and cherry filling, chocolate ganache icing with toasted almonds....

Wow last week was crazy.  There must be something in the stars.  Weaning babies.  Unweaning babies as Ethan was sent out of town.  Ethan's plane home cancelled, forced to stay at George W. Bush airport overnight and be gone an extra day.  Rare guest from Europe at mom's house.  A huge list of things breaking - including temporary absence of computer monitor.  Mirin and my mom having loud, dramatic fights over the use of his computer monitor (it was her video card that disabled two other monitors).  Phantom ghost-dog that plagued Rose while she was trying to go sleep every night.  Ghost-dog immune to all my efforts to convince him he didn't exist and wanted to leave Rose alone so we could all go to sleep finally.  Flora's calf (of course) being born then - no pictures yet, they are both very elusive - yesterday we couldn't even find him until it was pouring rain and we were leaving.

I'll admit it isn't easy with three children and a farm to take care of on your own.  All the major must-do projects were put on hold, but at least I got the beans planted, and we managed most of our home school lessons.   I finally had to drive the horrible, oversized truck, which was awful.  Mirin mocked my efforts the whole time, which absolves me of any future guilt I might have had at whatever I might say/do when he is learning to drive in a few years.

The cat, of course, always makes sure she is extra annoying when Ethan is out of town.  Perhaps she misses him.  He is usually the one who gets up at 4 am and tosses her out the door because she is mewing obnoxiously in the hall.  I am usually nursing the baby back to sleep then, so it was very inconvenient for everyone that he was gone, and I kept forgetting to keep her outside at night.

There was one time that Ethan was gone for business...it was very late and I was lying half-conscious from a disturbing dream, listening to the reassuring sounds of my children breathing, when I thought I heard the quiet sound of the bedroom door creaking creepily open.  There's no way, I thought to myself stoutly.  I'm just feeling jumpy.  I'm sure I closed and locked it.  Seconds later, an unlikely horror-movie monster clawed its way from under the bed onto my feet.  It was terrifying.  I screamed and fumbled for the light.

It was the horrible cat.  She seemed very pleased at my surprise, and mewed loudly.

Here's a riddle for you - Ethan's already guessed it, but it has so far stumped Mirin and Rose:

Straight and tall I stand

Firmly grounded in the sand

And all around I spread my hands

Each vertebrae of mine

Becomes another of its kind.

Any guesses?  I'll tell you the answer in a few days.