Harper's 1st Birthday Cake

Harper is fond of baby Goldfish crackers (what baby isn’t?) so I made him a Goldfish cake for his first birthday party a couple of weeks ago.

I get up everyday and think, “This could be the day. Right now? No baby. This evening? Baby. Baby off… Baby on… Baby off… Baby on.”

I’m sure the waiting has something to do with the twitch I’ve recently developed in my left eye. It’s either that or I’ve been drinking Mad Dog 20/20 and I know it’s been 12 years or more since that happened.

And so every awkward pain Alisa has makes me jump. I’m sure she’s tired of me asking if she’s OK every time she has indigestion.

She looks fantastic too and not in a “that’s what you say on the Innanet to make your very pregnant wife still feel attractive” way. I mean, she looks great and not the slightest bit train-wreckish. Looked great before, looks great now but with bump in front.

I’ve been telling Alisa for the past few months that she’s a pro at this. Other than a few aches and pains, and ignoring the bump in front for the point I’m making, you wouldn’t even know she was pregnant. I’ve been telling her, “You should be pregnant more often. You wear it well.” Then she tells me, “You must be high.” I suppose her ease of pregnancy is more an outward perception than her inner feeling.

Any moment now, baby. Whenever you’re ready.

Justin Roberts is, in our opinion, far and away the best kids act around. No hushed voices and baby sleepytime lyrics. Alisa and I find ourselves listening and singing along to his music when the kids aren’t even around. I mean, take a listen to a song like Day Camp and if you tell me it doesn’t rock then I don’t want to know you, kind sir.

Buy:
Justin Roberts – Buy “Not Naptime” MP3 Album On Amazon
Justin Roberts – Buy “Meltdown” On Amazon
Justin Roberts – Buy “Yellow Bus” On Amazon
Justin Roberts – Buy “Way Out” On Amazon
Justin Roberts – Buy “Not Naptime” On Amazon
Justin Roberts – Buy “Great Big Sun” On Amazon

Her: A fish!
Me: But what kind of fish?
Her: It looks like Rainbow Fish.
Me: Looks like? It is Rainbow Fish!
Her: Yeah, it is Rainbow Fish.

Like it’s something I’ve convinced myself into. If ever there was a Rainbow Fish in cake form, this is it. Come on now.

The problem presented by making a cake in the shape of a fish is where is it appropriate to begin the first cut? The natural place is before the top fin so it kind of looked like I was chopping off Rainbow Fish’s head in front of the children. They didn’t notice but it still felt weird.

At one point, I unknowingly asked if anyone wanted “a piece of tail” and immediately received snickers from the parents. Come on now.

In all honesty, it hasn’t been something I’ve needed to do in a long time. For sure, it’s been a year or more since I’ve felt compelled but Sammy’s recent birth and procedures have me revisiting my old friend.

You know how sometimes you hope upon hope and wish upon wish? Like there’s regular hoping and wishing and then there is hoping upon all hope and wishing upon all wishing?

I do that in a pattern of threes and nines.

It’s a pattern for me. I’ll have a little sentence like, in this case, “Please Sammy do well.” And then, I’ll say it in my head in a pattern that follows what you might think a group of nine traditionally looks like. So, I’ll say it in groups of three and in sets of nine groups of three (for a total of 27). And I’ll do this multiple times throughout the day.

Yeah, I know. Do I really need to tell you what happens if I get interrupted?

I don’t know how or why I started doing this but I’ve always done it when I’ve really, really wanted something. I can go for a year or more with completely forgetting about it and then something will happen that needs the boost.

I’m not much of a spiritual person though I’m sure some would argue that this quirk of mine is some strange way of me praying to some higher power. I guess you could argue that there’s some kind of Zen-like focus and serenity to what it does for me. I haven’t thought much about it. I think it just makes me feel I’ve got power over some things.

All I know is it has been a long time but I’ve been sending my hopes and wishes in groups of three and sets of nine to Sammy, Erika, and Jay.

Please Sammy do well. Please Sammy do well. Please Sammy do well….

you’ll be very happy to know that i have tickets to see peter cetera… he NEVER tours and just happens to be doing like 4 shows this year, of which this is one… i found about it last monday night and the tickets went on sale on tuesday morning – fate i do believe… anyway, since my peter cetera obsession reaches back as far as high school, i figured it only appropriate to let you know… i heart peter cetera…

Ouch.

I can’t talk. Apparently, I’m a Fanilow as Alisa calls my enjoyment of Barry Manilow. I also have a soft spot for all things Dolly Parton.

What’s your I Don’t Care What You Say I Love Them Anyway music obsession?

“Between Oprah and The View, those are the only two good shows on TV.”

Happy Birthday Dad!