hammer time

"Can't touch this!"

The USAF really needs to re-design the official PT uniform.

2011 list of banished words and phrases

The 2011 Lake Superior State University list of banished words and phrases is out. I'm guilty of using, "I'm just sayin'..." I guess I'll have to banish it from my vocabulary...

we're growing a TARDIS

DSC00905, originally uploaded by BikeBookBread.

I'm crocheting a little TARDIS for a BBCAmerica contest. i'm hoping that she is full-grown soon, because we will want to take her out for a spin. Perhaps she could visit Mt. Vernon or the Washington Memorial, or perhaps the White House.

it's a pillow, it's a pet, it's a pillow pet!

DSC00885, originally uploaded by BikeBookBread.

I've been hearing the girls sing this song for oh, about 9 months now. Little Ladybug Lady got TWO of them as gifts at her birthday party with her little friends on Saturday. She's in ladybug heaven!

the news out of Tucson...

We moved to Where George Walked from Tucson, AZ (aka Almost Mexico), where we lived for three years, this summer. I'm so incredibly saddened by the events of yesterday.

Please keep Congresswoman Giffords in your prayers. It sounds like her recovery is going to be slow and hard. Also pray for the victims who are still being treated for their serious wounds. Keep the families of those who were killed in your prayers.

We also need to pray for this man who has committed these horrible acts. Pray that his heart would be repentant, and that justice would be done.

huzzah!

DSC00840, originally uploaded by BikeBookBread.

I have always struggled with making birthday cakes look...acceptable. I was at Michael's this week getting some supplies for Little Ladybug Girl's birthday party later today, and came across Duff Goldman's new line of cake decorating supplies. I saw his pre-made fondant, and thought, why not? It had to taste better than WIlton fondant, and I'm used to rolling stuff with all of the bread baking that I do. Surely it had to be easier than piping frosting.

I'm a convert! I don't know that I'll ever pipe frosting again! I'm NOT bragging, I'm just extolling the virtues of this stuff! Now I will try and find a homemade fondant recipe, though Duff's stuff tastes really good. It's just pricey. So, see for yourself:

where's the TARDIS?

Fellow Whovians, check out this BBCAmerica contest. I don't have a Facebook account anymore, so I can't enter the girls' Lego projects or my really sad Bad Wolf cake, but if you are so inclined to enter...

Anyway, check out the entries. There are some that are really, really fun and amazing! But this one is my favorite! Mr. BikeMan? Can I amend my Birthday Wish from an iPad to a Mini Cooper TARDIS? (I think it's just a piece of paper and some stickers...maybe Mr. BikeMan would be willing to turn the Subaru wagon into my own personal TARDIS...)

happy 5th birthday, little ladybug girl!

My baby is 5 today! She's an inquisitive, excitable, active, wonderful 5 year old, and we are very happy and thankful she is part of our family!

Five years ago today...Mr. BikeMan was preparing to deploy just two days after our Little Ladybug Lady was born.

Ilsa woke Mr. BikeMan and me up around 6:30 this morning, ready for her special day to start.

Yes, Ingrid is as moody today as she looks in this picture. She's having a hard time yielding the spotlight to the birthday girl.

Ilsa got her wish of a new dollhouse for her birthday, and a Baby Stella baby basket for her favorite dolly.

Ingrid found every ladybug item that Ilsa owns, and created a ladybug display to help her celebrate her birthday.

a nice quiet week

So, here it is 7:45 am on the Tuesday morning after Christmas. The girls are sitting on the couch eating dry cereal and watching a DVD (it's Christmas break after all -- a time to let the rules sort of lax, huh?). I'm drinking coffee out of my new stainless coffee tumbler (green of course) from Mr. BikeMan. It was definitely time to replace the old, trusty one. The bottom fell off last month. It almost matches my green new iPod Nano. I've finally entered the 21st century and have an mp3 player! It made standing for 4 hours cooking Christmas dinner go by a lot faster.

The hits this year were Ilsa's space pop up book, the "Rainbow in Your Room" rainbow projector and one of those big pillows with arms on them that allow you to sit up and read in bed. Ingrid seems to be most fond of her Doctor Who Visual Dictionary, a fashion design template kit and mermaid-ponies castle (don't ask...it's ridiculous).

The big, threatening snowstorm that was supposed to immobilize the Greater Washington DC area on Christmas night never hit. We got a dusting that looked like powdered sugar on a pastry, which was really, really pretty, but that's all. I love snow, but after seeing what has happened to the upper East, I'm thankful that we didn't get the slamming that was predicted.

Next comes Ilsa's birthday on Thursday. Wow, she's going to be five. Can't believe it. I think I'm more excited to give her her gift than she will be to get it (well, I hope not, but I'm just so excited about it -- but I have to assemble it tonight. (Shhhhh. Don't tell her. It's a dollhouse.)

Hope all is well in your homes, and just as uneventful and pleasant as it is here in my home.

not that i'm waiting for it or anything...

Update:

It was almost brilliant. Really, really fun, but not my favorite Christmas episode. That distinction goes to The Christmas Invasion.