Imperio Cake

The Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet was held on Friday. There was a Harry Potter theme and all the boys were asked to make a cake for a contest.

This is a picture of Robert serving his Imperio Cake: two layers of rich, dense chocolate cake (from scratch!) sandwiching a layer of strawberry sauce, then covered in a vanilla buttercream frosting (also from scratch!). He piped frosting on the top to look like a wand issuing a spell, "Imperio!" and then underneath it read "I win".

Get it? Simple and deliciously nerdy. And truly delicious if you actually chose to taste his cake out of the many beautiful and creative options. He did a great job on it!

Robert's unforgiveable curse was entirely unecessary, however, since every entry won the contest :) and I don't think the judges understood Robert's joke. They gave him "A Witch Delight" award. He looked as confused as you do now, but was happy all the same.

Spine Top

James recently had a birthday, as you know, and received some birthday money. The first part of it, he spent at the school book fair on a book about the most dangerous snakes in the world (complete with snake charm on a leather cord). He was very, very happy about that. The rest of the money, he spent on this little beauty:

Yes, that is a real live 16-inch cactus with 2-inch spines. Hence his name, Spine Top. How does a 6-year-old decide he wants a cactus for his birthday? Well, this is James. He accompanied Bobby on a trip to Home Depot on Saturday for grass seed and fell in love with the cactus. So pointy! Bobby, having seen many a toy strike a kid's fancy and then fade away within moments, thankfully, did not allow James to buy it right then. He said he would bring James back to buy it on Monday if he still wanted it.

James did not forget.

It turns out he sees great potential in this plant as a weapon. He has visions of whacking bad guys with it. And chasing his brother with it. But mostly we're all just afraid of it, James included, and we have no idea how to take care of it.

What does the future hold for Spine Top? I'm hoping Bobby held on to the receipt...but then, I'm thrilled James didn't spend that money on candy.

Hm.

Losing Teeth

Last Saturday, I looked at my calendar and noticed that Alice's double extraction was coming up. We hadn't discussed coping strategies. We hadn't talked about it at ALL for the last two months. I got an enormous knot in my stomach...advanced notice for Alice hasn't always helped in the past...I had no idea how a surprise visit to the dentist would go, either. I waffled back and forth: do I tell her now so she has a chance to fast and pray about it, maybe talk out some coping strategies, and literally freak herself out for 48 hours? Do I just wait and see?
I got the idea (an impression?) that I should revisit the topic with her like this, "Hey Alice, remember those baby teeth you'll need to get taken out? We never really talked about how much notice you would want before the appointment. What do you think? Three weeks? Or maybe I just show up at school one day and say "Today's the day!"?"

She didn't respond with fear or avoidance. She actually liked the "surprise" idea.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief. No more guilt.

Fast forward 24 hours and Alice is struggling to choose between 1) continuing her fast for the last 2 hours or 2) immediately consuming the two packets of candy her Primary leaders gave her for taking notes during Conference last week. (Never mind that the leaders shouldn't have been giving out food on a Fast Sunday *sigh* Yes, I am also to blame, now that I'm one of those leaders. I just wasn't paying enough attention at our last meeting). I told her that this was her fast and she could decide which was more important to her. She tore off to her room. I never heard another word, nor learned the outcome of her choice.

The next morning, only hours before I would surprise her at school and whisk her away to get some teeth pulled, she asked me a strange question:

"So, Mom, on this random day sometime when we go to the dentist, will I go back to school or just come home afterwards? Like, do I have to take my flute to school?

There was a little knowing smile on her lips that made me awfully suspicious. She knew something.

A little questioning later, and it turns out she already knew her appointment was on Oct 15th. She had known it for WEEKS! She had overheard me talking to Bobby or something. She thought I wanted to keep it a secret, so she played along with my nonchalant questioning earlier in that weekend.

And (here's the kicker) her fasting and prayers the day before had been asking for peace and comfort so she wouldn't be scared of the extraction. When she was sorely wanting to break her fast for that candy, she tore off to her room. Not in a huff, but to pray. She tells me that she prayed about what she should do and she suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. She didn't eat the candy. She completed her fast as planned. Cheerfully. And she wasn't scared anymore.

I. was. floored.

Speechless.

She did WHAT?! Holy cow! Totally on her own. Before it even occurred to me to suggest it to her. This girl. I have significantly underestimated her.

Anyway, once we all knew we all knew, she was relaxed and excited about swapping PE for ice cream and binge watching The Great British Bake Off.

She only started to panic when we stepped into the room with the dentist chair. They explained everything to her. Every step. Answered her questions (how do you actually pull the tooth out? will the numbing shot hurt?). Then they started the nitrous oxide. She asked me to hold her hand.

Minutes later, they told her the first tooth was out and she was shocked!

She felt a little goofy with the gas ("it makes everything feel pretend") and giddy that it didn't hurt and that it was all over. She wanted to know what she looked like. I snapped this picture (and share it with her permission):

The numbness was all new to her. And hilarious to her. She couldn't stop touching her top lip. She couldn't eat the popsicle they gave her. She couldn't say "my face is floppy"...it came out like "phy vase is phvlovvy" then she burst out laughing.

Here is her new smile (long after the Novocaine wore off), and the purple treasure chest containing her newly-pulled baby teeth.

What a girl.

What. a. girl.

Accidental picture

Don't know how it happened so beautifully, but I snapped this shot with my phone while waiting for James and Robert to get out of school. It's my new favorite:

He's lying on my shins.

These are pretty awesome, too...

Trying to hide from the camera.

Our tower fell over.

 

Writing sample

Here is something James wrote for Matthew last night:


Translation:
Matthew
Snorkel and flippers
and James
is really friendly for
friendly for giving you
snorkel time

He said he wrote it to remind Matthew that he (James) would loan him his snorkel gear when we go swimming on Saturday...like this piece of paper was evidence of his promise, and proof of his kindly big brotherlyness. He was so happy he could make things like this.

Opening Presents

This is a video of him opening his presents that Susan didn't have yet.

James is 6!

We celebrated James' 6th birthday with all the attention and fanfare a 6-year-old could handle:

--cinnamon roll breakfast with presents
--Bobby and I coming to school to have lunch with him
--a friend coming over to play in the afternoon
--pizza dinner and family party
--playing One Night Ultimate Werewolf
--staying up past bedtime chatting with Erin
--looking at pictures of him as a baby/toddler
--promise of a family swim outing this weekend to try out his new snorkeling gear

James fulfilled his homework assignment entirely on his own tonight ("Draw a picture of something that starts with "M" and write its name) and was SO SO proud of himself. Erin gave him an art kit that snaps up into a handy wooden carrying case. James took it into his bedroom at bedtime and has since been drawing and writing and writing some more. It's like a switch flipped in his head and now "I'm a kid who writes stuff!"

He even read a story to Erin.

He's feeling so big and getting lots of attention from family members for his new skills. All good things.

At the same time, he gravely requested no friend party this year (it wasn't the year for it anyway, but he wanted to make sure I didn't surprise him with one). And he didn't want the kids at school to sing to him. So they didn't. He wants attention very much in some ways and not at all in others. I haven't quite figured him out. Neither has his fantastic kindergarten teacher :)

James is truly his own person. He is strong and clever and deeply motivated by his own priorities. A powerful force in this family. The most generous and thoughtful friend when he deems you worthy.

I love, love, love this crazy boy.