Ursula received the Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker for Christmas. She started asking for it before her birthday (too close to her birthday to get it). I spent 5 months trying to dissuade her, to no avail. I do not buy such things, but Santa likes to make little girls’ dreams come true – so we have one.
A couple of nights ago at dinner, Dan all “Why haven’t you made cupcakes, Ursula?” and I was all murderous glare/”why haven’t you made cupcakes with Ursula, Dan?” then Dan said (IN FRONT OF HER) “Well, why did you buy it if you hate it?” Um, I didn’t? Santa did! That doesn’t mean I was hoping she’d forget it and we’d never use it, but still – not from me.
So, today – my time was up. We used the Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker. I want to say that my expectations were low. VERY VERY low. Except that I think they were (in my mind) so low that I sort of expected to be cheerfully surprised because how could it POSSIBLY be that bad? Betty Crocker Warm Delights danced through my head – it is possible to make a moderately tasty dessert in the microwave. Maybe it would be non-disgusting or moderately fun or SOMETHING. Sadly, it did not disappoint. And by that I mean, it did disappoint. It was so wretchedly horrible that i can’t even describe it.
Taking cupcake baker out of microwave. Mmm – microwaved cupcake….
Look at that delicious cupcake!
Strawberry frosting from a packet – what’s not to love?
This is exactly how it worked on TV, right?
Wow. Just wow.
I think I would have enjoyed setting $20 on fire more than I enjoyed using the cupcake maker. I also think a flaming $20 bill would a) last longer and b) taste better. Of course, it was Santa’s $20, not mine, so I guess I really can’t complain. (Except for the taste – I will complain that I was forced to eat half of that “cupcake”)
I was hoping Ursula would at least recognize it sucked, so I could cheer her up and say it was fun or something. But she remained stoic and pretended it was great. Which makes me sad for her. Unless she actually thought it was great, in which case I am scared for our future.
Yesterday (which will actually be 2 days ago by the time I finish and post this, being as it is 11:59), I left Ursula inside while I got the mail. Which is pretty much like any other day (except for the days when she comes with me. Or is left in the car if we’re just getting home). My new car registration sticker was in the mail, so I took a minute to slap it on. All in all, I am confident I was outside less than 3 minutes.
I come inside. She is sitting at my computer. Watching a YouTube video. About space. There were some planet graphics. And Sally Ride. I am beyond baffled. I mean, I left for a couple minutes and she finds YouTube???? I clicked the back button – apparently, she got there from Google Earth. So I think she clicked the Google Earth button in my toolbar and went from there. I don’t really know.
If someone wants to try to replicate what she did, you will win a prize. Of my respect.
Last night, we were out from 5-8:30. (Feeding the homeless and grabbing dinner; U was a great bread helper). Ursula did not go potty while we were out. Which was fine – it was only a few hours. But we could not wake her up when we got home. So I slipped a pull-up on her – we have a few left. She rarely has accidents: she’s had 2 in the last 8-10+ weeks – once when she was sick and once the night of my brother’s wedding because she was too tired to go potty when we got home. She’s been upset both times, so I thought the pull-up was a good precaution. Wrong. Wrong! WRONG! First of all, the pull-up was dry. Secondly, it was incredibly offensive. Pull-ups are for babies and little girls!!!! Ursula is a *big* girl! She is not a baby or a little girl! She does NOT wear pull-ups!!!! Oh, okay…
In breakfast news, *my* french toast was requested again yesterday. She even told Dan about how I put the syrup inside the french toast. Sounds like she was impressed, right? Nope. The french toast she makes with Daddy is still preferred. Perhaps we need some sort of Top Chef inspired cook-off. Oh wait, if it was like Top Chef the 2nd best food would win. So I guess that wouldn’t bode well for me (yes, I *am* bitter. I love Dale!). There is no french toast today – we are out of eggs. And we are going to stay out of eggs until demands for mid-week french toast taper off a bit.
Hmm – there seems to be some sort of Webkinz revival in the other room. I’m hearing things like “Dear God, I love you. I am a raccoon.” All the Webkinz are in one chair (along with her Petrageous pets). This is especially interesting because to be honest, Ursula’s interest in God is generally slim to non-existent. It was piqued yesterday in a Lola conversation – “why can’t Lola go on our hike with us?” Which involved me going against one of my parenting principles and telling her Lola was watching her from heaven – I usually don’t go there because I think that is creepy for a little kid to hear.
BTW – Grandma was saved from upstairs. Mom and a grandma-watcher helped her down the stairs yesterday morning, then by the time I got her home from her eye doctor appt, the stair chair man was there fixing it. Hooray!
Perhaps you remember our ongoing meat conversations from such posts as Ham: From Pigs and – oh wait – just that once. (I can never do a good Troy McClure)
Tonight, Ursula and I made tacos for dinner. She was convinced she was the best candidate for meat browning, and I was trying to dissuade her. She made some comment about some girl eating animals, or some girl saying she ate animals (and it really was “a girl” – I’m not protecting the name of a specific person).
So then I said “well, we eat animals … where do you think this meat came from”
“From pigs!”
“No. From cows.”
“From cows!”
“Yes. Now, what do you think happens to the cows after we get the meat?”
“They say ‘Welcome, welcome!’ ”
“No. They die. The cows are dead. We are eating dead cows.”
“Oh…. The cows die and we eat them and the cows turn into poopy!” (insert hysterical laughter)
Guess that wasn’t the trauma I’d imagined.
Ursula had a great first day of school yesterday (4th). She’s going Monday – Thursday this year. I know it’s only one more day than last year, but going to school back to back days is new to us. It was a little weird to ship her off today after going yesterday (note: by weird I don’t mean bad – it was *great*!). Her teacher (Ms. Robin) is super nice – we love her! There is a new girl starting today so her class is now 4 boys and 3 girls.
Here are a few pics, snapped at my parents’ house, since that’s where we are staying til Mom gets back from Italy…
Her dress isn’t super fabulous – I was not having a great time finding fabrics I loved. But it’s at least cute.
Showing off her new “U” tote bag. Which is a bit big, but it was cute so we went for it.
(Wednesday, April 4th version)
By distressing, I mean things that involved anything from whining to wailing and shrieking. Mostly the latter.
* This one seems plausible. Except I hadn’t turned on the water or started filling the tub yet.
