April 4: Orange-Cardamom Madeleines

Mmmmm. Cardamom...

Orange-Cardamom Madeleines (pg. 210) smelled amazing even before baking. Butter, honey, sugar, vanilla--all good stuff. The final touch: an orange glaze. I might make these for Easter Sunday. You start baking cookies and writing a cookie blog, and people start expecting a higher level of baked goods.

It has been a beautiful weekend in Maple Valley. In honor of the first true day of sun and warmth, I went out and butchered my clematis.

I didn't actually mean to butcher it. I started out just thinning it. But one clip led to another, and before I knew it, it was nothing but a few hairy sticks coming out of the ground. I feel really bad. I know our neighbors are driving by and saying, "Oh my God! What did those morons do to their clematis!?"

Okay. I feel really stupid, too. But there's new growth on it! I swear. Just the same, I may pick up some new ones at the nursery. We had to plant the clematis six years ago to block the view of our heat pump from the road. Homeowners' association rules. Watch us get an "unsightly appliance" ticket or something this week because boy, that heat pump is fully visible now.

As I type, James and Christian are playing a loud and obnoxious video game. Ian is howling because he ran into a table and bumped his chin. Overreacting as usual. Actually, I think he's really crying because he wants another ice cream cone and I said no. The glutton.

Ah, chaos. Speaking of which, James leaves for Palm Springs at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning. I get to spend the next two weeks with the boys. Half of that time I'll be working from home. And don't think, dear reader, that it'll be some idyllic Spring Break, with me writing fascinating copy while the boys happily play Lincoln Logs at my feet in a beam of sunshine. That's a bunch of crap.

The boys will be begging for video games or TV and I'll be yelling at them to Shut the Hell Up. I'll have to leave the computer 52 times a day to serve food, clean up a spill, break up a fight, send someone to his room, let the dog in/out, mop up cat puke, pour juice, and turn off the TV. If it's nice, I'll be sweeping dirt off the hardwoods, throwing rocks out of the house and chasing Ian after the little escape artist levitates himself over the back fence.

It's going to be a long week.

I'll hold onto my sanity by looking forward to good things, like:

1. Going to the David Sedaris book-reading with Sam on May 1! Love that angry gay man.

2. Grilled cheese sandwiches, mochas and edamame for dinner while James is gone.

3. Sleeping in while "working from home."

4. The new Dave Matthews album! Oh my God. I'm so excited. Also, I have tickets to see Dave at the Gorge over Labor Day. Friday and Saturday nights. Again. It's the closest I get to going to church. ("And the congregation responds: People in every direction. No words exchanged. No time to exchange them.")

5. Martini Night!

6. Watching whatever I want on TV, April 7-22.

7. The end of Spring Break.

8. My new boots! I bought knee-high, high-heeled, ass-kicking boots. They'll be here in 3 to 6 business days. I'm currently on day 2. I swear to God, I clapped my hands like a toddler during story time right after I hit "Make purchase" on the Nordstrom site.

9. The whole bed. To myself.

10. Uh. Plant shopping at Sky Nursery.

I'm also looking forward to my sister Laura's baby shower the first weekend in May. I love babies. I even kind of liked mine. But other people's babies! Mmmmm. So sweet. Today, as a matter of fact, is Laura's birthday. Happy Birthday, LaLa!

She's having another girl. I hope that the family Curse of the Second Daughter doesn't fail us. Second daughters on my mom's side are hellions. Heh, heh, heh. I have two wild boys. It's only fair that someone share my pain. But just to be nice, I'll bake something fabulous for her shower.