Let them eat cake!

Just a quick update on the workings of this crazy household. After months and months (and months) the foreign language department and graduate school have finally gotten all of their "dealings," together in posting that I am indeed "competent" (pun, intended!) in Italian. Thus, I am all clear to take my Comprehensive exams. (Gulp! Gulp! Vomit!) I am studying around the clock. Writing, re-reading old passages, finding out how much I DON'T know.

I get up early, go to school, study, teach, study, pick up Miss Mia, make dinner, feed family, kiss family good-bye and head back to the library to study, then sleep...Repeat! Repeat! Repeat! The nightmares have really began. Somedays I wake up and feel like I am so ready to take these on..then the next day, or minute I want to run far away where they will never find me!

To keep my sanity, I have been cooking. A lot! Making big meals for the family so that I don't have to think about packed lunches for Hubby and I the next day. Then there is the baking. I recently fell into the path of the Pioneer Woman and subsequently her cookbook. I am so in love with both. Tonight we tried her chocolate sheet cake. With one simple bite, the clouds parted, angels and doves came down and I think I might have heard a deep voice say..."and it was good!" Miss Mia is usually found somewhere under my feet whilst I am baking. She is more than prepared to lick the bowl, spoonula, etc. Tonight she wanted more. "More 'poons Mommy, more cake! Need more cake!" After more bites than she needed we had to cut her off or call the Betty Crocker clinic!

Tomorrow is the Superbowl. We have always been at someone's house having a party. This year, however, Hubby asked if we could just stay home and watch it. I loved this idea. I can go to the bedroom and read, we can control the menu, beverages, clean-up (or lack there of thesedays). Or we can record it to our DVR, do something else, and then fastforward TO the commercials! Homeland is having Crazy deals on meat this week and we just bought 5 lbs of ribeye steaks for $15. So we are having steak tomorrow...and for many more meals to come! We'll also have cake!