This and that

Wow, I really have been absent from Blog-Land. You know it's not like me to go this long without posting or to post so infrenquently. But Hooooo-Yahhhhh... life is busy right now! In fact, the entire month of March is pretty well booked up.... how did that happen?!? Apologies to all my blog friends because I haven't even been out to read or comment on anyone's blog, lately. Today is Mr. B's birthday!! Happy happy 3rd birthday, Mr. B! He and my daughter are due here any minute for a birthday dinner and presents. No cake. Mr. B doesn't eat cake. I offered to make him a birthday cake, but he said no. We're having birthday ice cream sandwiches... Mr. B and I were discussing his birthday dinner. He had no requests, but did say, "Umma, where did we eat when Mama stayed overnight here?" Apparently he was talking about Christmas Eve when he and my daughter spent the night, and we had Christmas dinner in the formal dining room. I said, "The dining room?" and he said, "Yes! I want to eat at the fancy table on my birthday!" So fancy table it is... complete with the good china and the lace tablecloth and candles. Nice to see it get used more than twice a year. Mr. B has a dog named Jack. Apparently, Jack is a food thief and delights in absconding with Mr. B's cheese sticks as often as possible. I was on the phone with my daughter the other night when Jack decided to eat Mr. B's cheese stick. As we were talking, I suddenly heard Mr. B screaming/ crying (you know how 3 year old's do...) and near hysterics because the dog had grabbed and eaten the cheese stick. My daughter stayed calm, offered him another one. Mr. B says "No! I want THAT one!" to which my daughter said, "What do you want me to do, reach down in his belly and get it?" and Mr. B said "YES!". My daughter happened to have another cheese stick in her hand, so she pretended to reach into Jack's mouth and pull out the cheese stick... and I hear her say, "OK, here it is." And what do I hear next? Mr. B - vomiting. LOL! Definitely a case of "be careful what you wish for"... By the way - is anyone else feeling the pinch at the grocery store? It seems every time I go, prices are jumping. A month ago a package of cheese sticks were $4.99 and last week they were $7.99. Coffee has jumped up $2 and $3 a can (and, to make it that much worse -- have you noticed that the "one pound can" is now 11 ounces?!) Even my old staple, tunafish, has jumped up by about 30% (and yes, THAT can got smaller too -- what used to be an 8 oz can, then 7.2 ounces, then 6.5 ounces is now 5+ ounces!). More than ever it's important to do menu planning and coupon clipping! I'm off to baste the turkey (from the freezer -- purchased last Thanksgiving for .88 a pound), peel the potatoes and steam the brocolli.... and put candles in the ice cream sandwiches!