n ~
n was speaking to e, and i eavesdropped.
me: what did you say? i don't understand.
n: that's why i was talking to e.
lesson to self: don't invite yourself into others' conversations.
j ~
j touched my (herniated) tummy (that remained the shape of a basketball after birth).
j: your belly is broken.
me: yes, it is.
j: you need to go to the mechanic.
... then i'd need a major overhaul!
e ~
we were briefly discussing age ...
e: but mom, we're not old. we're not 9 yet ...
so how old does that make me?
last year, as it happens every year, i've been longing for a mental challenge. surely, with triplets, there are a myriad of trials to be had daily - some minor, some major, some new (which then winds up consuming a decent chunk of the little energy i have), and some repetitive. yet, i yearned for a different kind of challenge, and definitely one that was not triplet-related. i needed an outlet to my sanity, so i chose to bake.
my decision arrived around the middle of 2009, when all i asked for my birthday was a $30 hand-held mixer. a stand mixer is a true beauty that i've admired from afar for a long time, but i didn't deserve it yet. i've never truly baked before. i often invested in boxed cake and brownie mixes. as for cookies, i hardly even settled for cookie dough and merely bought them already made and packaged. pepperidge farm double-chocolate milanos are my favorite! occasionally, though, i would crave for something really good, and hubby would be nice enough to oblige and pick up a slice or piece of something for me at a nearby bakery.
i grew up adoring sweets and pastries. my family often had get-togethers, and of course, there would always be dessert. stand-alone bakeries were also prominent in hawaii - you'd pass by at least one wherever you headed. however, i hadn't become interested in the act of baking and its art until i was in new york several years ago and introduced to specialty bakeries, like cupcakeries or french bakeries, which adorned beautiful little packages of sweets. i wasn't crazy enough to jump into that kind of stuff, though. the initial goal of my newly-claimed hobby was to learn how to make good and basic goodies such as cookies, brownies, muffins, and cupcakes. i was also determined to make cupcakes for my sons' birthday a few months later.