I Need a Nap

"Sit here."

"It's your turn, momma!"

"Climb the ladder!"

"Slide down."

"Come in the tunnel with me."

"Do you want to ride?"

"Come up here!"

"It's your turn, momma!"

"Go up the stairs."

"You slide first."

"Let's go!"

"You want to ride the bug?"

"It's my turn!"

"Slide!"

"Come on!"

"Go up!"

"Hold my hand."

"Climb higher!"

And on and on and on and on.

I don't remember going to the playground with 2-year old Alexis as being as exhausting as going to the playground with 2-year old Mila. See also: UGH I FEEL OLD.

There's a reason Mila is such a delight. It's so I don't just sleep through the toddler years with her.

And Then I Discovered A One Size Fits All Solution

Fact: Alexis gets attacked by the floor. Often. She's klutzier than klutzy and will happily tell you that she knows exactly why - she has itty bitty feet and a big ol' noggin. She has no shame around these two facts because they are facts which she has no control over. Instead, she's damn proud of them.

Seriously. Ask her and Alexis will gleefully tell you that she loves her giant head. For what it's worth, I do, too. It suits her, somehow. And the tiny feet? The tiny feet help keep her shoe game strong. She can take everybody's hand-me-downs.

The fact that Alexis is a klutz is a never-ending source of hilarity because she's also an incredibly graceful dancer. It makes no sense, right? She can also throw down some fierce tumbling runs. I've often said the safest way for Alexis to make her way across a room is doing back tucks between tap combos.

Or, I could wrap her in bubble wrap.

I threaten it often. If I were to wrap the kid in bubble wrap, she might manage to make it through this world unscathed, even if just for a day. She would be infinitely safer while wrapped in bubble wrap.

Mila, she of all things contrary, is somehow a graceful little bowling ball. She can climb the highest of ladders, swing from the biggest of chandeliers, and generally act a fool and walk away without a single bump or bruise. I don't understand this flavor or kid either, the flavor of kid who can do all sorts of crazy things and never manage to sustain an injury.

Seriously. It's weird.

Mila has only ever had a Band-Aid following shots. She has never had a scratch or boo-boo or anything that I've treated with a cartoon-covered Band-Aid. She doesn't even know that Band-Aids can be fun.

Mila is a different kind of dangerous, of course. She's the kind of dangerous who doesn't believe anything bad can happen, so of course it doesn't. At least not to her. She is fierce. The world better stay out of her way because she's ready to plow through it all.

Fortunately, even a fierce little bowling ball can be distracted. This weekend, I opened a package and found a piece of bubble wrap inside. It wasn't quite big enough to wrap around Alexis, so I handed it to Mila. A moment later, I showed her how to pop one of the bubbles. For hours afterwards, literally HOURS, Mila fixated on that bubble wrap.

*POP!*

*giggle*

*POP!*

*giggle*

*POP!*

*giggle*

*POP!*

*giggle*

It went on and on and on and on. For literally hours.

So, basically I've figured out that bubble wrap will solve all of the problems. I can use it to protect Alexis from the world while I can also use it to protect the world from Mila. It's a perfect plan.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

You guys! Easter is later this year! I am ridiculously excited about that fact, especially because it means that I have managed to remember to do more of the Easter things before the actual holiday.

Or at least thought about doing those things.

Okay, I haven't done any of the things yet, but I have confidence that I will. BEFORE EASTER.

A really key pre-Easter thing is making these cupcakes. I've posted this recipe before, but it's worth repeating because BEST. CARROT. CAKE. EVER. Don't take my word for it; make them. Prove me right.

And this is where I post the recipe again so that it's easy to grab the ingredient list the next time I'm at the grocery store.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk (I don't keep buttermilk on hand, so I used 3/4 cup skim milk plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice -- put them in a cup together and let them sit for at least one minute. The milk will curdle and will work just fine as a substitute.)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated carrots (I used baby carrots, but any carrots will work.)
1 8-oz can crushed pineapple (Drain off the excess juice, but don't stress about it. Just get that stuff at the top of the can.)
1 cup chopped pecans

Note: There are no raisins in this recipe because RAISINS DO NOT BELONG IN CARROT CAKE. Ahem. ;-)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in your pans. This recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes, so plan accordingly.

2. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

3. Use an electric mixer to combine the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract at low speed in a separate large bowl.

4. Add flour mixture to your large bowl. Mix at low speed until everything is happy.

5. Fold in carrots, pineapple, and pecans.

6. Use a measuring cup to scoop cake mix into the cupcake liners. This cake doesn't rise very much, so fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when you stab it into a cupcake.

8. Allow to cool.

9. Ice with a cream cheese icing. This one is perfect for the job, but double the vanilla extract just for fun.