trying to figure out what to indulge in

ooh. thanks so much for the tips and leads on the baking. this long weekend is killing me. i can't properly sit down and focus on it while noah, the most active boy in the universes who suddenly is not reliably napping (gah!), is home. i can't wait until tomorrow when i'll have some quiet while natalie is napping to really figure out how i'm going to go about this. you know, figuring out how much i'm going to spend on this new hobby, where to buy all the stuff i'll need, and what i'd like to start with. the main concern is the mixer. i've always wanted a kitchen aid. but they are so pricey. i'll have to check out costco and maybe the exchange.



i've also been unable to pull the trigger on buying the disneyland annual passes i thought i'd buy as soon as our feet hit the ground here. we've already made a trip there, but because of a connection that captain j's sister has with someone that works there we got in for free last time. i'm pretty sure we'll be visiting a lot. when we lived in san diego, i certainly used mine all the time. and when i lived here last with noah while captain j at his first training for a few months noah and i went there all the time. noah was just about 1 and i'd take him there to toddle around. i'd enter the park, set him down and we'd be off. there was lots of see, eat and there weren't any escalators. i lost a bunch of weight that summer.



but during this last visit things were different. we actually stand in lines for rides now. the brainwashing works on him now. when the ride empties us out into a store, he begs for things. it was still fun. just not so carefree.



plus, there's the natalie factor. as much as i'd like to think lightly of it, it's still will be a challenge to take both noah and natalie there by myself. what will i do with noah while i nurse natalie? what i will do with natalie when noah wants to go on a ride where he needs me to hold him, or one he may be right for, but she isn't.



so basically, i don't know if i'll end up getting the pass. we'll see. then again it would still be a fun way to get a good work out and something really fun to do together. i know. so indecisive. and i need to stop thinking online.



this afternoon we are carless. our car is going to take another 10 days or so to arrive and my parents needed both their cars today, so we're keeping ourselves entertained at home. it's the third day of a long weekend which means that there is a lot more tv watching. it's not an everyday thing so i'm letting noah indulge.



speaking of indulging, during the writing of this post, i've decided that my ultimate goals for this year of baking will be to bake the perfect everyday bread and to make a fresh creme cake topped with fresh fruit like the ones i indulge in every once in awhile a from Paris Baguette (i buy this cake every chance i get, but i don't have a closeup of one. this picture of my niece's birthday where i provided the cake was the best i could find. that cake was quite yummy) a couple blocks away from my parent's house (and did i mention that we're close to a pink berry too? i'm telling you, this is the stuff that matters when you're choosing a place to live.) it's my most favorite cake in the world. i love korean cakes because it's light and not too sweet. and the fresh creme and fresh fruit make this a tasty treat that doesn't leave you feeling heavy and full of richness. i think i could figure out the creme frosting. but it's the cake that is going to be difficult to duplicate. i think i'm going to have to go buy a cake today to help me figure it out. in fact, it'll probably take me several cakes before i can really figure out how to go about it. oh well. a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Day 9