Crazy Camping, Crazy Cakes and Crazy Considerations

It's been a busy couple of weeks in my house hold.  First we went camping at Lake Wenatchee.  It was an adventurous time.  No sooner had we set up the camper than my daughter told me, "Mom, my tooth feels weird."  I looked in her mouth to find a pus filled postule on the gum over her tooth.  She had an infection.  Oh joy, we hadn't even been in our site for 2 hours and we were already looking at possibly having to drive back across the mountains. We were lucky to be within cell range so we called the dentist office and they felt she could get through the weekend with ibuprofiin, which of course, I had forgotten to pack like I normally do just in case something should arise.  This meant a little trip to two different stores to track down children's motrin.  We finally found it and hurray for us (and her) the tooth didn't cause her too much pain.  What did cause her pain?  The mosquitos!  They were brutal!  It didn't matter how much insect repellant we used they just kept coming and coming and biting and biting.  My daughter is allergic to them so in addition to the Motrin she was also taking Benadryl.  It wasn't all a trial however.  We enjoyed a trip into Leavenworth where we feasted on German food and made a quick stop by the miniature store so my daughter could shop for her dollhouse.  We also took a 2 mile guided horseback ride.  The kids rode their own horses and though they were a bit nervous in the beginning they were all smiles by the time they dismounted.  And what is a trip to Lake Wenatchee without some time swimming in the lake? 

When we got home I had to quickly change gears and swap my focus to my son's upcoming 7th birthday party.  He had decided on a Toy Story theme as he is a huge Buzz Lightyear fan.  This meant a Toy Story cake.  Okay, I'm a glutton for punishment when it comes to my kids cakes but I consider it my creative outlet.  It's lethargic in the same way as scrapbooking  only with sugar and cake instead of glue and photos.  Seriously, I love it.  It takes me forever (my son's cake took me 3 solid days), covers my kitchen in powdered sugar and cornstartch from the floor to ceiling, okay maybe not ceiling but certainly all over the floor and appliances and me, and reduces us to take-out for at least 3 days.  Who has room to  cook food in a kitchen covered with frosting and cake pans?  Maybe one of these days I'll get a kitchen remodel (and more room) out of my cake decorating but that's a dream for another day.

So, I made him his cake (all edible except for the spring in Slinky the dog), cleaned house and made up goodie boxes for the 12 party guests (did I mention I'm a glutton for punishment?).  Here's a photo of his cake.  While I'm at it I'll throw in a photo of my daughter's cake I made for her birthday in June.  Her cake went with her Nancy Drew theme and once again, it's all edible. Yes, summer is for cake decorating in my household. 

So that is how I've been spending the last couple of weeks.  It's good I've been busy because I haven't been running.  Not by choice, mind you.  I'm still dealing with that nagging and very annoying shin injury.  While I had once thought it was a bad case of shin splints I'm now fearing it could be something worse ... something like a dreaded stress fracture.  I sincerely hope not but I've laid off of any exercise that is weight bearing while I wait on some money to come in so I can visit a doctor.  Right now it is not hurting me but then again, I'm not using it much.  It's frustrating and now that the birthday parties are out of the way I'm beginning to really feel that frustration.  Lord, I don't remember asking for patience in any prayers lately so I'm not sure why this lesson is necessary.  I mean, my new running shoes are just sitting in my closet taunting me.  "Come run with us", they say.  They didn't ask for any lessons on patience either.  Or maybe this is a lesson on healing.  Either way, I feel like a kid in the classroom two weeks before summer break.  So close and yet so far.  On the bright side, if there is a bright side, maybe I'll get better at swimming and who knows ... consider a triathalon one day.  I know, I know, I always said I'd never do a triathalon because if I get tired in a marathon I just stop running but if I tire in the swimming portion of a tri I will drown.  I was quite surprised to find my thoughts, as I was swimming back and forth in my kids Intex 15 foot diameter swimming pool (not an easy feat, let me tell you), roaming to "I can see why people enjoy this.  I wonder how I'd do if I could just keep swimming straight for a bit?" (as opposed to turning over and over again in the tiny little pool).  Yes, the world is a crazy place, God has a sense of humor, and I am actually having serious thoughts about a triathalon.  I can't even believe I just wrote the last portion of that sentence.  Me doing a triathalon.  Well, crazier things have happened.  Crazy things like an ex-cheerleader who hated running finishing a marathon in her late 30's.  Yes, crazy things indeed.