i'll show you where to stick that train

this is big c.  my first baby.  my biggest blonde.  my heart and soul.  i love her.  she's super.

that being said...

last weekend we had a ginormous party, for which i baked, a lot.  i mean, a LOT.

2 days later, my precious first born volunteered me to bake cupcakes for her polar express christmas party at school.

"i told my teacher that you wouldn't mind because you love to make them"

"um, thanks big c.  i just baked all weekend long.  when is the party?"

"in 2 days.  oh, and can you make all of them look like trains?"

-- i couldn't tell her now the things i wanted to say.  she's only 8.  and hand gestures were also out of the question.  what?  i'm a good mom.--

"taylor volunteered maily to bake cookies.  and she had the biggest smile on her face."

maily doesn't bake.  she's more of a paper plate and cup mom.  because those are just as essential to any party.

"so mom, you can either make all of them look like trains or put them all together to be a train."

"thanks, big c.  can i cram that train up your .....  i'll see what i can do."

the next day we went to wal-mart.  for other important things.  i can't remember what they were, but they always end up costing $100.  i think it's impossible to get out of that store any cheaper.

"mommy, you can just buy some cupcakes instead."

"....insert a gotohell look..."

"nevermind, mommy.  sorry."

i don't do store bought.  she knows this. it's why she volunteered me.  i'm anal like that.

but in the end, i didn't decorate them like trains.

or arrange them into the shape of a train.

i did this.

i built a train to hold the cupcakes.  at 11 pm the night before.  i couldn't be ordinary.  i couldn't send her with a plate of cupcakes.  and no wow factor.

what would everyone think?

they probably wouldn't give a crap.  why would they?

but i did.

i couldn't live with myself if i hadn't done something to make her happy.  because a box train is just the thing that makes 8 year old girls happy.

oh, and she kindly requested chocolate and red velvet cupcakes.  one flavor wasn't enough.

so i complained.

and then i made her chocolate and red velvet cupcakes.  color coordinated.

because i'm rad.

and that makes her cooler.  and more popular.  and that's what i want for her.

not really.

she's still a big ol' dork.

and maily told me to "get a life" when she saw the train.  but she's still my friend, and taylor is still big c's friend, so status is important to them too.

because in this small town, that means everything.

and when you're part of this family, you have to pull your weight.

or was it, "lose your weight"?

i can never remember.

now excuse me while i inhale a cupcake.  or 4.

-dimply stacy