Pi Day

I love all junk food, and any excuse to have cookies, cakes or pies I will. I also really enjoy baking.

Today is Pi day. For the non-mathers out there, Pi is the math symbol for 3.14.  Conincedently, that's the date: 3.14, hence the name. But no one is going to make math symbols all day. It's much more fun, and delicious, to use a play on words and have pie on Pi day. 

I used today as an excuse to make pie. I made one for my husband and one for me. I was also going to make Taco Pie for dinner, but in all my rushing around I forgot to get mixed cheese at the store. 

My husband happens to be a rocking math teacher.   He really needed to celebrate Pi day. He teaches special education math at the high school level, and anything to make math interesting is great for his students. So, I made him a yummy Key Lime pie. One of his favorites.

The pie looks a little plain because it is lacking Cool Whip or Reddi-wip. I forgot to get that at the store too. I'm sure it will taste great though. 

For us at home, I made a Chess pie. It's one of my favorites, third after apple and cherry pies. 

I used a ready-made gluten free crust. Thanks Pillsbury!   

My pies always taste wonderful, but they always lack the aesthetic appeal. I don't ever make pie crust from scratch because I suck at it. If I have to use a soft crust the edges look awful.  And, I can't seem to fit the crust into the pie plate evenly.  Then, I can't pinch or fold or whatever it is you do to the edges to make it look pretty. 

Over Thanksgiving a friend "attempted" the pie that was on the cover of Southern Living that year. It was picture perfect. Her "attempt" kicked any pie I've ever made's ass. 

I'll continue to make my ugly pies because I love them.  I love to celebrate, and they are delicious. Happy Pi day!

Staying Home: Where the Mundane Rules

For a couple of weeks I've racked my brain trying to find something interesting to blog about. Then it dawned on me.  I have nothing interesting to write about.  My life is very mundane and routine.

I've never been a big traveler, or risk-taker, or, even, very spontaneous.  Thus my life seems very boring.  And yet, here I am blogging about it.

We have the same routine every day.  I feel like I'm always fixing some meal or snack in the kitchen.  We watch TV.  We read books.  We do a craft.  We go outside.  I clean a little.  I walk past the giant pile of laundry in my bedroom.  I bathe the kids, and put them to bed.  I sit on the couch and read Reddit, or read the book I'm into, or watch a sitcom.  My weekly travels include going to the grocery store.  That's it.  That's my life.

But I don't hate it.  I'm not bored.  I love it.  I love watching my kids play, and hearing them laugh.  I love seeing their smiles and sense of wonder.  Sure, I get frustrated.  Sure, I'm perpetually tired.  But, I love it.

My idea of spontaneity is going to the playground or park.  Yesterday, I was almost spontaneous in taking the kids out for ice cream, but I decided it was too messy and too much trouble to get them out the door.  And that's okay.  There are days I don't care about the mess, and I want them to have the experience, but yesterday wasn't that day.

You know what? My kids are going to grow up just fine.  They don't need a crazy and spontaneous childhood. They need routine. They need hugs. They need love. I do hope they travel a little, and do spontaneous things.  I hope they take some risks, but not too big of risks.  But now, they like routine.  Now, they are learning, and being loved.  They're happy and sweet.

The mundane isn't bad.  It's sometimes boring, but really, I like it.  The mundane is my life, and I'm okay with that.