I’ve also got a 7 year old boy and I hear you on the noise. He’s learned how to whistle songs?!? He is just halfway through the Wild Robot book, and was outraged to see the movie cover version at the bookstore yesterday “that doesn’t look like Roz at all…”
The incessant Minecraft chitchat in our house is made worse by the fact that he doesn’t actually have a device that plays Minecraft?! So it’s just conjecture from friends.
I think they'd be pals :) They could just chat at each other.
He's playing in the garden and I just heard him say "Oh nooooo....how could this happen?!" and then a few minutes later "I forgot to put the lid back on..." so I'm assuming his potion box (meal kit spices, tea we don't like) has flooded.
I really loved this. I have two toddlers so it’s a good preview of the future and a reminder to be grateful for the peace we actually do get now.
Birthday cake, to me, means yellow cake and Yossy Arefi’s vanilla buttermilk cake paired with the fudgy chocolate frosting, both from Snacking Cakes is the BEST.
This is an excellent cake recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/bravetarts-devils-food-cake The frosting included (swiss meringue buttercream) is some work, so if you're short on time, you could totally do an easy whipped chocolate ganache or something. As for decoration: Everyone loves sprinkles but the fancy ones these days are kind of gross/crunchy/not actually enjoyable to eat. I love these simple confetti ones from Sweetapolita: https://sweetapolita.com/products/pastel-confetti-us. They're old school and pretty. Thanks for your beautiful writing, as always!
On cake recipe, chocolate: the Bravetart one bowl devil's food cake is our go to. Never fails. The book recommends and has a recipe for a milk chocolate icing, which is good, but I've also done a cream cheese icing, vanilla bean icing, etc. and it's always amazing. https://www.seriouseats.com/bravetarts-devils-food-cake
Your post is wonderful and captures the chaos of *all of this*. I constantly feel inundated with things to do, to consume and to process. As a frame of reference, I find your writing so good(!) but even with the intent to read it through I was interrupted three times .. by a phone call from my Mom's nurse, by wanting to make an early lunch because I had too much coffee, by yet another email.
I do want to add that both of my kids love video games, and I used to dismiss all of the chatter as nonsense until one time.. I truly asked (with attempted interest) about the games. From Minecraft to Genshin Impact and beyond—music, shows, books—my kids truly get excited about my earnestly asking about what is filling their brain. I'm only adding this because when I was young, my Dad would look at my novels and fiction and tell me I was wasting my time reading fiction instead of non-fiction, which in his mind was the only type of book worth reading as well as telling me that playing Sonic the Hedgehog was absolutely a waste of time. There is a season for everything.
I feel this. October is crazy in our house — my husband's big annual work event, my son's birthday, then the weeks long Halloween activities. After that, we roll right into the holiday season 😵💫 I recently decided to do whatever I possible can to just make life easier — boxed cakes, Target craft kits, literally anything that just requires less time and brain use and still gets the job done. Highly recommend.
I LOVED The Rachel Incident. Was going to suggest it after your review of the Sally Rooney book and before I saw you were already reading it :)
And loved the Wild Robot movie also. Expected the tender moments and was more surprised by how funny and delightful I found parts of it. I was laughing out loud a lot :)
My therapist recommended the book The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron. It’s slightly dated/ cheesy, but has helped enormously in my quest to cope with All of The Stimulus All of The Time. There’s a quiz at the beginning of the book which you take to figure out if you are in fact a highly sensitive person. Link: https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/
I’ve also got a 7 year old boy and I hear you on the noise. He’s learned how to whistle songs?!? He is just halfway through the Wild Robot book, and was outraged to see the movie cover version at the bookstore yesterday “that doesn’t look like Roz at all…”
The incessant Minecraft chitchat in our house is made worse by the fact that he doesn’t actually have a device that plays Minecraft?! So it’s just conjecture from friends.
The amount of time Julian spends talking about what youtubers have to say about minecraft....when he doesn't have youtube....it's truly mindboggling.
I think they'd be pals :) They could just chat at each other.
He's playing in the garden and I just heard him say "Oh nooooo....how could this happen?!" and then a few minutes later "I forgot to put the lid back on..." so I'm assuming his potion box (meal kit spices, tea we don't like) has flooded.
My son is 5 today (today!), talks about Minecraft alllll the time, and I'm not sure he's ever had any exposure to it? It's fascinating.
I really loved this. I have two toddlers so it’s a good preview of the future and a reminder to be grateful for the peace we actually do get now.
Birthday cake, to me, means yellow cake and Yossy Arefi’s vanilla buttermilk cake paired with the fudgy chocolate frosting, both from Snacking Cakes is the BEST.
This is an excellent cake recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/bravetarts-devils-food-cake The frosting included (swiss meringue buttercream) is some work, so if you're short on time, you could totally do an easy whipped chocolate ganache or something. As for decoration: Everyone loves sprinkles but the fancy ones these days are kind of gross/crunchy/not actually enjoyable to eat. I love these simple confetti ones from Sweetapolita: https://sweetapolita.com/products/pastel-confetti-us. They're old school and pretty. Thanks for your beautiful writing, as always!
I use this book for every birthday cake: https://www.dinneralovestory.com/a-simple-cake/
I loved this before I saw your link. It’s all too much! I do now wear earplugs a full 75% of the time.
On cake recipe, chocolate: the Bravetart one bowl devil's food cake is our go to. Never fails. The book recommends and has a recipe for a milk chocolate icing, which is good, but I've also done a cream cheese icing, vanilla bean icing, etc. and it's always amazing. https://www.seriouseats.com/bravetarts-devils-food-cake
Belated retuning to this because you asked for a great essay read! https://thegeorgiareview.com/posts/the-essay-as-realm/
Your post is wonderful and captures the chaos of *all of this*. I constantly feel inundated with things to do, to consume and to process. As a frame of reference, I find your writing so good(!) but even with the intent to read it through I was interrupted three times .. by a phone call from my Mom's nurse, by wanting to make an early lunch because I had too much coffee, by yet another email.
I do want to add that both of my kids love video games, and I used to dismiss all of the chatter as nonsense until one time.. I truly asked (with attempted interest) about the games. From Minecraft to Genshin Impact and beyond—music, shows, books—my kids truly get excited about my earnestly asking about what is filling their brain. I'm only adding this because when I was young, my Dad would look at my novels and fiction and tell me I was wasting my time reading fiction instead of non-fiction, which in his mind was the only type of book worth reading as well as telling me that playing Sonic the Hedgehog was absolutely a waste of time. There is a season for everything.
I feel this. October is crazy in our house — my husband's big annual work event, my son's birthday, then the weeks long Halloween activities. After that, we roll right into the holiday season 😵💫 I recently decided to do whatever I possible can to just make life easier — boxed cakes, Target craft kits, literally anything that just requires less time and brain use and still gets the job done. Highly recommend.
loved this and thank you. felt such relief reading it.
Haven’t made any other birthday cake since trying this one a few years ago (when friends made it for me!) https://www.recipetineats.com/my-very-best-vanilla-cake/
So beautifully written, thanks!
I LOVED The Rachel Incident. Was going to suggest it after your review of the Sally Rooney book and before I saw you were already reading it :)
And loved the Wild Robot movie also. Expected the tender moments and was more surprised by how funny and delightful I found parts of it. I was laughing out loud a lot :)
Have been wondering why I have felt stretched so thin over the past few months and this captured it perfectly. So. Many. Emails.
Cakes - I almost always look first on Smitten Kitchen or in Simple Cake for any and all occasions.
Love your book recommendations. Would love to know which chapter books the kids are able to read to themselves v you reading to them.
My go-to birthday cake is this one, which is both a) very easy to make, and b) very easy to eat, in that it pleases everyone and challenges no one. https://addapinch.com/the-best-chocolate-cake-recipe-ever/
My therapist recommended the book The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron. It’s slightly dated/ cheesy, but has helped enormously in my quest to cope with All of The Stimulus All of The Time. There’s a quiz at the beginning of the book which you take to figure out if you are in fact a highly sensitive person. Link: https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/