a good day

I had promised to share a layout with you yesterday, but yesterday we took a little field trip to the Safari Park (which we totally still call the Wild Animal Park).  Can I say I was just a little bit tired after that?  It was, hot.  As it always is there, and I carried Sam most of the time in the Ergo, which made it a little extra hot.  I can happily report that no one got a sunburn, even mommy who usually misses a spot or two.  We saw an adorable baby elephant who was born just the day before on August 28th.

{photo courtesy of Mr. Gabe}

Absolutely precious.  We also saw the gorillas and a little baby gorilla.  He was mimicking his daddy which was again, so precious.  While we were there an old woman told me I was brave for coming to the park alone with three boys.  I thought she was brave.  She was quite advanced in her age and was using a walker.  That park is not easy to maneuver, and in this heat it only makes it more difficult.  I cheerfully told her that the older boys were very well behaved and that it is really only the baby that I had to worry about.  She just kept smiling and looking at the boys, and at Sam - he was in a good mood so he smiled back.  She was quite smitten with him I think.

We did our lessons in the afternoon (some more successfully than others) and then I sort of took the rest of the day off.  Except that I made dinner and a chocolate cake.  Okay, okay, an easy chocolate cake, but still.  Then, I was tired.

About the cake, very easy and actually very good considering.  I've made this recipe many times and it always turns out well.  I don't make the frosting though; I usually just dust the served pieces with powdered sugar.  If you ever need a last minute dessert for whatever reason, I highly recommend this recipe.  Takes about an hour from start to finish.  One more thing, I mix it in a bowl and then put it in the pan.  First, because I don't want to scratch up my pan with my whisk (even if it isn't non-stick).  Second, because this cake will stick unless you have a very good non-stick baking pan, which I do not.  You'll need to either spray your cake pan with non-stick spray, or do the whole butter and flour thing (which I never do).  Oh, and it's vegan.  So if you ever need a vegan dessert, well, there you go.  =)

I'll be back later with that layout I promised.