The Family Business

There's been so much going on around here lately, even Clare was put to work!

Certainly, the past few weeks have been a bit more action packed than even I like them to be. You know how it goes. Your schedule is already a little bit full (multiple wedding cake projects this month on top of the normally scheduled stuff) but you take on one more project because you love it, or it helps someone out, or both (choreographing for OHDC) and you think, ok, this is tight but it's do-able. And then, something you did not AT ALL plan for or expect under any circumstances suddenly pops up (aka, a big work deadline gets moved up) and then whammo - scheduling insanity.

To be honest, insanity isn't really what it felt like: some careful planning and scheduling kept it all under control. What it felt like was just exhausting. All I can really add is Thank God Rob's mom was here to help out with Clare and quite a few household chores. I expected it all to culminate this past weekend, since the deadlines were all between February 14 - February 17 but I actually worked harder last weekend. Last weekend, I was a woman on the edge, just barely making it from one task to the next. I worked either on cakes or my 'real' job every night last week with the exception of Thursday (PushPull rehearsal). By Valentine's Day, I'd just about had it.

So, I'm sure you can imagine, this Valentine's Day wasn't the most fun for Rob. He spent Friday night hanging out with me in the kitchen. On Saturday morning I ran around picking up some last minute supplies for the wedding cake - and then called 'in sick' for the rest of the day. Rob even had to pick-up his dad from the airport all by himself. I fell asleep on the couch! He then sous-chef'd for me on Sunday a bit, after which I bailed to deliver the wedding cake and head over to the OHDC rehearsal. I bailed on the PushPull rehearsal on Sunday night though ... I just couldn't.

It was finally on Monday that I took some time off. I worked on the next wedding cake project (cupcake samplers for my next client) during Clare's morning nap, afternoon nap, and a bit into the evening, but those hours in between .. they were SWEET! Rob's parents, Rob, Clare, and I grabbed some brunch at Joy. After lunch, Rob, Clare, and I went to the Toronto Zoo. The Toronto Zoo on Family Day is not for the faint of heart, I tell ya! Boy, the crowds! Despite them, we three had a nice time, mostly unbothered by the masses. Clare herself really enjoyed it. She was quietly and intently taking in all the sights and at one point tried to take another little kids' rice cracker snack. I think her favorite animals were the monkeys and the birds. Certainly, she enjoyed herself enough that Rob and I are planning another trip as soon as the weather gets a bit warmer.

Today was the big deadline at work. I won't say any more other than it went so much better than I thought it would. Wrapping it up marks the end of this fairly long run of overwork for me. I can spend the next few days to focus on moving offices during the day and enjoying some time with Rob and Clare at night.

Talk to you soon,

B.