Crazy Cakes & Baby Bouquets - Tennessee Valley Fair: Fill & Download for Free

“Listen, my sweetest one, I need to get some work done, okay?” I run my fingers through her curly hair. “Daddy will be with you later, okay?”She wrinkles her forehead, her face curves down into a frown, and she crosses her little arms. “No! I want to be with you now!”I let out a sigh.Working from home can be wonderful—walking out and having lunch with my wife and kids, no commutes, and no one to care whether I’ve brushed my teeth or not—but it also has its challenges.And I have a deadline to meet.More firmly now. “Listen, you need to go outside now, okay? I need to finish some work.”The frown deepens. The head lowers. Tears begin to pool in the corners of her eyes.And then my three-year-old girl looks at me with the saddest puppy eyes I’ve ever seen.A moment later, she’s on my lap and I’m hugging her tightly, telling her how much I love her.We spend fifty minutes watching a BBC documentary on primates, cuddled up like that, deadline extended.Now, don’t get me wrong. I love my two boys like crazy cakes, but they just don’t exert the same influence on me. Somehow, I can withstand their sad faces, maintain an appropriate firmness, stand my ground.Not so with my daughter.She’s got my heart hopelessly wrapped around her little finger.And maybe I’m being unreasonable, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.Here she is.

When my son turned two, he expressed an interest in wearing his twin sister’s clothes.My wife and I got together, had a conversation about it, and decided the following: we would let him wear whatever he wanted, neither encouraging, nor discouraging him.Whenever he chose one of her dresses or bathing suits, we just helped him put it on and said nothing about it.It was tempting to start thinking about whether it was saying anything about his future identity or sexual preferences.But what I realized is, that kind of thinking is pointless.Maybe he was just attracted to the brighter, more vibrant colors.Maybe wearing outfits that were so different than his was exciting.Or maybe it was something completely different.The bottom line is, whatever it was—and however he turned out to be—I would still love him like crazy cakes, so why fuss over it or give him a hard time?After he turned three, the interest in his sister’s clothing fell away on its own.But between you and me, I think he looks absolutely adorable in her outfits.

I am an old and high risk individual. My husband and I are both retired. Our disabled son lives with us. This economy can NOT stay closed for much longer. I, though, have no problem with pretty much staying at home for the next year or so. Not fun but something the country needs.We have plenty of supplies and have people who can deliver any products we need. There are many in this group who have no one to do this for them. My HOPE is that groups will form who will bring food or whatever to these people. there would need to be phone numbers that these people know about and can access.Since those in the high risk group staying home would be big a sacrifice on their part. It would be nice if church groups, scouts, whatever, would make little cards and gifts for those of us staying at home [ of course plenty of time for virus to die before delivery.]I would hope younger people would continue precautions but open this country back up in a big way. The President [ who I did not vote for, and will not vote for] likens this to a war and I agree. I believe strongly that the younger people [especially the millenials, they are the hope for the world and I have felt that way for almost 15 years] will find ways to do this in creative, new and sometimes fun ways.By the way, while isolating, I have always canned and baked, gardened and raised my chickens and goats, but am doing more of it. I am making soap, with a hope to eventually share with some and sell to others. I have just started learning Hindi, crazy cake decorating, and playing the bamboo flute from youtube videos. I am also FINALLY learning to waltz and we are trying to figure out a way to design an environment, with supples we have on hand, so I can start making brie cheese [ the best brie cheese, authentic brie cheese, is from goats’ milk]This is, and will continue to be different foe awhile though, but I believe it is all going to work out.