And, while I'm on the subject of not posting Europe pictures yet, I want to post some other pictures.
The kids' school offers cake-decorating 'classes' from time to time, given by HEB. They do this at times like Valentine's or Mother's Day. The problem is, these classes, and accompanying cakes, cost $5 per child. That's $15 for three mini-cakes. I'm just not digging it.
So this year, Aaron suggested that, instead of the kids decorating cakes at school, we could decorate a cake at home. I suggested that, instead of decorating one large cake, we could decorate cupcakes. So we did.
I know I need to post pictures, but first wanted to update you on the end of my semester. My group project ended up bringing my grade down several points in my China to Chinese American class, so I'm pretty irritated by that (especially because I had a 99 going into the group project, and I ended up having to pick up much of the slack from less-than-stellar group members), but I still ended with an A. And an A is an A is an A...
Ironically, I ended up making a better grade in my Brit Lit class. Yup, you heard...um, read that right. After my 98 on my rewrite of the first critical essay, I made a 98 on my second critical essay and a 100 on the final. A 100 ON THE FINAL!!! When I first got these final two grades I thought at first that maybe my teacher had just run out of time and so she generously tossed some points my way. But the average grade on the second essay was an 82 and the average on the final was an 88. It feels niiiiice.
Also, I just have to share her comments on my final: "Bravo! This test is excellent! I only wish I had time to enumerate all the ways in which it excels. The most significant is the manner in which it extends seemingly slight implications into inferences that articulate their central significance in sustaining coherence and thematic unity."
Who kicks English ass? Me.
So maybe my theory that my teacher was trying to pull more out of me with that 72 was correct. I did find a way to up my game, and I am supremely gratified. Boosh!
Halle recently celebrated her 10th birthday. Aaron and I gave her the choice of having a party with her friends, which is what we usually do, or having a family outing to Practically Pikasso. She chose the family outing, which made us happy and proud (and thrilled). I will post pictures of our creations at some point in time, but first, the party.
The cake is supposed to be an artist's palette, to accompany the art-y theme of Practically Pikasso. Halle picked this out of our cake book. And, to those of you wondering, no, I did not use the Betty Crocker 100 Piece Decorating Kit. It's not my best work, but it tasted good.
