Baking Bread and other family things

I have two loaves of bread in their final rise on the stove and the house smells terrific. I know I'm doing it to cut costs, but there's something about baking bread at home which is just so domestic. It's almost inspiring.

This afternoon we are home as a family, no Tessa at school or me at work. We're going to play LOTR Trivial Pursuit. I'm wanting Tessa on my team, because that girl has a memory not to be believed, and she loves LOTR. She's been watching it since she was a baby. I've never thought to stop her, though there are two scenes which I fast-forward due to content--when Smeagol kills Deagol and when Saruman falls off the tower and is impaled on the waterwheel. That's not spooky-vs-human conflict, which I don't mind in the battle scenes, it's either overtly violent or human-vs-human, not cool.

Last night we went into Leslie to celebrate our neice Cadence's 2nd birthday. She's such a cutie-pie, has gone from miss-sobersides to miss-conversationalist. I have no idea what she's saying most of the time, but she has a good time saying it, loudly and often. Kaiser Chunksey (aka, C.J., Cadence's baby brother) is getting so big. He's our little "butterball" and I have been teasing his mother that she'll have to make sure he's not nakey on Thanksgiving or we may mistake him for the turkey. :-)

I'm really proud of Caitlin and pleased at the life she's making for herself and her family. C.J.'s father, Corey, lives with her and the babies in the basement apt. He's finishing school and going into welding in an effort to support his young family. He accepts Cadence as his own without thought or question, is referred to as "Da-Da" and fully embraces the part with bathing, clothing, feeding, loving and disciplining her. I've often said he's a good kid, and he is fast becoming a good man. Caitlin is also an amazing mama, breastfeeding both babies, taking them for regular check-ups and vaccinations, saying the yesses and the nos and not allowing anyone to tell her she's a "bad" mother because she is so young. She's also active in her world, paying attention to politics and recently acknowledged that she believes in God--a huge step, as she's always identified as an atheist without question or thought. I do not think she is yet a Christian, but I do think that she is taking steps and exploring on her way to becoming one.

Well, it's about time to go have our family time. I'd like to run the vacuum and get the dog hair off the floor before we're sitting on it.