In non-writing news, today seems to be Cooking Day. Paidhi Boy has just made some chocolate lolipops (you know, you buy chocolate melts at the craft store, and molds and sticks, and microwave the candy and put it in the mold, put it in the fridge...it's something I keep around because it's so insanely easy and very immediately rewarding.) They all have very bumpy backs, and thin coronas of chocolate around the outside, where the mold got missed, but they're chocolate so who cares?

Paidhi Girl is busy designing a cake for Mr. Leckie's birthday tomorrow. (Shhh! The cake is a surprise!) We've got the cake part, and it's covered with chocolate icing, and now it's time for the Wilton colors and the custard cups and the white icing..Paidhi Girl is putting tips on pastry bags. "It's kind of tricky," I said, remembering last year's disaster. If you squeeze the bag wrong, it all comes out the top and gets all over your hands instead of ending up in your nice design on the cake. If one is in the wrong frame of mind, achieving the right grip can induce frustrated tears. "Do you need help?"

"Mom!" says my daughter, indignant. "I think I know how to frost a cake."