Birthday Bash!
Normally Mondays are my blog days, but yesterday was my son's birthday. My little guy turned two and what a delightful party we had!
I started getting things ready Sunday night. Or rather, I tried to. The one thing I love almost as much as writing is baking. I love being in my kitchen beating a cake batter or smelling the sweet aroma of cookies wafting through the house (or apartment as is the case right now). So Sunday night I decided that I was going to make Gary's birthday cake and that since he loves The Little Engine That Could, this year I would make him a train cake. I beat the batter and poured it into a pan. For a half-hour the apartment smelled of yellow cake. I got it out when the beeper sounded and then set it out to cool. Unfortunately because it was nighttime and I was really tired, I only gave it about half an hour to rest before deciding that if I set on the tray, it could cool overnight and I'd shape and frost it in the morning. But when I got the cake out of the pan, it did what all cakes do when they are removed too soon: it crumbled. I was too tired to try to come up with any solutions right then, so I went to bed and determined I'd buy new cake mix in the morning.
Morning came and I went to the store. I decided as I wandered the aisles that instead of shaping the cake to be a train, I would just draw one on with frosting. I bought a chocolate cake batter and a yellow cake batter. Since I was not having much success with shaped cakes, I'd make him a marble cake. I got home in time to start cleaning up and making breakfast. My sister and her fiance were coming for breakfast and to go look at a house with us. They arrived, we had a delicious breakfast of French toast with peach cinnamon syrup, bacon and apples. Then we had another house-hunting adventure. This time we were looking at a house for my sister and her fiance. They really like the house, but with him being in the military they know it would be best to continue renting. But we looked at the house as an option if my little family were to stay in the area. Then the four of us would buy the house together and then when they got orders elsewhere, Jonathan and I would stay in the house and they wouldn't have to worry about trying to sell it. Gary liked it because the current owner has a puppy and he loves dogs.
We went back to the apartment, made the cake and then sent Gary on a walk with his aunt and uncle-to-be. While they were out, Jonathan and I started setting up all the toys that a family at church had given us. They were cleaning out and had thought of Gary. Their timing was perfect; just in time for Gary's birthday. So we set up those toys, set out the presents that we had bought him and waited for my family to arrive before sending word to those at the park to come back. Once everyone was situated, Gary and Jonathan walked into the apartment to a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday. Gary made a beeline to his presents and bounced from toy to toy, excited to find out what each one did. He opened his presents and couldn't keep away from many of them; especially not a toy laptop.
After lunch we had some quiet time before heading over to my family's house for a fondue dinner. Gary then got his cake and was able to blow out his candle. Or at least to try to. :) It can be hard when you're little, so he got a little assistance. It was a fun-filled day and he had a blast. It was great being able to spend some time with my little guy and not really worry about anything else. So happy birthday to my sweet little prince.
I started getting things ready Sunday night. Or rather, I tried to. The one thing I love almost as much as writing is baking. I love being in my kitchen beating a cake batter or smelling the sweet aroma of cookies wafting through the house (or apartment as is the case right now). So Sunday night I decided that I was going to make Gary's birthday cake and that since he loves The Little Engine That Could, this year I would make him a train cake. I beat the batter and poured it into a pan. For a half-hour the apartment smelled of yellow cake. I got it out when the beeper sounded and then set it out to cool. Unfortunately because it was nighttime and I was really tired, I only gave it about half an hour to rest before deciding that if I set on the tray, it could cool overnight and I'd shape and frost it in the morning. But when I got the cake out of the pan, it did what all cakes do when they are removed too soon: it crumbled. I was too tired to try to come up with any solutions right then, so I went to bed and determined I'd buy new cake mix in the morning.
Morning came and I went to the store. I decided as I wandered the aisles that instead of shaping the cake to be a train, I would just draw one on with frosting. I bought a chocolate cake batter and a yellow cake batter. Since I was not having much success with shaped cakes, I'd make him a marble cake. I got home in time to start cleaning up and making breakfast. My sister and her fiance were coming for breakfast and to go look at a house with us. They arrived, we had a delicious breakfast of French toast with peach cinnamon syrup, bacon and apples. Then we had another house-hunting adventure. This time we were looking at a house for my sister and her fiance. They really like the house, but with him being in the military they know it would be best to continue renting. But we looked at the house as an option if my little family were to stay in the area. Then the four of us would buy the house together and then when they got orders elsewhere, Jonathan and I would stay in the house and they wouldn't have to worry about trying to sell it. Gary liked it because the current owner has a puppy and he loves dogs.
We went back to the apartment, made the cake and then sent Gary on a walk with his aunt and uncle-to-be. While they were out, Jonathan and I started setting up all the toys that a family at church had given us. They were cleaning out and had thought of Gary. Their timing was perfect; just in time for Gary's birthday. So we set up those toys, set out the presents that we had bought him and waited for my family to arrive before sending word to those at the park to come back. Once everyone was situated, Gary and Jonathan walked into the apartment to a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday. Gary made a beeline to his presents and bounced from toy to toy, excited to find out what each one did. He opened his presents and couldn't keep away from many of them; especially not a toy laptop.
After lunch we had some quiet time before heading over to my family's house for a fondue dinner. Gary then got his cake and was able to blow out his candle. Or at least to try to. :) It can be hard when you're little, so he got a little assistance. It was a fun-filled day and he had a blast. It was great being able to spend some time with my little guy and not really worry about anything else. So happy birthday to my sweet little prince.
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