How many birthday cakes can two people have to celebrate six trips around the sun? Four! That's right four cakes! I really couldn't believe it until I thought about it some. There was the dirt cake for the "friend party", one cake each for Elijah and Helena's actual birthday and then one cake from Grandma and Opa when we celebrated with them yesterday. Each cake really served its' purpose. It's a good thing we have a large family, but I think we're good for birthday cake for a long, long while. I don't think it's something we will repeat.
Helena and Elijah had a wonderful time celebrating their birthday. They got to have a special birthday breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes from my treasured Apples for Jam cookbook, and cinnamon toast. They were very happy with their Chinese food dinner too. After all of that and the cake, I feel like we need a week or two of nothing but spinach, tomatoes, raspberries and water.
I really want each birthday to be a celebration of the person and not a huge gift grab. We have wonderful and generous relatives who give the children lovely gifts, so we try to restrain ourselves a bit. This is always hard for me. I can always think of just one more book, special toy or art supplies that I think they can't possibly live without. I think we did pretty well this year in that regard. It's so easy for there to be too many gifts. The children become overwhelmed, where nothing is special or cherished, not too mention my gift budget being blown to bits. I think Helena and Elijah were very happy and felt celebrated and loved.
On the way to a friend's house for some birthday fun at the pool (The Oasis http://peachcoglo.typepad.com/peach-coglo/2010/05/the-oasis.html ) . . . .
Cloudburst Frosting! I got the name and the recipe from Alicia Paulson over at Posie Gets Cozy. You can find the recipe for this divinely light-as-air frosting here: http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/2010/06/my-goto-birthday-cake.html . This frosting was so good that I am thinking of using it on my Christmas Red Velvet. I know it's sacrilege for a Southerner to use anything but cream cheese frosting on Red Velvet Cake but it's that good!
The next morning, Elijah went right to his new crayons.
On Sunday, we went to Grandma and Opa's house where Grandma had made a special birthday dinner for Helena and Elijah.
We made some special strawberries with white chocolate, sugar and orange zest. Elijah and Doran refused them, Helena only ate the chocolate, sugar and orange zest, but Eden devoured these. Well, they looked really festive and pretty.
Another birthday cake, but this time it's chocolate. All the kids rejoiced over that!
There was a strange light outside where things turned an intense green.
Blowing out candles with Opa . . . .
Helena recreating the candle-blowing scene in crayon . . . .
Elijah always seems to find the teeniest baby worms-everywhere.
It was a wonderfully fun weekend. It makes me wish we celebrated people in our lives a little more often; I think I'll start doing that a bit more. Here's hoping your Monday is filled with celebration, and all the things and people you enjoy, but maybe not as much cake ;-)
