Birthday's are a Big Deal

I think birthday's are a big deal.  Not getting the perfect present, but taking a day to celebrate someone's existence on the earth.  That is why, and it comes as no surprise, that I make a big deal out of my kids' birthdays.  We talk about it and plan and make it a super celebration of them.  I secretly tuck away sweet memories of their favorite things from that year.  I don't let them choose the thing they are "into" that month. Oh no! We think about their year and what they have been really excited about, and make a  themed party and, my favorite part, the cake, to reflect it.


Two of my four have birthday's coming up in the next month.  I just sat talking with them about what kind of party and cakes they wanted.  I love to celebrate them on their birthdays. Each year while I work so carefully on that year's cake (this year is Little House On the Prairie for girlie), I take my time remembering the Barbie, and Princess, and tea party years, and store up all those times in my heart. I make their cakes my labor of love for them - really trying to capture their passions at that age. This was Tess' 5th b-day: a "Fancy Ladies" theme with a pink wedding cake.

Titus' cake last year.

Trace's most recent cake

My baby turns 4 this year and he is set on " 'Vengers" (the Avengers, but I don't correct him 'cause it's so cute!) and I can't help but remember how he's turned into a boy this year.  Last year's Curious George reminds me of his adventurous toddlerhood - and now, his fitting theme announces the fearless hero he's destined to be breaking through...even as he sits now at my feet dressed in his sister's black velvet skirt and white high heels, dressing a baby doll.

Just for fun, let's look back on my precious babies and their phases: (You can tell when I got my groove on in the cake decorating area - the earlier ones were years in training...or I was so tired from begin pregnant, cupcakes was all I could muster! :) )

Titus:
1 - Cupcakes with FunFetti frosting (But I did put him in a Grover onesie...how I wanted him to love Grover! )
2 - "T" for Trucks, Trains (Thomas, precisely), Two and Titus! (cupcakes again.)
3 - Lightning McQueen
4 - Checkered Flag (Racing)
5 - Lego Brick (and a Transformers)
6 - R2D2 (LEGO Star Wars)
7 - Mario (Nintendo)
8 - Comic Book

Tess:
1 - A Luau Theme
2 - Chocolate cake with Daddy.
3 - Barbie (the classic doll with a cake bowl skirt - I even cut her off at the knees - YIKES!)
4 - Tea Party
5 - Fancy Ladies
6 - Baking (this year I let the girls decorate the cake and my labor of love was making aprons for them)
7 - (coming up!) Little House on the Prairie

Trace:
1 - hmmm (I can't remember?! How Horrible is that??...And I can't find pictures?!)
2 - Tractor (John DEERE)
3 - Tractor (again...see I can now remember how long that phase was for our little worker man!)
4 - Angry Birds (40 cupcakes - individually decorated as birds...oh my, never again.)
5 - Phineas and Ferb

Trent:
1 - A "1" filled with M&M's
2 - Tractor (A red one) I'm pretty good at tractors...
3 - Curious George
4 - (coming up!) The Avengers

I know I should put pics of them up...once I figure out what's up with my photo storage site, I will...if I remember!

Thanks for remembering with me. Dang, I like them.