The Secrets of the Birthday Cake

I'm sure the day will come that I will run out of time or ideas and will buy my kids' cakes, but until that day, I REALLY enjoy making THE cake they'll talk about until the next year!

And Carter's this year was no exception! 

I topped this cake with fondant and let Carter be the master artist!  Equipped with edible frosting paint markers, Carter drew a rainbow with rainbowed rain drops falling from the sky!  The perfect touch that I couldn't have done better myself!  He was so proud of his cake, and he loved showing his friends what he'd done!

But the MOST fun of all was cutting the cake and seeing how the 6-layered Rainbow Cake turned out.

The result:  Better than I expected!

 And I don't think I'll let another birthday go by without buying these awesome candles from Party City!  It's a sparkler in the shape of a number!!   It added such the necessary pizzazz for the birthday party suited for our family!

 Want a secret?  Here's how I doctor up a Cake Mix to make a DELICIOUS cake:

Kerri's BEST Cake Mix Cake

1 Cake Mix (you choose)

1 small box of pudding (a flavor that compliments your cake)

4 eggs

3/4 C oil

3/4 C water OR milk

2 Dollops Sour Cream

Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

There.  My secret's out.  Except for this one: Don't buy Pillsbury. Duncan Heines (my favorite) or Betty Crocker make much better cakes. 

What kind of pudding?  Depends on your cake.  The pudding adds moisture and flavor.  Chocolate cake + chocolate pudding.  White cake + Vanilla Pudding.  Yellow cake + Lemon Pudding.  Etc.  YUM!

Looking for an AWESOME frosting?  My sister's the patent on this one.

Cheri's winner-in-my-book Frosting Recipe

1/4 C softened butter

2 1/2 C powdered sugar

1-2 Tbs heavy cream

1-2 Tbs sour cream or vanilla yogurt

1-2 tsp vanilla

Adjust for desired consistency:  want it softer?  add more butter or cream.  Want it sweeter:  Add more vanilla or sugar.

To lock in the moisture of your cake, brush it with a sugar-syrup before icing it.  Do an equal ratio (1/2 C water: 1/2 C sugar), bring to a boil and allow to cool.  Then brush it on with a pastry brush.  You may flavor it with lemon, or orange if it will compliment your cake.  Allow the syrup to soak in before you begin to frost.

A Picture Perfect Birthday

After 364 days of counting down, Carter's Birthday was a major success! This kid is a birthday fanatic!


(Wonder who he gets THAT from, but proof he's in the right family!)  With such anticipation, I -- as Mom and official Birthday Planner -- was NOT going to let him down!


Technically, the birthday partying started the day before with a preschool party --Munchkin Doughnuts and Grapes.  And apparently it was voted "Best Snack EVER".  Cool.

So we started the real birthday off as any other birthday: 

Birthday Balloons right when he wakes up,

 Birthday Breakfast on the Special Plate, Birthday Presents, then off to a special Birthday Adventure of HIS choice.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY with Aunt Emily!

Hugging Jupiter, his favorite planet.

Hugging Addison, his favorite brother.

When he found out that the big preschool field trip was scheduled for HIS birthday, he decided he didn't want to go.  "After all, Mom, you only get ONE birthday!"  What a kid!

We finished the real birthday at All Aboard Diner.  That's been on the birthday countdown for months.

Needless to say, it was a big day.  The Friends Birthday would have to wait a couple days:


Picture This:  Kids arrive at 2:00 and begin decorating their bikes for a BIG PARADE!  Streamers, Balloons, Bells and Whistles.  Then, with the birthday boy as Grand Master, they ride to the park with "Happy Birthday" songs pounding away from the chaperone van nearby.  When they arrive at the decorated pavilion they sit down for the whole cake and present thing, then off they go to play on the playground and super fun games (like volcanos in the sand).  Sounds like a perfect 5-year-old party right?

And it WOULD have been if the weather had cooperated.  When we were greeted with DAYS of rain and a temp of nearly 40 and ferocious winds to boot, we knew it was time to switch to PLAN B. 

So now picture what we really did:  Kids arrive at 2:00 and PARTY LIKE CRAZY in an amazing indoor playground!  They were chasing each other, doing relays, playing Hide And Seek, etc.  Although we didn't rent the place out, we had the WHOLE thing just to ourselves!  It was such a wonderful time, and best of all, Carter felt SO loved and SPECIAL from all his family and friends! 

This Carter-man is truly one amazing kid, a superhero of his own kind.

And if you're planning a birthday party,

borrow the Bike Parade idea.

It's too good to pass up.

It finally happened

Eight years.  Five years, really, and we finally "forgot" our anniversary.

When Carter was born on the exact day of our 3rd anniversary, we thought we'd never let the day pass without our own combination of birthday and anniversary celebrations.

Now, five years later, it happened:  We spent all night getting all ready for Carter's big day.  In the morning we had the birthday balloon fest, the birthday breakfast, the birthday presents, and as we were rushing to get Steve out the door for his train, I quickly remembered, "Oh, yeah!  And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!"  Then we just chuckled. 

Oh well.  We're counting our big Puerto Rico trip coming up as our anniversary celebration.  Day not wasted.

Here's a flash of the last 8 years (or at least what we have digital, which is limited in the beginning).

The Dating Game

 

He's Almost Got Me

 It's Official November 2002

 April 2003, and ready for the great times together!

 

Learning to work as a team 

(and I am NOT a good tandem bike driver but I can sure follow!)

 Watch out Jungle Cats!

Ziplining through the jungle

 2004

 2005

 2006

 2007

 2008

2009

 2010

2011

Happy Anniversary, Steve!  Today or next week -- every day is a reason to celebrate with you!

WANTED: Patience

Dear friends,

I seem to have lost something rather important today.  It's my patience.  If any of you happen to find it, would you be so kind as to let me know where I can find it again?  My kids seem to be mourning its loss.

If there is beauty all around when there's love at home, then I guess we can say we weren't the only ones feelin' it:

But we CAN say that we tried!

THANK YOU to my dear friend that came over last minute to rescue me and send me on a shopping spree while she stayed home with my kids!
And YES, I'm returning most of it!

Addison's Stylin' Now!

Addison wanted to do his own hair today. Feeling patient, I consented.

After helping him comb it and getting a little palmade on his fingertips, I let him go to work.  He was so cute and precise about it, so I told him to come show me when he was done and off I went to finish getting ready.  After a while, I realized it had been kind of a while and I hadn't heard from him, so I went in to check.

To my surprise (although, duh, I should have thought of this!) Addison added WAY more palmade in his hair since I'd left, so much that I could squeegee some out with a comb!  So, we had some fun.  May I introduce:

The "Draco Malfoy" Addison

The Mohawk Addison

The "Steve Urkel" Addison

The "Too Cool for School" Addison

Steve's New Job

I know Steve's had to work late recently, but I had no idea it included a career change.

Glad you made it to the Stanley Cup, Steve.

Send us a postcard!

(Creepy look alike, don't you think?  Straight from the NHL Website.)

Don't Wake the Baby!

How long would you wait before you checked on your sleeping baby?

5 hours?

10 hours?

How about 14 hours?

Last night Alana and Addison fell asleep on the way home from church (4:15).  I put them in their beds when we got home and while Addison woke up at 8:30, just to get in his PJs and fall back asleep, Alana didn't make a single peep until she woke up this morning at 6:45.

I wish we could always wake up looking so glamorous and so happy!

Addison slept: 4:15p to 6:00a

Alana: 4:15p to 6:45a

Carter: 7:15p to well, still sleeping.

With an accumulated score of 40.25 hours slept last night, I think we're set up for some really good moods today!

And you wonder why I don't smoke...

There are over 4000 chemicals in one cigarette.

At least 69 are linked to cancer.

You might be familiar with some:

I taught this my 7-yr old class today about the good and bad things we put into our bodies.

I offered them a taste of toilet bowl cleaner, paint, insecticide, a battery, and a candle, and wisely they didn't want any of them.  Why? Because they're poisonous, they replied.

What if I just gave you a little bit of each of these things and wrapped them up real tight in white paper so you couldn't even tell what it was, then would you try it?  Eeww..no way!

Then I showed them this picture.

And they promised they would never smoke in their lives.

I'm with them.

0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds

Or at least worst mom to best mom in the same amount of time.

Here's how it goes:

Dropped off Carter at preschool

Only to realize it was Crazy Hair Day

And we forgot.

Immediately friends came up to Carter saying

"Look at My Crazy Hair" and "I want to see Carter's Crazy Hair"

and they were not tactful in pointing out that his hair was boring.

YIKES!  QUICK! Think!

Out to the car I flew, grabbed the lotion,

We snuck behind the cubbies

and magically turned his hair into an electric shock.

THE Kids thought that was the COOLEST!!

Mostly because they saw it transform before their eyes.

Phew!  Saved!  Granted, lotion won't stay in as well as the hard stuff I would have otherwise used,

But at least his head will be well moisturized!

Reusable Swim Diapers

I love these.  End of story.

I posted about these reusable cloth swim diapers last year, but wanted to do it again because my sister (*who makes them*) is offering a sale, AND she's coming to visit (*yea!*) so you can ditch the shipping cost!

Things I love:

1. Adjustable Plastic Snaps -- grows with the kid, easy on and off.
2. Super soft and comfy.
3. Slim Fitting under suits.
4. Super Cute. (No thanks, to Nemo or Winnie the Pooh  from Huggies)
5. Saves oodles and oodles of money that I can now spend on more important things, like smoothies and toenail polish.
6. Totally works to keeps everything in after an accident, and SO much easier to take off than the Huggies ones.
7. I'd buy swim diapers any way, might as well buy them from her (and save money)

I have 2 diapers per kid.  That's it.  Cheri only uses 1 per kid.  With these, I never run out of swim diapers.  I never have to run to the store to buy more.  And I love little running bums.  I love them  -- the diapers and the kids!

Because she loves me and I love you, she's offering 15% off due to the "Kerri Blog" special (normally $15 each or two for $25).  PLUS if you're lucky enough to live close by, she can bring them with her when she visits next week to save you on shipping.  Hooray!

How To Buy

Just check out her store (The Kitchen Sink Boutique) and purchase yours straight from there.  Enter in the coupon code FRIENDS15 when you check out to get your 15% discount.  If you’re local (as in close to me), she’ll reimburse your shipping charges after you’ve ordered and bring them with her next week (she comes the 18th).

She has several already made, but you can also pick your own combination of colors and she'll make it just for you.  When was the last time Huggies said they were thinking of you as they made your product?  Didn't think so.

If you know anyone else that might want these, pass the word along.  She’ll honor the coupon for anyone who hears about this!  Extra kudos if you post it on your 'awesome deal' section of your blog, too.

Is This What They Call a Shopaholic?

To All Men:

If you went shopping yesterday and just couldn't find your size, I'm sorry.  This might be why:

 

It was me.  I bought them out.  Steve's been too busy to go shopping for himself, so the kids and I conquered the mall yesterday and brought the shopping to him to try on, choose, and I'll return it later. 

2 Belts

5 Ties

10 Pairs of Brown Shoes

23 Pairs of Khaki Pants

Anyone want to guess how much that would all cost?

Steve guessed $900.

Cheri guessed $1150.

My Credit Card company, however, guessed something much higher, and put our credit card on FRAUD ALERT just before the last purchase.  This could have something to do with my wild shopping spree.  It could also have been triggered by Steve's attempt to puchase a flight for immediate departure at the same time.  "Someone's on a shopping rampage and trying to flee the country!  Quick -- freeze the account!"  As much as I appreciate the protection, I did not appreciate the 30 minute delay in my final shoe purchases.

I must confess, I loved being a personal shopper.

And this morning I successfully made all my returns.

Total Spent:  $1757.76

Total Returned:  $1553.77

HOLY COW!

I was just doing a $100-$200 purchases here and there...WOW how it adds up!  Happily, our credit card is happily back to normal, with the $1500 + back safe and sound.

All's well that Ends well.  And Steve's Store is closing business until next season.

Didn't know I married Danny Tanner

Yes, he was seriously vacuuming the patio.

I couldn't believe it either.

Keepin' up with her peeps

Scrolling through some old pics, I came across these gems.

Perhaps it's proof that having a girl doesn't mean all tea parties and story times.

Perhaps it's the brotherly influence.

Or perhaps its just that these things would have freaked me out as a first time mom, but now have me telling her to "hold that pose" by the third time around.

one of her many balancing acts

no, no, no, I said sit ON the potty!



her daily climb to the top

at 14 months

She is one seriously brave little girl!

She out runs every other toddler at the park to go to the highest point and slide down.

She disregards the "5 and up" signs and tries to climb anything her bros are doing.

Ahh, the things that make us proud.