A whole lotta birthday!

Today was the massive family & friends birthday party for Meredith and Aaron that we've been planning for what seems like weeks! Because their birthdays are only six weeks apart, and those weeks fall around Easter and Mother's Day, this year we decided to try celebrating their birthdays together with the extended family and friends. We chose a date that was a little late for Meredith, a little early for Aaron, and gave it a whirl. It was a blast, and I think both kids had a great time. They are both so very fortunate to have such loving aunties, uncles, grandparents and friends.

What I had not bargained for was just how long it would take me to pull together two birthday cakes. I love making the kids' cakes partly because I have such fond memories of the cakes my mom made for me as a child. Meredith was not to be deterred from her desire for an Atomic Betty birthday cake. Atomic Betty is the star of a cartoon Meredith happened upon somehow, which has become her fast favourite. It's a pretty neat cartoon actually, it's Canadian made and Betty lives in "Moose Jaw Heights" when she's not out fighting crime as a galactic guardian.



Meredith stood on a stool at the counter and watched me ice this cake for what seemed like hours yesterday. After a preliminary "But that's not really the colour of Atomic Betty's hair....", her comments were so encouraging and sweet. I felt like a world champion cake decorator by the time it was done, given her heartfelt reaction to it!

Aaron is really into trains right now, so I'd planned to make a Percy cake since he likes green trains the best of all! After the prolonged stint of Betty-making however, I wasn't feeling terribly atomic myself, so the plan for his cake got downgraded a little. Many thanks to Alanna for her loan of the fabulous track/train cake topper!



He was thrilled with the cake, and I've resolved to make his first next year. :) So on to the best part of the day, singing Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles.

Completely charmed with the sounds of 30-some people singing Happy Birthday to him....


And even more pleased with himself once he'd blown the candles out (thankfully without spitting all over the cake.....)



We moved on to sing it all again to big sister and she drew in a big breath to blow...



Can't....fight....the....urge....to....blow....out....her....candles...too....




Summarily returned to his seat by the long arm of the law....



Mission accomplished!