Oh my..He's 2:

 

 

 

 

I'm officially beat! After his birthday Thursday, I had a big day out in Melb with a wedding to photograph and then attend. I am always knackered after a wedding photoshoot..it's a busy, busy day..Sneak of these photos to come..

 

But before that I had to make the cake..He's crazy, mad for Thomas and Chuggington - like alot of little blokes his age - but when I googled Thoms cakes..I wasn't overly fussed with homemade results I was seeing. I think it is difficult to get clean lines needed for a train with either fondant of icing?

 

Then I stumbled across this 'no bake train cake'- and I loved it. Somehow it looked like a proper wooden type train. So I gave it a go. He LOVED it..To the point that when we dismantled the engine to serve it..He was most displeased - and desperately wanted to put the gingerbread drove back on!

 

He patiently waited all day for his presents and then waited while his Mama photographed him with the pile BEFORE ripping into them.. The Thomas track was a HIT and he quite liked little cookie monster and Elmo..All faves around here..

 

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY

My beautiful baby boy..

 

 

Not as planned:

Let me just preface this post by saying..I am in the back half of my cycle - if you know what I mean - and therefore my morning started in somewhat of an - eh? - frame of mind..

I was planning on simply dressing myself and kids and getting a coffee on the way to playgroup..Jumpstart definitely required.. I had no intentions of extending myself in anyway..Maybe a litle cruise around on the internet before leaving..Definitely relaxed and ignorant of chores that are always there to be done..

As I planted my feet on the ground from my warm and cozy bed, it struck me...After two days of celebrations..I had more to come..Rylan needed a cake for playgroup - in just two short freakin hours! There was no way my Mummy guilt would allow me to NOT do it...Milla having had THIS cake at playgroup only weeks before...

Needless to say, I hit the ground running.. Girls NOT so much.. It took them twenty-five solid minutes to emerge fully clothed from their bedrooms..Sheesh.. Lunches and healthy breakfasts made for ALL six of us and three lots of hair brushed and groomed..

I got them to school on time though - with no need to shove the out of the car still moving at 40km hour..Thankfully...

Back home I pulled the mixer from the cupboard and then paused to change a stinky bottom.. Sigh.. Moving on.. Packet cake ( leave me alone  I was on a time limit!) mixed and in the oven. Washing on..Bins emptied..Diswasher emptied and re-stacked.

Milla and Rylan dressed.. Cake out of oven and straight into freezer - if there ever was time I wish I had a Masterchef blast freezer - it was now....

Me in shower..Barely let water warm me and I'm out...Dressed and then quickly hang washing out in the sunshine..

Mix icing while drying hair - who knew it was possible??? Up end various toy tubs in search of Thomas...or Percy...Or James??? Freaking hell - I would settle for Coco, Brewster or Wilson too at this point - but none are anywhere to be found?? Seriously? On any given day I stand on, bath with, locate a freakin toy train in my undies draw...

Where the hell are they? Island of Sodor my arse.... Thankfully, Rod emerges from his sleep-in and locates them....

Cake decorated...Thomas in pride of place..Except the birthday boy is seemingly against his previously mislaid fave engine being coated in green icing..Wailing ensues....Sigh...

So, as is typical in my household..Nothing goes as you think..I left the house loaded up for birthday celebrations at playgroup..Having completed ALOT more than I anticipated and a little more too..
In my little world..That's cause for celebration..

Drive thru coffee here I come...

Just to ease your worried minds.. Thomas was not harmed and thoroughly cleaned for his efforts..
Much to a little fella's delight..

xx

Milla's bday take two and three:

I am getting the comment.."server returned invalid response' whenever I try to upload photos? If anyone knows what I can do to fix this so that I can upload properly..

I would GREATLY appreciate it...

Grumbly blogger signing off..photo free again..

Hey Hey! Thanks for your help Chloe and Teresa - I am functional and uploading!
Having no photos on my blog is like me without a voice...Seriously they are how I express what I wany to say..Didn't really realise how much a little snap means until I wasn't able to share them..

Any how here are Milla's birthday photos:

These were her cake pops I made for kinder last week. Luckily I was on kinder duty..So I was able to snap away happily. I rolled them myself. Following a recipe online.. BAke a cake..Crumble cooled cake and add some frosting..Roll mixture into ball and set in fridge.. Melt choc..Dip sticks in choc and stick into ball..Then swirl in choc ( this part I sucked at) and dip in freckles.. Leave to set..

 

Not bad..She loved them and the twins want them for their birthday now...

 

And now to the finale..Her ACTUAL birthday on Sunday..

She stated months ago, ( after viewing Harry Potter with her older sisters) that she wanted a castle cake..Think Hogwarts..Aaah...no..I convinced her a pretty fairy castle cake would be our compromise...

The idea started witha Donna Hay Fairy Castle cake...Thanks Cindy....

 

 

And ended up here...I didn't want to use fondant..Instead made swiss meringue buttercream and used sour straps for decorating.. The waffle cones were initially a great idea.. But they are angled? So had to jam them into the 'jam roll' towers.. Looks a bit wierd and wonky side on ( above) but ok full frontal!

Bye!

Her bday week begins:

Miss Moo Maa is four on Sunday..We kicked off her birthday celebrations this week with a self-decorated cake at playgroup. The idea was simple enough..We pre-iced it and then set it in the middle of the kids with bowls of various sweeties and away they went.. They clearly emptied the bowls of lollies and the resulting cake was a HIT! Many little hands make light work!

On a side note our Miss Milla is very popular..Please note THE kiss..She's a popular girl these days..Twin boyfriends at playgroup and a boyfriend at kinder too...

We also have cake pops to make for kinder on Friday and a fairy castle cake for her birthday proper...No party this year..BUT plenty of cake it seems:

Disclaimer: All kids hand were sanitized prior to decorating procedure...LOL..

XX