Busy Days and a Birthday!

I feel like I haven't even looked at my blog in days. Or has it been a couple weeks already?  Things have been cruising along at a rapid pace here chez Prairie Girl.

With a new schedule of preschool and skating lessons, and all the usual things like running into the city for doctor appointments, trying to keep on top of day to day housework, and the like things have been hectic to say the least.

Part of that hectic last week was preparing for a very special day! Baby Boy turned three this past Monday.  How?!?! How is it even possible that this wee little baby is now already three years old?

Baby Boy - A few hours old!

Giving his very biggest three year old smile
wearing this year's birthday crown, perfect for a Rescue Bots fan

Yes sir. Time flies! It was in a blink of the eye that he went from teeny tiny newborn to big boy!

We had a party last Saturday with the family for him.  He was very excited that all his brothers and his sister were able to come to his party, as well as Grandma, a few aunties and uncles and some of his cousins too. He had lots of fun, and quite liked his cake that I made to look like the Rescue Bot emblem that he has on his crown.

Cake with sparklers! What more could a boy ask for ?

Cake and fun. Really what more could a boy ask for? Well... presents of course are always nice! He hit the jackpot in new toys - Oh My Word!!!! It was like Christmas in our house that evening!

Fun opening presents with cousins!

What a day!!!

On Monday, it was his actual birthday. Daddy was on a vacation day from work, so we dropped Little Man off at preschool for the morning, then did some errands with Baby Boy. We met up with Little Man at the library - he was on his very first ever field trip! - and had fun choosing some books then went for Birthday Lunch at McDonalds. When we got home I made yet another cake. Baby Boy was quite insistent that he needed a volcano cake too, just like his brother had for his birthday, so I made a mini version. Needless to say, I don't think I want to make or eat cake for quite some time now...

The mini volcano cake

More sparklers and candles too!!

It was also N's 19th birthday the week before. And because he was home for the party I had made some pumpkin spice cupcakes for him and planned to put a candle in and sing him happy birthday too. Unfortunately, after almost everyone had left except J, N and N's girlfriend, I suddenly remembered the cupcakes that were in the freezer. So then I figured I'd just send them home with him to enjoy whenever he wanted. Except, I just found them still in the freezer the other day. Ooops! N - if you're reading this I hope you'll forgive your old mama. I promise I will make you pumpkin pie or pumpkin cupcakes - your choice - the very next time you're home. (and look at that... I'll wager that as good a bribe as any to get my kid to come home to visit! ha ha!)

Birthday Time!

It was birthday time around here this past weekend. Little Toddler Man and I celebrated another year older on Friday. I suppose being four years old, means he's not really a toddler anymore, is he? Maybe he hasn't been for awhile and I've just been clinging to the idea that he's still little...

I thought I'd share some pictures of the fun with you!

I made the now traditional annual birthday crown. Little Man is thoroughly obsessed with dinosaurs right now, so it seemed fitting his crown be dino related. Volcanoes and lava are also very important apparently so I thought I'd incorporate that too. I was quite happy with the result, as was he!

Rawr! 

Volcanoes and Lava!!

On Friday night we had a small gathering with a few people that weren't going to be able to make it out for the party the next day. Little Man was excited to open some presents and have some cake, but it was a late night and the birthday boy ended up pretty tuckered out by the end of the evening.

Whoot! Dinos!!

The Birthday Boy and his big sister G!

Birthday Snuggles from Aunty G!

The next morning J and his girlfriend arrived early in the day (thank goodness!!) and jumped right into helping prepare for the party! They also pitched in to help decorate the cake that was a volcano made from a layer of chocolate cake, a layer of homemade strawberry ice cream, a layer of homemade chocolate ice cream, which was all covered with chocolate buttercream and then covered in clodhoppers candies. Strawberry sauce stood in as lava and sparklers, candles and plastic dinos completed the cake that Little Man has been planning since about February.

Team Work!

Sparklers in my face - not sure I like that much...

Ready to blow out his candles!

All in all it was a good birthday weekend, which (BF)G, Baby Boy, Little Man and I finished off with a trip to the beach on Sunday afternoon!

Fun on the beach!

Some Birthdays

We had a couple birthdays lately! On September 30th, N turned 18! I'd post a picture, but I haven't clapped eyes on him in quite some time so I don't have one. He keeps telling us he'll be home soon...

On October 7th, Baby Boy turned TWO!!! That event I have pictures of! I did a quasi-train themed party. Cake, treats for the goody bags and his birthday crown had a train theme. That's about the extent of my "theme-ness"

Chocolate Cake Supreme With Buttercream Frosting

Train shaped sugar cookies

Train shaped cheddar crackers

The Birthday Boy in his train crown

Happy Birthday to my boys!!!!

Chocolate Cake Supreme

Little Toddler Man's 3rd Birthday party was on Saturday. When I asked him what he'd like for his cake he had two very specific requests. It had to be "brown" cake and it had to have "diggers" on it.

Given these particulars I set to work. (BF)G made a trip one day after work to Toys R Us for the diggers, and I dug out my tried and true favourite chocolate cake recipe. The recipe came from Myrna, a wonderful lady, who was part of our close knit Highland Dance community here.

I've made it countless times over the years, it's easy as can be, and has never failed me yet! Next time you have a need for chocolate cake try it out! You won't be disappointed! Promise!

Makes awesome cupcakes too!

Chocolate Cake Supreme

2 cups flour
1 2/3 cups white sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine (or if you're like my Mom and feel ill at the very thought of using butter or margarine go ahead and sub in shortening instead)
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350F (170C)

Combine all ingredients into mixing bowl, beat with mixer on medium speed for two minutes until creamy. Pour into greased and floured pans or divide into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners.

Bake for:
2 9" rounds - approx. 35 minutes
1 9x13" rectangle - approx. 35 minutes
Cupcakes - approx. 20 minutes

When cool complete with buttercream frosting.

Fluffy Buttercream!

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine (or again see note above about subbing)
1 tsp vanilla
2-4 TBSP milk
4 cups icing (confectioner's sugar)

Mix all with hand mixer until creamy and smooth.

Variation: for chocolate add in 1/3 cup cocoa powder

Told ya it was easy peasy! :)

Happy Birthday LTM!