Ella's sixth brithday...the cake!

           Since we didn't have a big party I offered to make a cake for Ella's birthday dinner.  This was before I realized the insane week I'd have before her birthday and that I'd have NO time to even start the cake until the night before.  I only had time to bake the cakes Sunday night and then had a couple hours on Monday morning to turn two round cakes into Hello Kitty before I had a babysitter coming so I could go write a paper for school and get home just in time to leave for the dinner with her friends.  Did I mention I didn't have the supplies to make the fondant yet?  And I had both kids home (no school that week before thanksgiving)?  Ella wasn't whiny or pushy about the cake and when i told her the night before I wasn't sure I could do it, she said "That's ok.  Don't worry. Just do whatever is best for you mom"  Really??  What just-turned-6 year old says that?  That pretty much sealed the deal that I was making this girl a cake!!  I really wanted to see her smile when she saw Hello Kitty in cake form.  So, I bit the bullet, went into warp speed mode and decided to do it.
      I packed up the kids, went to the store for the supplies and then put them in front of cartoons with 1.5hrs until I had to leave.  Whoa.  It was crazy world.  The hardest part for me with a fondant cake is actually laying the large piece of fondant on top of the cake and smoothing it.  It took me 5 or 6 tries on Sadie's Birthday Cake and was uber frustrating.  And that was just a round cake.  The kids played well the whole time I was prepping for this tough part but of course, the very moment I'm picking up the fondant to place on top of the cake Sadie was crying, holding onto my legs and wanting me to pick her up, Ella was dancing around behind her whining about how Sadie wouldn't stay with her in the other room, and the dog was licking powdered sugar off my feet.  By the grace of God I was able to "step out of my body" for a moment and see the scenario for the hilarious memory it would be even though I wanted to (and probably did) SCREAM!
     I did, somehow, get the cake done by the time the babysitter arrived.  Ella even helped color the fondant for the face and bow.  AND she was so in love with the finished result which made it 100% worth it!  I hope I never end up in such a time crunch again but I feel like I had a very clear oporutnity to do something to make Ella happy and I'm SO glad I didn't choose my own comfort over that. My kids are definitely making me a better person!

 

I forgot candles so Aunt Marissa held Aunt Amy's flame app on her phone up when we sang to Ella.  We're such 2011 parents!  Ha!  Good times :-)