Cupcakes

Over the past week and a half, I have started writing a lot of times, but I have never finished anything. Life has just been too crazy. Each time I sat down either someone needed something or I quickly realized my thoughts were incoherent. Among other things, we had visitors for a week, three out of four kids have been sick with really bad colds/bronchitis, we unexpectedly changed where Ree takes dance, and I've had to plan Leon and Michael's first ever "kid" birthday party.

Birthday party planning is always a bit of a struggle for me. For one thing, I am completely socially awkward, and I never know who to invite. In this case, the boys knew exactly who they wanted to invite from preschool, but I didn't know the parents. Long story short, I survived, and there are even children coming to the party.

The other party planning challenge is the overachiever perfectionist in me, wants to throw a "perfect" party like the ones all proudly displayed on Pinterest. Unfortunately, we don't have the money to buy all the necessary crap to make everything perfectly themed, and I am lacking the time to make it myself. (And in some instances, I just can't justify the waste of so much of the stuff.) I also want the kids to be involved. Thankfully, I know it really comes down to the birthday children having fun, and I am usually able to let go. Or I just throw myself in head first before I have time to think about it.

The birthday party is this Saturday, and earlier this week Leon and Michael helped me bake cupcakes. This wasn't really a planned endeavor, so I began by giving them a choice of either having yellow cupcakes or a chocolate cupcakes, using the two cake mixes I had on hand. They settled on half "vanilla" cupcakes and half chocolate. So we mixed up the yellow cake mix, I divided the batter, and I added cocoa to half. (We actually sifted it in, and Leon loved that part.) After the batter was divided and flavored, they informed me they wanted "swirled" cupcakes. With the batter swirled in the mixing bowl. So swirl we did. And they proudly made gray cupcakes. Really weird, elephant colored cupcakes.

All the food bloggers out there would cringe. But when I tucked them in to bed that night and asked their favorite part of the day, both Leon and Michael said, "Making cupcakes!" I may cringe a little too at the sight of the cupcakes, but it's hard to argue with their enthusiasm. Not to mention, it's nothing a little icing can't hide. I can't wait to see how they decorate them.