scrawls.

scrawls

still cheaper than therapy*

15.10.08

birthday

We didn't do much. What's another day? But you got, of course, those crayons-that-are-not-crayons, and some markers, and some paper to go with, and a nice big bucket of Duplos all from us. And a ball with Christopher Robin on it.

One set of grandparents sent you a very nice snow suit, a jacket and pants so you can go in the snow (which should be beginning shortly) and not get cold. And also some toys, a flip phone and a shape-sorting box. And you got CDs from your cousins and a delicious warm pair of boots that are so soft, i can't even tell you. And some very cute clothes. And the other grandparents sent a little wheely cart with a compartment under the seat and it is very squat, and orange, this cart, with a little car-phone on the side only it's a rotary landline, and you have no idea what to do with a rotary landline. But the cart you can sit on (albeit backwards) and push around and put things in the compartment, and you really like it. The flip phone, too, and the Duplos and the markers, all favorites. Especially the flip phone. It's, ah, loud. But you haven't got a lot of very loud toys, so that's okay. I guess. The implements of artistry we can't really let you play with at all alone, i have to keep one hand on whatever marker you've got at all times or else you draw on your face, but you seem to like them anyway.

But so many presents, and instead of being overwhelming and doing it all up like crazy we gave you one present a day for a week and a bit. And that was good: you got to really focus on each thing. Less pressure on everybody.

On your actual birthday we had proper spaghetti to try and get you to put it on your head like all those classical babies do; but you ate it very neatly, one strand at a time, like in the Lady and the Tramp. As it turns out, miso soup is something you'll dump everywhere from being so excited, oh, the deliciousness, but you hadn't had miso soup at the time. Now we know. And then this was the cake i made you, from here:

Applesauce Cake Recipe: 1/2 cup oil; 1/2 cup normal sugar; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 2 cups flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon cloves; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup applesauce. Mix things. Use baking-paper-lined-pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Icing (it's my own invention): Most of one tub, mascarpone cheese; Quite a bit of brown sugar; Real maple syrup, not enough to make the mascarpone melty. Mix things. Makes brown icing. White letters can be dome with straight mascarpone piped out of one corner of a Ziplock bag. (Later, use the rest of the tub of mascarpone to make really, really delicious mashed potatoes. Yum. And you ate a whole lot of that.)

I think you liked the cake. Mommy and Daddy liked the cake. But i came in with one candle on it, one of the big number ones, and your eyes got so big. Bigger than they got the next day with the miso soup, even. All that magic we're making just for you. And the cake, too.

Labels: festivities, food

scrawled @ 16:09