Big L's 7th Pokemon Birthday

This year Big L decided that he wanted to tie-dye t-shirts for his birthday. So we had his birthday party at Tie-Dye Town.  I had them personalize the shirts with a drawing of Mega Lucario since L wanted a Pokemon theme.

modelling the finished shirts

The kids painted a big mural for the birthday boy, did spin art and tie-dyed shirts.

Then the kids dressed up with crazy wigs and sunglasses.  I loved this part!

As the theme L chose was Pokemon, he had to have a Pokemon cake. This is Mega Charizard X blowing blue flames in front of a 3D pokeball.  I made a chocolate cake with a ganache coating and covered it in fondant.  And for the guests, I had Pokeball cupcakes.

Dear Big L,
You are growing up so fast.  I can't believe you are already 7.  You tower over your classmates, topping the height charts over 95th percentile, but you are so tender hearted and a big softy.  A true gentle giant.  You look just like your dad but our personalities are so identical.  Yet you are still fierce when sparring in TKD and competing in sports.  You've become an amazing swimmer this past year already learning multiple strokes.  I'm proud of how far you've come from last summer when you wouldn't even put your head under water.  Your school teacher tells me you are a great student and how she intentionally puts struggling kids at your table so that they can learn from your example.  These days you are really into battling and trading Pokemon and have developed an interest in Minecraft.  You like reading instructional books about Minecraft and different Pokemon.  You still love to build freestyle out of any construction toy.  You bring such laughter and joy to our family and I pray you will carry that with you whereever you go.

Lil P's 5th Birthday

This year Lil P wanted to cook for her birthday.  I found a local culinary school where she and her friends could make their own pizzas and decorate cupcakes.  It was a success! 

The culinary school provided aprons for the kids to decorate.  To complete the look, I bought kid-sized chef hats and personalized them with each guest's name using iron ons that I photoshopped.  The mini chefs looked so cute.

Lil P also requested a Frozen cake.  Every cake I've made over the last few years has been a learning process.  This was no different.  This was the first time I put fondant over a cold buttercream coated cake.  While it produced a nice top and edge and smooth finish, the next day the fondant started to sag in some parts due to the softened buttercream.  Next time I will try a ganache coating under the fondant.  The tree also turned out a little wider than I had planned but I had just enough leaves prepared for one tree so there was no redoing it.  The icebergs in the back were fondant with tylose powder mixed in.  It could probably have used a little more tylose powder to firm it up more but otherwise, the dowels I used provided great support. 

Dear Lil P,

     You have grown in leaps and bounds this past year.  You started pre-k4, and your new teacher tells me you are the "model student."   You are also such a big help to me at home too, always playing with baby T and attentive of his needs.  You always understand what he's asking for and interpret for us.  You are his "Bom-bee."   It's no wonder that he always looks for you when you are at school and happily hugs you when we go to pick you up.  You are an awesome older sister and I hope you will always look out for baby T.
     With each year, I see your vibrant personality come out even more.  You wear your heart on your sleeve. Your smile can light up a room.  And, even when you stick out your lower lip and hunch over in disappointment, you draw the attention of onlookers who say you are so cute.
     You still love to dance and sing.  I think you may become a performer one day.  You've made up your own "dumpling" dance which makes me laugh every time you do it.  You know how to pose with sass.  And you still love to belt out songs from Frozen or these days, Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off".
     You are one tough girl.  You have no problem keeping up with your big bro.  I often find you two sword fighting or trying to best each other.  You've even started learning nun chucks in TKD.  You are fierce and determined.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that you are still a little girl.
     Lil P, I pray that you would grow to be a strong, woman of God, confident in your identity and knowing you are so very loved.
love,
mom

Baby T turns 2!

This year we celebrated Baby T's 2nd birthday together with Grandpa's birthday with a quiet meal at home--well as quiet as it could be with 6 kids running around.  My sister and her family came up to celebrate with us.

In keeping with tradition, I made Elmo cupcakes for Baby T since he has come to love Elmo this year.  I used a combination of fondant and modeling chocolate.  The white part of the eyes and nose are fondant and the rest is made from modeling chocolate.

Dear Baby T,
     You have officially gone from being an infant to being a toddler.  Over the past few months you have become so independent and eager to do everything on your own.  Sometimes it's hard keeping up with you or to convince you to let me help you.
     You have a comical side to you and know how to make me laugh.  You have a special Cocomong dance that you do when you ask to watch it.  You love to squeeze your chubby little hands into my shirt sleeves.  It's become part of your bedtime ritual.  You've learned how to furrow your brow and hunch over when you are upset and sometimes you do it just to make me laugh.  You love back scratches and ask to be cradled like a baby right after a bath.  You love snoring, making fish faces and kissing the phone during video chats with your dad.
     When you are not busy amusing me, you are busy amazing me.  You love music and intently following along in music class.  You confidently sing the theme song to Elmo's World.  You love any sports ball that you can throw and anything that you can swing.  Your love for golf must be hereditary because you are always doing a golf swing even when you don't have a club in hand, just like your father.
     You love your "Bon-bee" and "Dan-din" (names you have given your big sister and brother because you can't pronounce their names) and love to do anything they are doing, whether it's wearing a tutu or sword fighting.  When they are at school you are always asking for them and eagerly greet them when they come home.
     Baby T, I pray you will always be filled with the same innocent and pure joy you exude now and will bless others with that joy wherever you go.   You fill our lives with so much laughter and we thank God for you.
Love,
Mommy