Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread - Proverbs 30:8

Monday, January 13, 2014

Our Birthday Cake Tradition

I've mentioned before and I mentioned again last week that we have a birthday cake tradition of sorts. First of all, the birthday girl gets to choose the flavor and design of her cake. And better yet, she gets to do as much of the decorating as she wants.

It all happened 4 years ago on accident. My oldest daughter was turning 5 and wanted a "world" cake. This was before pinterest, so I had to rely on google to find images and ideas. I spent several hours searching and planning just how I would do this. I was a little concerned how it would turn out because I knew I wasn't a master cake decorator. The dinosaur cake I tried to make when she was 3 was proof of that.

So I made the cake and frosted it. Then I got out all my decorating supplies and suddenly was surrounded by my daughters and my husband. They started questioning what I was doing and then started telling me how I should be doing it.

I was mad. I had a plan. I had spent part of my week and day figuring out what I was going to do and here they were coming in telling me differently.

I wish I could say that I graciously handed over the reigns to them, but I'm not that mature. Or at least I wasn't 4 years ago.

Instead, I sulked out of the kitchen, wounded and mad.

But then I heard Sydney sharing all her ideas and talking very excitedly about her cake. That's when I realized that this was about her...not me. Even though I thought I had a good idea of how to make the cake and wanted to surprise her, she was in the kitchen creating the cake she had thought up.

This is how it should be. And so began a new tradition in our family.

No, the cakes aren't going to win any decorating contests, but my versions wouldn't have either. I really need to go dig up a photo of that dinosaur cake....


Here are the cakes from the past four years...

Sydney's Cakes
2010 ~ Earth
I love the random islands and the dolphins swimming in the ocean. Also the star sprinkles marking where we have lived and currently live. 



2011 ~ Narnia / Aslan



2012 ~ Castle



2013 ~ Lego 




2014 ~ Golden



and now Kayleigh's cakes
2010 ~ Princess



2011 ~ Flowers 
she's holding the design she made on paper earlier that day



2012 ~ Heart



2013 ~ Candy





And just to prove to you that I have no cake skills.....my t-rex

4 comments:

  1. I love this tradition. I think I may have to do a little bit of this as the boys get older since I'm losing the motivation for decorating! And I think that's a GREAT dinosaur!!

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    1. You are too kind, Mary. Your cakes are awesome!

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  2. I don't know... I'm think that T-Rex looks pretty good to me. It does look like a dinosaur. This is a great idea!

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    1. Maybe I should have put up a photo of the Mt. St. Helens cake I tried to make for my hubby. Oh it was sad....

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