Baking Cakes, Ordering Balloons and Other Birthday Goings On

Birthday Eve is upon us. Tomorrow BigBrother turns four. Their birthday party is this Sunday. LittleBrother will turn two just two days after their joint birthday party. As some people can’t attend the birthday party, I’m sure we’ll be getting some gifts at our Thanksgiving celebration back in Pennsylvania next Thursday. And, so begins two weeks of birthday celebrations.

I’m kind of tired just thinking about it all.

I realized sometime in the middle of last week that neither our local bakery nor the Big Store in Town carry a Toy Story theme pack for their cakes. I had already ordered some rings to top the cupcakes BigBrother will take to his preschool class but I had no back up plan for the cake issue. BigBrother has asked for a Toy Story cake and I promised to deliver. Thankfully BurghBaby pointed me to some figures at the Disney Store (online) and they should be here in time for the party. Unlike the rings and balloons which I ordered from eBay long before the figures from the Disney Store. I ordered them on November 9th and they weren’t even shipped until Friday, November 13th. I need the rings by tomorrow. Not likely. I’m peeved to say the very least. Hopefully the balloons, in the same order, arrive in time for the party. I can’t seem to catch a break with this party.

Did I mention that I never got to mail the invitations I made? That flu and the following respiratory infection that I had took 12 days out of my life. The 12 days leading up to a birthday are quite important. Some balls were dropped. Such is life. At least the presents are wrapped. (As a side note, they do not currently make Toy Story wrapping paper.) It’s this flu that makes me glad that I started purchasing for birthday and Christmas way back in June. See? Over-planning has its time and place.

Back to cakes. I bake the boys each a cake on their own birthday. With the whole lack of Toy Story themes available, I was going to bake their party cake too. But three cakes in seven days felt like a little much to me so I caved and ordered a cake that says the normal Happy Birthday stuff with some stars and I’m going to throw the previously mentioned figures on the cake, maybe some sprinkles and their candles and, voila! Toy Story cake! I’m not the perfect Betty Crocker Mom. Please don’t sue me. Or tell my grandmother.

As for their birthday-days, they each get to have their cake and open their birthday presents on their birthdays. We’ll have to drag all of those things to the Fire Department on LittleBrother’s birthday as FireDad happens to work. That should be fun though, don’t you think? Cake, presents and fire trucks? BigBrother will probably be miffed that he didn’t get fire trucks on his birthday. It’s hard to please everyone, even on their birthdays.

I share all of this with you because I already wrote about my emotions over on the Chronicles. This busy work involved in the planning of their birthday-days and their birthday party keep my mind off the emotional aspects of the next week (and a half). I enjoy the logistics of it all, even if I screwed up on invitations and someone else’s shipping messed up some plans. I love celebrating the fact that we have had four and two years with our wonderful boys. I love watching their eyes light up when they open presents and when they blow out their candles. I love our family.

Even if the next week and a half, Thanksgiving included, have us busier than I really prefer. It’s worth it.

I mean, obviously.

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[Notes: We're wearing The Day the Fire Brigade Went on Strike from Threadless. I've blogged about it before. Also, we just launched a coloring contest and giveaway over at the review blog. Finally, we will be participating in Bloggers Unite Fight for Preemies tomorrow. Come back for some in depth details on my complicated pregnancies and a celebration of four years with BigBrother; a true miracle in itself.]