Birthdays, All Around

 
 

We've had so much going on.... and all my children had birthdays in the past two months.

Clothilde, the "baby" is now 3!  She's talking so much now.  She helps out with everything.  She says she wants to be called Cinderella.  I think someone read her the story, or maybe Rose brought it up in a game.  It's fairly appropriate - the big kids do their best to be ugly step sisters every day with violent fights and bickering, and whining if they have to do the least little thing.  Clothilde, on the other hand, jumps right in and gets things done.

Her birthday was first.  She curled up and hid when everyone sang Happy Birthday.  It was too intense for her.  There were only a few presents, but all ones I knew she would love.

Rose is now 8 - really a big girl.  Girls grow up so fast.  By 12 it's hard to tell how old they actually are.  I had just gotten out of the hospital a couple of days before, but I still managed to wrap her presents and make her a birthday cake.  The cake didn't turn out as beautiful as I had hoped, but it tasted wonderful.  I know it seems silly to put in all that effort for a birthday cake, but my children talk about their birthday cakes ALL YEAR.  It's a big deal.

Mirin is 11.  I can't believe that!  He's huge.  He could be 13 or 14, because the boys tend to be short and immature.  It worries me a little, because he IS immature, he just doesn't look it.  He got scolded by some tree trimmers when he was trying to scavenge wood for carving because they thought he was skipping school to meet a girlfriend.  They wouldn't believe him that he is home schooled.  And he has no interest in girlfriends at all, just carving!

His birthday cake was really fun.  He let me make it a surprise.  Months ago he was lamenting that they had worms-in-dirt at a cub scout meeting, and he couldn't have any.  He said he wished he could eat junk food just so he could eat things like that.  So I made a healthy version of worms-in-dirt for him for his birthday.  I looked up some recipes - they were absolutely revolting as far as ingredients - and ended up using the Carob Bavarian Cream recipe from Nourishing Traditions and making the chocolate cookie crumbs with melted cocoa butter, almond flour, honey, vanilla and carob (it was tossed together in the moment, so I don't have the recipe to share without a lot of guesswork).  The worms were lemon juice, honey and gelatin.  I couldn't find a gummy worm mold anywhere, so I just poured it into a pan and sliced it into strips.  Mirin loved it.  I was pleased to be able to make a version without instant chocolate pudding, cool whip, Oreos, and candy for him.  Gods, I don't know how people can even eat that stuff!  Just reading the recipes made me feel nauseous.