Monkey Lobster

11

We celebrated Elsa's birthday recently. What a cool kid she is. She woke up and chose to be happy because it was her birthday, with no real expectations of the day. She was just thrilled to have completed one more year of life.

I've had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with her this past month. Volunteering at school, going on field trips and hanging out with her friends. She has so much fun. Her friends are a loud, fun, and talented crew of kids up for anything, and Elsa is so kind, accepting and confident. It was so exciting for me to be with her in her element.

We went to a wedding recently where she was the only kids amongst a sea of wild 20 somethings. As soon as the music came on she hit the dance floor and partied like a champ. When asked if she wanted to sing karaoke, she did not hesitate. She just squeezes every drop of joy from life, no mater what the scene.

Middle school can't wait to have her.

Cyrus turns 6

We did it. We had a birthday party for Cyrus. And he loved it.

Although Cyrus' birthday is full of joy and celebration, it is also so loaded with so many other emotions. Raising a child with significant special needs is like walking down a different path than everybody else. A path that is taking you somewhere that no one else is going. Even the parents who have children with special needs, aren't walking down your path. I often find myself being challenged by everyday things, like a birthday party.

I love to host kids birthday parties. I love the cake and the decorations and the activities and the chaos. It's something that I'm good at, but having a party for Cyrus was anxiety provoking.

Who would I invite? Would they want to come? What if they didn't come? What do people at school know about Cyrus? Would Cyrus be O.K. with it all? Would he understand what was going on? Would it be fun? So I'd avoided it until now.

I spent the hours before the party pacing and sweating. But it was all just fine. People came, they all knew Cyrus, he was so happy to have them at his home, and it was even fun. 

party people

I love having her friends over. I feel like it is a peice of her life that I get to share that not every parent is invited to. I'm sure that the time will come for her to push me away, but for now I still get to party with the girls. I like to pretend I am one of the girls.

10 resolutions

I've never done New Year's Resolutions before, but I am inspired this year so here goes:

1. make time to play more music
2. spend more time teaching Elsa to play the guitar
3. read more to Cyrus
4. become a runner
5. grow and eat more kale
6. make 2 new friends
7. play more soccer
8. be less judgemental of others
9. do things in moderation (excluding gardening)
10. talk to my mother more often

 

Just saw this message pop of for the first time, "No misspellings found".

Must be a good sign.

(I just noticed that I wrote pop-of instead of pop-up, oh well can't win 'em all.)

party people

A happy birthday it was. Filled with strawberries, sushi, family and friends to share it with, and well, a boat.  Yes, that's right, we now own a boat.

cyrus is four

My sweet boy is now four.  Hard to believe my baby has gown so much. For his birthday I made him a photo book with pictures of his beloved Meow, and a photo book of his family.  He was thrilled.



For the first time, his birthday came with much joy and anticipation this year.  Celebrating birthdays of a child with developmental delays can be bitter sweet.  I still worry, I still wonder everyday what he would have been like without a disability, I worry about when people ask me how old he is and how I have to say four, and how he obviously does not seem four, and how I am going to explain myself. But for the most part this year I celebrate his fourth birthday with joy.  

Cyrus is the sweetest boy on earth, and no mother has ever loved any boy as much as I love this boy.

Elsa is 8.

 


My wild-woman asked for a bow and arrow and a carrot cake for her 8th birthday.  What a cool kid you are.   
Not to mention kind, loving and generous. 

celebration

 

 

This chocolate crepe cake with almond meringue cream and ganache frosting was SOOOO good.  I usually go for the O.K. tasting but impressive looking cake.  This time I wanted something that was going to taste fabulous, and it did.  It was pretty easy to make and can be made days in advance. I could not find the hazelnut cream it called for so I substituted with almond paste. Thanks to martha and the company that helped to eat it.  

Cyrus turns three

I can't believe it's been three years.  It's been a crazy three years for us. Having a second baby, ending up in the ICU, learning that he was different, dealing with many medical issues, specialist and surgeries, learning to be a parent of a child with special needs and then one day without even knowing it just being a parent. I'm not saying that it's no longer on my mind that Cyrus is different than other children, it just isn't the first thing on my mind.  Things just seem more settled, I feel more "normal".  Not so worried that someone might ask me how old he is and not know what to say, or that no-one will like him because he doesn't understand language. He is just the cutest, sweetest thing on the planet, and I am so happy to have him in my life.

We had a party for him this weekend with cake and lots of music and dancing.  He had a good time.

 

Easier than pie

Maybe not easier, but this particular cake is surely as easy.

So the cake starts here, not so pretty.

I first covered the cake with a "crumb coat", a thin layer of frosting to lock in all the crumbs and create a smooth surface.

Then I filled a pastry bag and "star" tip with chocolate frosting.  I squeezed little starts along the bottom and then did a zig-zag around the edge of the cake. Here is a great site for tools and tips, Micheals crafts stores also have loads of tips and things.

I continued my zig-zag all the way into the middle of the cake and arranged strawberries in the center. 

Piled on some the chocolate covered strawberries, and finally covered up some blemishes with a star here and there.

The kids (and chickens) all loved it.