Having his cake

We're gearing up for the birthday celebration chez Mouse. Family is starting to arrive and the party at home will be on Sunday--not Scooter's real birthday, but the closest date on which visiting family could be here. For his real birthday, we'll have a small party during afternoon snack at his school.

(Brief aside: As something of a compromise since we don't do the big, rent-out-a-play-area, invite-the-whole-class party at this point, we bring the equivalent of favors to his class. Of course, the environmentalist in me (as well as the part that really doesn't want to perpetuate the manufacture of cheap, plastic toys) tries to come up with something a little different/useful. Last year I folded scrapbook paper into origami cups and filled them with swirly crayons, stickers, and coloring sheets. This year I'm using peat pots and adding some seeds and (again) stickers.)

Scooter informed us a couple days ago that he wants a Thomas the Tank Engine birthday cake and presents--a music box and a hopping frog. I think the presents are based on some things he saw on "Max and Ruby" or "Timothy Goes to School." But the cake is definitely something he came up with on his own. He has also decided that Grandma and Grandpa must be bringing the cake with him; they're missing and the cake's missing, so it's obvious they're bringing it.

Luckily, one of our presents this past Christmas was a train cake pan. And while Grandma will not be bringing a cake with her, she will be baking it Saturday night; I will be decorating it. Now if you click through to the picture, you'll see that the pan makes 9 small cakes. There will be 6 of us here for the celebration. So Scooter will be having his cake and a whole lot of it!