Photos from the birthday party :)

This was an all-day preparation, even though most of the food was pre-made (except for the cupcakes and cake). I had fun with the day, though, and I think everyone else did, too 🙂

The really cute beehive cakepan that Mom ordered wasn’t here by noon on Saturday, so I went with a makeshift alternative. Ray and Becky arrived around 1pm, and Becky and I went to the grocery store to get some ice for the drinks and watermelon. When we got back, the cakepan had arrived, so I went ahead and baked that up. Note for the future: brownie mix in the middle of a yellow cake doesn’t work. It remains molten (tasty goo).

Anyhow, Ivy really enjoyed playing with the washtub. Picking up the ice and eating it, rolling the watermelon, etc.

Mom made the bee cupcakes on Thursday and then she and I decorated them that evening after tracking down the various little candy parts. They are yellow cake with Hershey’s kisses in the middle, Necco wafer wings and licorice antennae and stingers. Cute, I think 🙂

Dinner itself was BBQ: brisket and sausage slices, jalapeno cheesbread, potato salad, colesaw and drinks and watermelon from the photo above. Then we opened gifts (all clothes, 18mo – 2T, YAY!!!) and got down to business with the cake and singing.

At first, Ivy wasn’t sure what to make of the cake. So, she checked it out and gave it a test taste while the paparazzi gathered.

Pretty soon, she discovered the frosting could be eaten AND worn, and it was off to the races. Especially after her aunt Tandy cut the cake up some so that she could tear into it (nice firm poundcake, except for the liquefied brownie center). There was surprisingly little collateral damage, but by then it was around 8:15, and the birthday girl was getting tired and a little cranky.

So, we surveyed the destruction and declared it sufficiently smashed and I scooped up Miss Sticky for a bath. Wound up having to clean green and yellow frosting off the toiletbowl seat in the bathroom, because that’s her favorite place to hang on and dance/bounce, while getting prepped for the tub. LOL.

Her mood improved enough to finish off a bottle and pass out without a fight around 9pm. Down into bed, and then most of the guests returned home (those with other children). Some of the guys hung around and played on the PS2. Mom and Becky and I chatted, and then everything was cleaned up, put away, wrapped up and ended around 11:30pm. Long, tiring, but fun day!