I'm No Ace of Cakes but I Received an Award Anyway

Calvin turned four on Saturday, and per his request, I attempted to make a space shuttle cake. To understand what a big undertaking this was for me, you should realize that the most elaborate cake I have ever made was a cake mix in two round pans, layered, iced, and covered in sprinkles. Usually, we get cake mix in a rectangular pan, poorly iced. This was still a box mix (actually two) and store bought icing, and it certainly isn't flight-ready. We nearly lost the icing on the 40 minute drive to my in-laws on the hottest day in weeks, but we got the cake in the freezer just in time, only a few minor cracks. As an added touch, we stuck the candles in the back to light them, so that the shuttle engines were "firing." Thankfully, four-year-olds are easily pleased, and I wasn't expected to be an ace of cakes.

In line with the space theme, Calvin received a plethora of space presents, including an astronaut suit that convinced me that he needs a career involving a uniform. Calvin has always had this way of revealing what he will look like as a grown man (we called him a little old man when he was a baby), and I have never seen it more clearly than I did in that suit. He is going to be a handsome fella! The helmet for the suit is about five times the size of a toddler's head, and Hobbes amused us all by walking around, helmet down over his shoulders, visor hiding his face, shouting "1-2-3-4-5 Blast Off!" (Hobbes hasn't quite figured out counting down.) Calvin also received a rocket from his Daddy, which they proceeded to shoot off a couple of times in my in-laws' huge field. All-in-all, it was a fantastic sort of day, even if it was as hot as Mercury!

Now we are suffering from some severe post-birthday syndrome, compounded by post-Nana syndrome, and it has been a rough day. I pretty much forced them both to take naps to keep us all sane. Hopefully I will have some interesting posts up soon, but I wanted to get a pic of the cake for those who requested it. I'm not sure why you wanted to see it, but now you have. I'm certainly not a brilliant cake maker.

I don't think I am a brilliant blogger, either, but Kerry of Ten O'Clock Scholar was kind enough to pass this award to me anyway.


I am not too good at this award thing, but I will pass it on to a few people. If you read my blog and see your name here, feel free to pass this on to others. Thanks for giving me such good food for thought!

Tipper at Blind Pig and the Acorn posts wonderful stories and music of my beloved Appalachia. She also gives away a wonderful piece of her folk art every month, so check her out.

My real-life friends Catherine and Farrah always write honest and thoughtful posts about motherhood and faith and many other topics. You won't be sorry you visited their blogs.

Kate at A Telling Place already received this award from Kerry, but that shows you how great her writing is. She is a Blue Ridge mountaineer living in Scotland, and her honest and deep writing has challenged me regularly over the past few months. She also has great taste in books.

My husband says that if you only read one blog it should be Father Stephen's. I am inclined to agree with him. A more humble, thoughtful, and well-written blog I have never found. Be careful, though, or he may convince you to convert to Orthodoxy!