What I wanted to get - think this was from Shangri La, but Mandarin Oriental has similar... That's what we think when we think "cake" - that's what we ordered for clients and colleagues and friends. Not for kids? Kimora Lee Simmons had some super posh chocolate shoe like the above filled with fruit as a starter at one of her daughter's birthdays and I thought that was so cool. Well so's being a billionaire.
Ancient Pic of some cake they had at Mandarin Oriental
Is this one even edible...
Why do I pull out all the stops with cake and sweets? I just think if you are going to calorie-splurge, it should be with the best. Liqueur, dark chocolate…. ornate gastronomical offerings. Otherwise don’t bother. I’ve never dieted, not even to lose the 45lbs baby weight I gained from Rockstar (well 7.3lbs of that was Rockstar) because as a habit I don’t go for sweets or even soft drinks anyway, but apparently the go-hi-quality thing is a dieting trick – premium chocolates and whatnots tend to come in yes, smaller portions.
The kind of cake Rockstar wanted to get. Humph.
Anyway. For months, the Rockstar has been regaling me with detailed descriptions of classmates’ birthday cakes and favors. “Everyone got a strawberry!” “That’s another Cars (themed) cake!” “This time they were cupcakes with pink icing.” “There were little ‘presents’ on each cake!” Sigh. Okok, point taken. I also personalized fire engine-themed bag tags for his classmates (he wanted to give something to each classmate) – and attached them to fire hydrant cookies.
Spare bagtag and cookie
The other fire engine tags had names on them – that tag was a spare in case Rockstar had any new classmates after I’d emailed the lot to birthdayinabox.com. Figured I could borrow a marker at school to fill in any new kid’s name on the day. If you think this makes me thoughtful, not really. Just mildly obsessive compulsive – I thought it would bother some new kid to be new and not get one when everyone else had their full names on it and that bothered me more because it was something I’d thought of but hadn’t fixed.
Rockstar initially feigns nonchalance.
But don't let that fool you. See the satisfied face? He got his bday song.
So per Rockstar, I was supposed to swing a fire engine cake that had to be strictly no nuts (some of his friends have severe nut allergies), not chocolate (one of his friends apparently either hates chocolate – didn’t even know this was genetically possible – or gets sick from chocolate for real), and…. what about his vegan/ vegetarian friends? Cautiously, I ask if they have been eating all the other birthday cakes at school (one mum told me they don’t eat egg for religious reasons – I had other colleagues with similar beliefs who would however close one eye when their kids were outside of home…). Rockstar says they do. Phew. Otherwise, why bother to even have a cake. I already think his cake is going to be so blah compared to what I think cakes should be, but I might get in trouble with other mums for having something infused with Bailey’s Irish or Grand Marnier liqueur. Is my child tipsy coming off the school bus today? (Puh-lease. That was a joke. My child doesn’t liqueur either. Child Custody Services sod off, please.)
See? In fact he's thrilled <cue evil diabolical laugh>
We even caught him happily smiling to himself while everyone else has finished their cake and gone to do their quiet reading (y-eah he isn't a huge sweets child, he just wants the whole festive thing... In the end he couldn't finish the cake...)
The cutest thing was sometime during the course of the cake, cookie and reading time, Rockstar’s classmates would come up to me or Kings and politely say thank you for the cake before dancing off. As in, not like a whole bunch of them are made to line up and march up to us Von Trapp Family style or their teacher has to tell all of them to One, Two, Three All Pronounce A Staged “Thank You”, it’s very natural where they kind of have a mental note that at some point they are to come up and thank us.
Some were impish. Some apparently decided it was fun enough to do more than once. Some were “dutifully obedient.” Some came up to us before going off to the toilet, some did it on the way back. Sometimes I felt like I should do a little curtsy in return (I just thought they were really cute being so serious about it when they are so young). One classmate came running over, screeched to an abrupt halt right in front of me, then as we were staring face to face went, “Ummmmmm………..?” At my theatrical “You’re welcome,” he burst out laughing. One of Rockstar’s classmates who’s really shy and quiet is gently reminded, and I think he’s not going to say anything but he still looks up from a book into my face and says a quiet but audible thank you.
It was kinda nice to see Rockstar’s classmates were erm, kids, with all their different personalities. Polite kids. Not say, robots. And my son goes to school with these guys <proud>.
Rockstar in thermal undershirt enjoying his cookie after school and showing off red-stained tongue
Ps: Note I did not say “Rockstar celebrated his bday in school.” It is STILL not his actual birthday, but if we don’t celebrate this week he will have no cute little classmates to sing to him. And that was all he wanted. Better believe I got it all satisfyingly down on my iPhone for him to watch again and again. (We will probably celebrate the real day by letting him open his marble run Christmas present early, and maybe a whole bunch of candles for him to keep blowing out – well he gets to spend the day his way, right? Kings does – and he usually chooses to Sleep Marathon.)
Yes, it’s the last short-ish week of “school” before the hols. <nodding reassuringly> “Next year, when I go to the Big Boy School (he’s optimistic about interviews! Fingers and toes crossed!) you can have something at Playtown, Mum.” Sounds like his mother is just dying to have a party in Playtown.
Rockstar’s cake and cookies are from Saffron Bakery who do organic, strictly no nuts, customizable baked goods. They have 3 outlets, I went to the one on the Peak, will put up some pics of their quiet little cafe later on…
I just love the candid photos of Rockstar enjoying himself to the max! Thanks for posting them.
As always dear, thank YOU for the encouragement 🙂