Happy Birthday!

Happy 4th birthday Ian!

Happy 2nd birthday Brynn!

In the past week, my two older children each celebrated a birthday. To honor this event, we invited all the family over for a joint cake-and-ice-cream party. Not just any cake will do for these annual get-togethers however. Since both my younger sister and my sister-in-law make special cakes for their kids' birthdays (they each have a child older then Ian) Ian wanted to join in that fun. In past years we have had fire engine and train cakes, along with a butterfly for Brynn. This year Ian requested a "camouflage army-guy helmet" and Brynn picked out "Hoppy the Bunny" from a cake book (Easy Cut-Up Cakes for Kids).

Like the book said, Brynnie's cake was pretty easy:

Step 1: Bake cake, cool, and freeze (easier to cut that way)

Step 2: Cut up one of the rounds

Step 3: Assemble pieces

Step 4: Frost and decorate

But how in the world do you make a "Camouflage army-guy helmet" from cake and frosting? Here is my interpretation:

I made camouflage by dividing the batter into three parts and using food coloring to get as close as I could to camo colors. Then I plopped spoonfuls of each color randomly into a baking bowl. After it was baked and cooled, I frosted it army green (or the closest I could get with food coloring) and added some insignia (I think I got the insignia wrong, but Ian didn't know any better). With a little imagination, I think you can see a "Camouflage army-guy helmet" there. Either way, it tasted good.

I just had to include this picture of some post-birthday fun: playing picnic with Brynnie's new tea set.