Watermelon Birthday Cake & Party
One of the great things about having so many girls is that it means even more birthdays. More birthdays mean more excuses for parties and cake!
Sometimes that means wondering what the next theme will be, but somehow, a comment is always made or a picture is seen or personality trait is shining….and suddenly, all the pieces start coming together. Before we know it, the cake is planned and an entire party theme has been born.
This party was no different. Instead of being “just a special cake,” it turned into a full fledged “picnic party.” There’s a picnic basket, picket blanket/tablecloth, watermelon trays for chips, sandwiches, bubbles, and watermelon…both of the real and cake varieties.
So the page doesn’t take forever to load, check out the summery flower collage below. As usual, mouse over them to pop up a larger version or see all of them in their full-sized glory in the QuirkyCookery PB album.
Here are some of my favorite moments, stories, and pictures of the day:
My mom is going to hate me for posting this picture. And yes, hate is still considered a “bad word” so I’m going to surely get in trouble for that, too, but she’ll agree as soon as she catches wind that I had the nerve to post it:
Totally worth it. The left is cleverly posed so that her face won’t be shown, but the look of sheer shock and disgust as my sister licks the icing ‘mistake’ of her hands is one I can’t possibly censor with black bars. Golden.
If it makes you feel any better, I do often take the time to edit pictures so that nobody is left looking bad. I mean, like this gem:
Who would want that posted publicly, right? Oh wait…. ;)
Anywho, I’m this far into a birthday party post and you haven’t even seen the birthday girl yet! This is N from 2009, pre-party:
Yes, covered in dirt, holding her ears, and waiting patiently for someone to come and retrieve her for cake time. You haven’t forgotten our tradition, right? Note to self…I have a video of this tucked away that I should upload, too.
And in case no one believed me that the cakes and party scene are kept a complete secret, there’s an example of a (very ugly) covered doorway to prevent peeking, too.
Even she doesn’t want to peek, and she’s sitting at the table! The anticipation is a wonderful thing. <3 Oh, and to the far right of that picture is an example of a themed present, too….watermelon scented body wash and shampoo.
^ The “sweet innocent one”….until she gets food. :P
And in case you don’t click through to the rest of the pictures like you should, here’s the inside of the cakes.
White/red cake for the chocolate haters and chocolate for the rest of us, mmm. Take note of how realistic she made the rind icing, too….it’s squiggly/wavy/textured all the way down like the lines of a real watermelon.
7 little monkeys, hanging on a cake
Bs last birthday, they did make.
Mama was the baker and the baker said
”One slice, two scoops, ‘til everyone’s fed!”
Okay, so maybe she didn’t, but at least it rhymed, right? And this is another flashback from 2009, so it wasn’t even the last birthday but….oh whatever, it worked, leave me alone. ;)
Normally I like just letting the pictures speak for themselves, but as I look back at some of these pictures, I realize that some of the little tidbits that were unique stories back then, aren’t necessarily obvious to the outside eye…and that means I’m way more likely to forget them myself, too.
Like how each one of those 7 monkeys (signaling her age, of course) has their own personality. No, I’m not joking. Take a closer look. Each one has a different hairstyle. They don’t have identical mouths. And yes, some of them even have different eye colors.
And that look? That’s the look of “Are you calling me crazy? A monkey? What?!”
But that sly grin as she blows out the candles? Oh she knows how bananas she is!
And a story I’ve already forgotten is why it was important to take identical pictures of the cake….but one with one scoop, and the other with two.
The animal crackers were a minor detail that tied things together back then, but I wouldn’t have been able to recall without this picture. It was “a zoo” and the animals were escaping. Duh.
And sure, at this point it’s obvious that the “theme” was sort of that “jungle/zoo/crazy” vibe, but chances are, most people wouldn’t notice all the dollar bills in the next pictures had I not pointed it out, right?
Cash is pretty standard as a birthday gift these days, but it can also be pretty boring to open up cards….so we tucked single dollar bills everywhere instead. In the hairties, around the gameboy, under the cap of the body wash, in the thinking cap….
Maybe it’s easily forgotten, but at the time, it’s small details like that which can make “yet another party” feel like something special and exciting.
Or maybe it’s the bug audience that does that…
How to host an amazing crawfish/shrimp boil party
A boil is usually done in a large pot (60 to 80 quarts) fitted with a strainer and heated by propane. However, some traditionalists see no need for a strainer and make use of a net or a wire mesh scoop. Seasonings include crab boil packets, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, salt, lemons, and bay leaf. Ears of corn, new potatoes, onions, and heads of garlic are usually included in shrimp and crawfish boils. Some people will add smoked sausage links and/or mushrooms. (….) The contents of the pot are removed, drained, and then dumped onto a newspaper covered table. (…) Bottles of hot sauce, lemons and melted butter are usually available
Seats should be aplenty, but musical chair should be encouraged. Adults and kids alike were all over the place, running about or playing games, but there was always a seat ready to be taken when feet needed a break.
Oh, and on the left, there, that’s the Boil Master. He’s in charge of manning the pot, making sure the ingredients go in at the right time, and keeping anxious fingers at bay.
Dump away!
It might look like there’s a helping hand involved there, but really, there’s just a line of people waiting to dig in and as soon as he backs up, they’ll crowd the table from all directions.
This is actually a picture from the second or third round, as evidenced by the carrots left behind from the previous go and a fresh batch going on top.
Blowing on it really isn’t going to help, but if you’re hungry and impatient, you can try, hehe.
Learning to peel your own shrimp can be hard…and gross even.
But the success is so worth it. Even the shrimp will be smiling by the end. :)
Ketchup, ranch dressing, squeezable butter and crackers should all be arranged on your best pink kids’ table. The crackers are perfect for the whole garlic clovers that will melt in your mouth or to pair with the butter while you’re chomping at the bit, waiting for the next round to come out.
Bags/corn hole can be a backyard blast, especially if you have little helpers in between. Horse-shoes could be fun, too, but watch out for little toes.
If accidents do happen, make sure you have a big sister around to comfort you. They’re the best.
Princess shoes are optional, but highly recommended.
They entertain for hours, encourage sharing and trading….
And really, even the big kids will love them. ;)
Just keep an eye out for runaway jeeps and princesses.
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