barbie tells her side of the story

Interviewer: So, tell us Barbie, what was it really like to sit like a statue on top of a cake for 8 hours. Did you feel...used? Abused?

Barbie: Oh yes, Barbara, I did. I felt used, humiliated, less than...plastic. It was the most horrible experience of my of my entire life. (Dabbing her eyes...) There I was sitting on that horrid fondant-covered cake. Not even frosting! It was hard and smooth. No cush for my bony tush.

And then, all of these little 7 year old girls just started...STARING. It was humiliating. And then this woman with really short hair came and placed these flaming torches right next to my flipper. I...I...I thought my hair was going to catch on fire. I was TERRIFYING. (Breaks down sobbing...) And then, finally, she pulled me off of the cake, just cast me aside without even a thank you.

Just a thank you. That's all I wanted.

Just...a...thank you... (Voice trailing off, eyes cast downward...)

Interviewer: I'm so, so sorry that you had to suffer this humiliation, Barbie.

And to all of you watching this story. Maybe Barbie's bravery in the telling of her tale of humiliation will be a wake-up call about the serious topic of birthday-cake abuse.

world's brightest birthday cake

Today is my birthday! I really love my birthday, and I am happy that I am of the age which I have attained. Some of you know that Chad and I are birthday neighbors. He is about 24 hours older than I. Per his request, I baked him chocolate chip cookies. But I MUST have birthday cake. It's my thing. Usually I bake my own with loving care. Last year I even made real buttercream - the real way - with sugar syrup streamed into slowly cooking eggs simmering in a double boiler, then whipping in tons and tons of butter. But this year I just wanted to go down to the store and buy a grocery store cake. Nothing fancy, just white cake, white frosting. Maybe a few tasteful sprinkles or simple grocery store-style flowers. Nope. The frosting choices were as follows: neon blue with yellow frosting trim, traffic cone orange with electric blue trim, or alien green with fuchsia accents. I went with the green and pink, plus got beeeeauuutiful Tinkerbell rings as a bonus -- two for each girl.

So, Happy Birthday To ME!!!

happy 5th birthday sweet ingrid!

Let me count the ways that I can not even believe Ingrid is 5. I recalled such sweet memories as I waited in bed Monday morning waiting for first light. From the fears of the night before her birth, to Chad telling me we had a beautiful baby girl as I came out of the post c-section delivery anaesthesia fog, to the flowers in the room, even the smell of the special lavendar lotion that my Mom had sent me for the hospital.

Monday was her day, although we stretched her birthday from Friday through Tuesday. Chad didn't know if he would be home on time Monday night, as his schedule can be unpredictable. We celebrated on Friday with her choice of dinner -- caesar salad, focaccia and strawberries (that's my girl!) -- we had her cake and opened gifts as well.

On Saturday we went to the Renaissance Fair (Society for Creative Anachronism central -- made for GREAT people watching). Sunday we went to church, rested, had leftover cake and just had an overall generally nice day.

Monday, her real birthday, was loooooong. She had her first eye appointment at 9:30 am, and we were told that she needed glasses, so we trucked over to the Mall and picked out glasses (finished in an hour, just like the promise), went to Chad's office to show them off (skipping lunch -- it's 12:55 at this point), "Mommy, I'm tired, I just want to go home", at the gas station 5 minutes from home: "Mommy, my glasses feel AWFUL -- we need to go get them tightened, crying, crying, crying", so back to the Mall for adjustment (it's about 2:30 now), then back home by about 3:30. I plopped the girls in front of the TV for an on-demand viewing of WALL-E while I made 48 cupcakes for her pre-k class on Tuesday, and finished her pink crocheted cardigan.

It was a ducky birthday all around -- what a switch from a few months ago. It was "Ariel, Ariel, Ariel!!!" She has returned to her ducky ways. (I'm thrilled.) I'm just so thankful to the Lord for her vitality, intellect, curiosity, beauty, personality and creativity. What a gift she is!

Happy 5th, Ingy Badingy!