Happy fourth birthday, Nicholas!

May 29 was Nicholas’ fourth birthday. (I’m a little behind.) Poor Nicholas always gets the shaft. We never seem to celebrate his birthday on his actual birthday. Last year he blew out a candle on a stack of pancakes. This year, he had ice cream at a restaurant in Bernkastle, Germany. Good enough until we could have cake and presents later.

He’s four, can read, knows his numbers and days of the week. Gone are the days when you could trick ‘em and say, “Oh, no…you’re birthday’s not until Saturday.” Some days I miss those days.

That orange thing on his cake that looks like a hand, that’s a crown. He wanted a crown brownie cake. It took a lot of questioning to determine that. “Crown” and “clown” sound exactly the same when Nicholas says them.

Guess I got off easy. Twice a year I’m reminded how terrible I am at decorating cakes. And how much I really don’t like doing it. Can only imagine how spectacular my attempt at making a frosting clown would have been.

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From Nicholas 4th Birthday. Shot May 29 & June 3, 2012

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Happy Birthday, Jacob! Here’s your socks and underwear

Here’s a fun trick to play on a kid on his birthday.

All day Matt had been telling Jacob he was getting socks and underwear for his birthday. Flash of brilliance before presents. I ran to the laundry room and filled a gift bag with socks and underwear (some weren’t even Jacob’s). Jacob was so mad when he opened the bag. It was hilarious!

May be a little mean, but, honestly, Jacob’s been a part of this family for six years now; he should expect it. And the real presents, all the Lego Hero Factory and Bakogon toys, more than made up for it. I imagine about a month from now, Jacob will be filling a bag with socks and underwear for his little brother’s birthday.

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From Jacob's 6th birthday. Shot April 27, 2012

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Happy Birthday, Jacob!

Hard to believe it’s been five years since he was a tiny (well, 8 lbs 7 oz isn’t so tiny), wrinkly, pink, crying baby. And now five going on teenager. Time passes so quickly.

We met a couple friends at Eis Paradies for (the best) ice cream in the afternoon. Then “skeleton” cake after dinner. Gotta hand it to the cake decorators of the world—that crap is hard. Matt had the idea to make a stencil to “draw” the skeleton out of powdered sugar. It worked really well when I tested it on the cutting board, but not so much on the cake. In the end it looked okay, but probably took as long as if I attempted to pipe it on in buttercream. Jacob wanted him to be an evil skeleton, so red eyes.

Nicholas blew out Jacob’s candles twice. And Jacob cried “like a baby” as Nicholas would say. (Matt has these pics; can’t wait to see them. Pics of kids crying are my favorite.) We got Jacob a remote controlled airplane, which Nicholas is terrified of. Haha payback for the candles.

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From Jacob's 5th Birthday. Shot April 27, 2011

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