Birthday Recap

Lexi woke up, got dressed and came downstairs while I was getting Maddy ready for school. She knew what day it was and made sure everyone knew it was "her birday" and reminded everyone all day what day it was.

I was going to cook her pancakes but she wanted oatmeal instead. After breakfast, Jack and Lexi helped me make the cake pops (licking the bowls clean) and then unwrap 1.5 bags of Reese's peanut butter cups for the trifle.  We put the cake pops in the freezer and started on the trifle. My friend Challey made an amazing trifle once for a ward party, I copied it with Jack's 4th Birthday Dump Truck cake here and several weeks ago it re-appeared in my dreams as a trifle flower cake.

Ever made a trifle? Basically, I baked a chocolate cake the day before, cut it in small bite size pieces and crumbled it as the bottom layer, next layer was the chocolate mouse which is cool whip and chocolate pudding, then I added a layer of crushed peanut butter cups and repeated. The dirt at the top of my flower cake was lots and lots of crushed peanut butter cups. It is supposed to be refrigerated 6-8 hours before serving.

Lexi and Jack had a bubble bath, ate lunch and then we dropped Jack off at school. We ran to the store to get balloons. She wasn't very happy about taking a nap and only would with all of her balloons. I peeked in on her and she was holding onto 2 of the balloons just above her tummy but a half hour later they were all up on the ceiling. While she was napping, I was making the cake pops. They were fun and I would probably even try them again.

Lexi woke up just as the kids came home from school (well not Maddy we picked her up early from school...she had a stomach ache-glad it didn't turn into anything more than that). We all jumped in the car and headed to Grammie's house. Grams just returned from her winter break at Aunt Jill's house. We were very excited to see her, the kids called her several times while she was away to tell her that they missed her.  We all love Grammie!! She wanted Lexi to pick out a present at the Red Balloon~a darling toy store.  I even had a hard time choosing a gift! An hour later we were on the road; the storm was brewing and approaching and of course it was 5 o'clock rush hour.

We made it home! And the snow really started to come down. Mike helped me make Lexi's request for dinner~mac n cheese. I wasn't sure which recipe to make but went with Paula Deen's recipe . Good thing too because the storm put us a little behind schedule and it was very simple and good (even without the eggs).  Buddy (aka Grampa) and Tif arrived and then shortly later Julie, Brent, Stephanie, Kamryn and Karsyn arrived. We finished up dinner and ate: sloppy joes, mac n cheese, salad, strawberries and black berries, grapes and pineapple. And then it was time for cake! Even tho the kids wanted to open presents first.

So here's the cake. The chocolate "DIRT" trifle with flower cake pops. Brent complimented my creativity and said I always come up with the best cakes. My dad would have to agree "I am highly creative!" But really it was a dream so some one was helping me!

Time to blow out the candles!

Here's the cake pops.

I gathered my inspiration from Bakerella herself! Originally I was going to do chocolate suckers so you can see some of those also.

And after everyone grabbed a cake pop to try. Well everyone but Lexi, she enjoyed one of every flavor. BUT why not, after all she is the birthday girl!

Tif, Lexi, Grampa, Jack, Me, Maddy, Kamryn

Didn't get a picture of Grammie, Stephanie, Brent, Julie or Mike. Maybe Julie got some with her camera.

Lexi was very excited to open presents.

3rd birthdays I think are when they figure out how cool birthday's really are!

She ripped through those presents and the room looked like a tornado hit. She loved every minute of it!

Let's see if I can remember what she got: a Minnie Mouse scooter, Ice Cream Sundae set, Barbies and kitchen gadgets, Princess shoes and crown along with a bag that holds makeup, her cell phone and sunglasses, a stroller and a Lala Loopsy Praire Dawn Doll. And I'm sure more that I've forgotten. She made a haul! And as you can see by the pictures it was a great day. In fact when I kissed her goodnight she said it was "the best birday ever." Thanks again for braving the storm and coming to celebrate with us.