Tuesday, October 16, 2007

The Cake!


Aidan's birthday cake was the traditional brown cake with the brown frosting, also known as a "Texas Sheet Cake". This is its particular story, illustrated.


















Photo 1 shows daughter-in-law and mother-in-law baking away in Kellsey's Austin kitchen on Saturday afternoon, getting ready for Aidan's birthday party on Sunday afternoon.

Photo 2 shows the work of art that emerged from the oven, actually one of two. This one, however, had the covering of sprinkles and the sugar baked ornaments from the Disney epic Cars, which decorations young Aidan picked when he went with Kellsey to a party store in Austin. The other was your straight Texas Sheet Cake, which was for the adults.

The stage is set. Photo 3 is Sunday afternoon at the park, just before Aidan's friends and their parents arrive. The table is nearly spread. The birthday cakes are under the tin foil, and Aidan hasn't seen them yet. Aidan is thinking about what is getting ready to happen. I'm wondering how I can sneak a finger under the tin foil hiding one of the cakes and get a scoop of icing.

The gangs all here! Photo 4 shows the crowd arrived and gathering around the great cake unveiling.

Photo 5 shows Birthday Boy in a Zen-like attitude, presiding above the Cake upon its unveiling.

But beneath that placid exterior an imp-like presence lurks, and the magic of a lightning quick shutter finger catches it, as Photo 6 indicates.

There was another sweet presence at that table, straight across from young Aidan. But give him another 12 years to figure out that sort of thing. So, Photo 7.

All of this gets to be too much for the young man, and he is seen in Photo 8 walking off with his piece of cake, to eat it quietly on the edge of all that noise and attention. I recognize that gene.

The last photo wasn't even taken at the birthday party, but she is the icing on her brother's birthday cake.

6 comments:

mary said...

Very fun! I'm so sorry to have missed the festivities!

Scott said...

Very cool. I must have misplaced our inviation, but you can send cake.

Jana said...

so fun!!!

Alex said...

great pics, ya'll! the kid's getting so big! hope all is well in austin. are you helping to keep austin weird?

Sean Meade said...

famous Meade family cake episode:

Elizabeth (ca. age 3): Daddy, can i have more cake?
Sean: you're not done with your cake
Elizabeth: but i'm done with my brown cake.
Sean: oh honey. that's not cake. that's frosting.
Elizabeth: i no want to call my brown cake frosting.

Paul Stokes said...

I'm with Elizabeth. Whatever that is that the frosting covers, well, that's just to hold up the frosting. That can't be the cake. Which is why pound "cake" was always such a puzzle.