Six Years of Motherhood

My daughter turned 6 on Sunday.  Saturday we had six little girls over to our house for a party.  It was very loud and very cute, and it only lasted two hours in the morning, which was great.

I was dubious about how the Jessie The Yodeling Cowgirl Hat Cake was going to turn out when I started...

But it ended up really cute!

We broke two plastic golf clubs on this bad boy.  My husband had to deal the final blows with the broom handle.

Sunday found us at my parents' house for the Family Party.  My Mom made the traditional Bunny Cake.

Yesterday I spent much of the day getting over-packaged things out of their plastic.  My daughter's first Barbie Doll was eventually liberated, even though her head was literally  attached to her box.  Is this really necessary?

I keep re-living her birth over in my head, and I feel so lucky and grateful that I get to raise her and watch her become whatever adult is inside this smart, funny, clever, moody, passionate, talented six year old.

Me, six years and four days ago:

I'm still that happy about my baby girl!

Catch Up Part 2: Eating Well for a few days, Planning a Birthday Party

Still catching up.  This ought to do it.

To lighten things up a little on last Friday after St. Patrick's Day we had Eating Well's Tuna Sesame Salad.  Super Awesome Use of canned tuna.

This Monday I made Eating Well's Chickpea, Spinach & Squash Gnocchi.  Here's another post about it with process pictures.  We drizzle each portion with balsamic.  Two tablespoons seems like a lot, even for this balsamic lover.  Sans the balsamic, my kids loved this.  Three year old boy identified gnocchi as a chef was making it on Chopped the other day.  I love my foodie kids.

In other news, the hippo has been sighted - a sure sign that spring is, in fact, coming.  Even though it's supposed to snow tomorrow.

 I was in my jammies at 6:43pm Monday night.

Saturday is my daughter's 6th birthday party. She's way into Toy Story.  If you know a girl who's into Toy Story, you will also know that Disney has apparently decided they're not interested in making money from female characters unless they have miniscule waistlines and live in castles waiting for Prince Charming.  Nothing. Has. Just. Jessie. On. It.  Apparently, Toy Story is a Boy Movie, even though it's got a kick-ass girl character.  After looking through cake catalogues and online for ideas, I decided I'm making a cake that looks like Jessie's cowgirl hat (inspired by these cookies) for my daughter.  Though getting this one at my local grocery store was tempting...

 Trees, hunter and hunted are 3-D figurines.  Keepsakes!

I'll post about the success or Cake Wrecks potential of my Jessie hat cake .  I'll also show you the sure-to-be-yet-again-brilliant Bunny Cake my mom will be makes for my daughter's actual birthday every year.  This year it's on Sunday - just like the year she was born.  But in 2005, that Sunday was Easter Sunday - hence the Bunny Cake.  

PS -  Why yes, I will be having chocolate cake with buttercream frosting for days and days on end.  Perhaps I should make some more ice cream to go with it.