It's birthday season again

Thankfully I only have two children. Any more and I'd have a cake breakdown. I don't know why I do it, but I allow them to choose the "theme" of their party. Did we have themes? I don't think so. In fact I know I didn't. Here's a picture of me (second left at back) at a party of mine some time in the early 70s - look at all those lovely party frocks.



Frocks, not costumes. No decorations. And knowing my mother, no cherryade. She was very right on. And actually a little odd, leastways for our "executive estate" in thoroughly uncosmopolitan 70s Northumberland. So musical bumps was played to Mozart and Fauré rather than the Osmonds, and my cake was a proper Black Forest Gateau, and I mean proper as in very dark chocolate cake, dark cherries and loads of whipped cream. None of the other children would eat it but my sister and I loved it.

But no theme.

This year Emilia has chosen an underwater theme, and having searched the net (haha) and Woolworths to no avail, I have resorted to borrowing an extra mermaid costume from a friend. I do have decorations and fishy themed party bag presents. There's another thing we didn't have - party bags! I've been to parties these days where parents have been hounded by marauding infants demanding their goodies. Woe betide the parent who doesn't cough up. At this stage of advance preparation I'm imagining making mini-nets as their party bags. I am clearly nuts and should get a life.

Anyway the theme clearly has to go as far as the food. So prepare for whale and starfish-shaped biscuits. And I suppose blue icing with fish swimming in it. I have bought ready-made icing before but if there's one way to ruin a perfectly good home-made cake, it's to add ready-made icing to it. How they make it taste like a sweet rubber I don't know but it's foul. Of course it's often the only bit the children will eat, but what do they know. So now I am looking into home-made icing that I can make do what I want with minimal effort and of course minimal time. You may or may not get a photo. Depends on the success. I have a very good imagination but am deeply unskilled when it comes to icing - more of a dollop it on generously kind of person than an artist with sugar.

Next stop, a jungle party for Charlotte in October. Why do I do it to myself?