David's birthday

Today Grace and I had a big day getting ready for David's birthday party.

Grace helped me hang a birthday banner and she picked out his birthday balloon.

Then she put her apron on and helped me bake a cake.  Two to be exact: a caramel cake and Baked Alaska.  Recipes to follow later.

Grace loves using the "spash-you-yah" (spatula).

And she watched over the batter nonstop until it was  time to put the first cake into the oven.

Then we moved over to the stove where she found my meat cleaver.  

Except she called it a "hamher" (hammer) and used it to "statch" (scratch) her back.

But she put it back when it was time to make the caramel icing (using my mother-in-law's recipe). 

When we finished the cakes, she helped me wrap Daddy's present.

And she put tape in all the right places.

And finally we were ready for David to get home and surprise him with our little family birthday party - except I still need to finish the Baked Alaska and cook dinner that is.   But I still have plenty of time to do that before he gets home.  I hope.