AJ turned 5!

My little man has turned 5!  Why do kids grow so fast?  I couldn't keep up.

Earlier this year….I was already started thinking about how we should celebrate his 5th birthday.  We pondered, we discussed, we brain stormed….and I thought :”what the heck, it’s the 5th, the notable milestone birthday!  He will be parted with his daycare mates after this year, he will be off to school..he will start his new chapter.  What is there to think about?  Let’s give him a big one!”  And while we were at it, I was crazy enough to decide baking the birthday cake myself for him this year.  My very first undertaking ever.  Let’s make it a milestone of my own.  So, there began my project of the year.

AJ has been all about Lego especially Ninjago.  Setting the theme was a no brainer.  However, getting the props were challenging.  There were hardly Ninjago themed party supplies here.  I had to import from the US his favourite character, Lloyd the green ninja costume, and resorted to DIY the invites and party loot bags.

The cake was my biggest worry.  Knowing myself not very good at baking (and that’s an understatement!), I had cold feet many times.  But…a promise is a promise.  So, bit the bullet I did.  Very HARD.  Athan wanted a chocolate cake.  So chocolate cake it was!  I had 7 trials, 5 failures.  Can someone tell me why chocolate cake is so very hard to bake?  Geez!

I made the 5 ninja figures a few days in advance for the fear that I probably wouldn’t have enough time to make everything from scratch the day prior the big day.  And I was dead right!  I took Friday off, started the cake making at 11am and worked right through skipping lunch to 11pm.  Rick was so sweet to lay his helping hands.

The effort paid off.  I was extremely happy with what I put forward.  AJ was thrilled.  The kids loved it.  I wouldn’t say it was the best chocolate cake, but definitely the best from my kitchen so far.  It was moist and at the right sweetness.  That’s all I care considering I am not a chocolate cake person.  As how Rick has put it…it was an extremely expensive cake.  Yeah…I could have paid $230 for a cake better than this without all the sleepless nights, stress and worries.  The cake may be expensive.  The journey and the meaning that comes with it?  PRICELESS!

We opted for Rainbows End for the party.  Let the kids go wild and have fun.  The date was set the weekend before AJ's actual birthday.  The party started at 11:45am and went for hours.  We and another family were the last ones standing, leaving at 4.30pm.  AJ dozed off within minutes in the car.  LOL.

  

Pressiesssss

We then gave him a simple celebration at the daycare with the rest of his mates on the actual day.