Another cake

I have to say my six year old is a little more demanding of what cake she would like for her Birthday. But I have to say I really enjoyed icing this one and was reasonably happy with how it turned out. Unfortunately I just have huge inspiration late at night when there is no shops open (to head out for last minute supplies) But luckily I have a huge corner of the pantry with lollies and cake decorating stuff and was reasonably organised. The white icing is pretty easy to mould into any shape (like play dough!)and much easier to manage than butter icing and really less work. Decorations can be made before hand although I left it to the night before, and I just use normal food colouring to change the colour of the fondant. Happy baking!

I know Christmas is over but you'll get a giggle from this!

Not sure of the origin of this one but I thought you might enjoy.....

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mum all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my
children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my
doctor, sold sixty-two cases of choc bars to raise money to
plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you
could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had
to write this letter with my daughter's red crayon, on the back of a
receipt in the laundry between cycles, and who knows when I'll
find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any colour, except
purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap
in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child
out of the lolly aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the
seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like
fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult
music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs
containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret
compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the
phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says,
'Yes, Mummy' to boost my parental confidence, along with two
kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all
the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting 'Don't
eat in the living room' and 'Take your hands off your brother,'
because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing
range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for
enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same
morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room
temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to
brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to
declare tomato sauce a vegetable? It will clear my conscience
immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children
to help around the house without demanding payment as if they
were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw
my feet under the laundry door. I think he wants his crayon
back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by
the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or
leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,
MUM...!

P.S. one more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can
keep my children happy, healthy and always believing.

*Santa has asked that this gets passed on to all the mummies you
know*

Women's Weekly Article on Mrs Crowe

A great article from the November Women's Weekly on "Mrs Crowe" aka Danielle Spencer. It's comforting to know that no matter who you are we may all go through the same feelings of putting our life on hold while we look after our small children; and this article really summed that up. The article is by Bryce Corbett,here's an extract.

"Danielle Spencer has been let in on a big secret. It’s the best known but least talked about aspect of motherhood: identity interruptus. You can read a hundred parenting books, talk to a thousand mums and still come away none the wiser to the fact that, for a woman, having children means losing track of yourself, confusing for a time a large part of who you are and why you exist.

Sure, plenty of mothers will tell you the whole child-rearing caper is hard work and most will feel compelled to couch it with the qualifier that “it’s all worth it in the end”, but how many of them will admit how their sense of self is rocked? That, in the maelstrom of first-time parenthood, it’s all too easy for a mum’s sense of identity to slip away?....."

For more of the article head to the link below or grab a copy of the November issue.

http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/news/inthemag/8113154/danielle-spencer-so-much-more-than-mrs-crowe