This past week was full of rushing here and there and the birthday celebrations of my oldest – now 14, and my youngest – now 6.  We made homemade corn dogs (hotdogs dipped in corn bread batter and fried in home-rendered lard.  There were a few presents wrapped in paper feed bags and tied with pretty yarn, and two very different cakes. 

My children spend all year thinking what their birthday cake will be. 

Clothilde’s was a yellow coconut layer cake with raspberry icing and strawberries on top. Mirin couldn’t decide on a cake so I made him a recipe from a Paleo cook book we got at the library called “PMS brownies”. The idea came to me when I was looking through the book and he interrupted me with one of his teenager rages about not being able to find something in the mess around his bed.  I figured if PMS brownies didn’t cheer him up, there’s just no helping really.  He loved them. 

It’s interesting how your life changes as your children grow. When I see little babies I feel so nostalgic for the time when my children were small, when life seemed so simple and full of painting and climbing trees and bedtime stories. It reminds me how little time is left until our family separates and our children walk their own and different paths.

For now we are still a family and can share a little bit of birthday magic and birthday wishes together.