Fervor

K is four. She hasn't really been "three" for quite some time. She is mature soul and we have had to remind ourselves far too often in the past few months that she was in fact three. We spent the better part of her birthday at the zoo where we saw excellent views of the very active animals, picniced with the girafes and even pet sting rays. She feel asleep on the car ride home- a cat nap that would refresh her for dinner and cake.

K mentioned months ago that she would like a Princess Pea cake for her birthday. I have been planning it in my head for about the same amount of time. It became my secret project. The character itself has a proportionately large head which helped me in making the cake early in its parts rather than making the entire thing in one or two sittings. the head was made of store bought rice crispy squares formed to make the general shape on a lollipop stick and then covered with gum paste. The good old garlic press didn't yeild long enough strands so many strands of hair were rolled by hand- a time consuming challenge to be done in the precious moments when she was out of the house and the littlest one would nap or sit long enough at the highchair that I could get some work done and clean up before anyone knew any wiser.

I am very pleased with her lips and the tiny fingers on her gloves and the curly ringlets of hair. It pleases me even more that K took time to check out oll the little details and even taste the icing before she cut into it. Mostly, I am glad the Pirncess Pea got served as she did. Because shortly after dinner, when K was tucked into bed, the top peice of the cake -top heavy as it is- toppled over the styrofoam cone that it had rested in for the past few weeks and shattered the gum paste on her face. I am just glad the same that hadn't happened the night before.