Birthday party gems

Today the kids and I spent most of out time getting ready for The Boss Lady's birthday party.

We made the cake the first thing this morning. While it cooled, we ran to the grocery store to get icing, candles and strawberries. I should have know that my vision of a cake covered in cream cheese icing and sliced strawberries would not come to be.

The Talker wanted orange candles. The Princess, pink. He wanted vanilla icing wanted, she had to have chocolate. The Talker really thought the Shrek sprinkles were great. The Princess decided the princess sprinkles would be best for mommy.

So we compromised. I bought the strawberries and vanilla icing. We also grabbed pink and blue candles and multi colored sprinkles. Once home, I iced the cake while the kids ate lunch. They sprinkled and I placed the candles. After covering the cake with sprinkles, The Talker spied the almost full bottle of left over sprinkles. "Daddy, maybe I could get a plate and we could have a bowl of sprinkles for a snack."

We made a side trip to let the kids pick out some nice birthday gifts. The Boss Lady will look spectacular in her kitty cat bracelet that The Princess picked. If she isn't in a kitty mood, she can wear the silver dangling heart bracelet that The Talker picked out.

After that, the kids napped while I cleaned the kitchen and folded laundry, hoping to have things straight before the birthday girl got home. When she arrived, we headed to Cheddar's for an early dinner and birthday cake at home afterwards.

The Boss Lady enjoyed her cake and presents, she even agreed to share the Pringles that The Talker got for her at the grocery store. "So mom, you want to share your chips, right?"

And for the first time ever, I took the easy way out on the birthday gift. I bought the woman something she has asked for many times. Earring backs. The little piece that keeps earrings in place. I never wanted to get them for her. Initially I thought the gift was boring but without them she cannot wear her diamond earrings.

I took her two best pairs of earrings into the jewelry store to get them cleaned and make sure they had the right backs for them. The backs were not really expensive, but when The Boss Lady saw her earrings looking great, her eyes sparkled.

One pair of the earrings came from The Boss Lady's dad, when she was 10 years old. And while waiting for the saleslady to finish cleaning the earrings, I could not help but browse the diamond earrings for little girls. In another 8 years I guess I'll be buying some for The Princess.

And while she was admiring mommy's earrings, The Princess hit us with the winner of the night. "Mommy, you have sprinkles for your ears."