Growing-Bigger Bird

Susannah Wren turned seven at the end of February.  Time marches on, and I'm left gaping.  Seven?  Seven.

She wanted a pancake "as big as her head" for her birthday breakfast, and I did my best.  If I'd had a bigger frying pan, I would have made it bigger, but she seemed content with it.

Since she wasn't very effective in blowing out the flame, she tried coughing it out, instead.

 

By the time she coughed it out, it was nearly burned to a nub.

 

Her birthday cake request was another castle; apparently, the first teetering lavender castle didn't sour her, but this time, she asked for one painted blue.  So, for the second time ever, I ate made several pounds of marshmallow fondant, but this time, I only used it for the turrets and slathered buttercream over the castle proper. 

When I finished assembling and frosting it, I arranged a few Playmobil folk tastefully on the castle grounds.

See the miniature birthday cake? The cats playfully batting at each other?  So very tasteful.

Then I let Susie have at it, and, suddenly, a man-eating alligator breached the castle walls

and a town meeting convened in the front yard.  

She coughed out the candles, 

opened her gifts, 

and went to bed a sleepy seven-year old.

We love you, Birdie.