Sunday, October 19, 2008

rainbow cake and treasure hunt: Elizabeth turns 10

It was Elizabeth's 10th birthday a week ago. On her birthday, we had a little family party, complete with a gluten-free lemon and polenta dessert cake (it slumped to one side, but the candles were very funky!):
On Saturday, Lizzy went to the movies and out for gluten-free pizza with friends (moral of the story: never take 6 over-excited girls to a pizza restaurant unless you never feel embarrassment), then back to our house for the cake. We made Lizzy's rainbow cake from two gluten-free square cakes:
We cut the cakes into the shape of a rainbow:
We coloured sugar with food colouring (the better quality ones work best) and put the colours in freezer bags:
We cut the corners off the bags and sprinkled sugar in stripes along the cake (easier said than done, but we got there!):
A board covered with blue tissue paper, and some sugar clouds, and here it is:

Andy's holding his hands behind his back to resist the temptation to stick his finger in the sugar clouds, which takes a lot of self-control for a 2-year old!

We found some candles with different coloured flames. Here's Lizzy, all ready to blow out her candles:

And here's the treasure hunt we had on Lizzy's real birthday. It started with a piece of string stuck to the envelope of Lizzy's birthday card:The children followed the string into all kinds of places, inside drawers and cupboards:

and to the top of Ben's loft bed:
At each stop along the way, was a small present from mum or dad, or a brother:
And the grand finale? Lizzy had outgrown her old bike, and generous friends gave us their daughter's old bike, a much nicer bike than we could afford, in perfect condition. Here's Lizzy, the proud owner of a beautiful purple bike:


The last bit of the string was tied to a beautiful bed I found in an op shop the day before Lizzy's birthday, and put up secretly while she was at school, a little more suited to Lizzy's princess canopy than her old tubular steel one:
Lots of surprises, and lots of fun! And we are now the proud parents of a child with two digits in their age. How quickly the years go past.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks like Lizzy had a great birthday.

We used to have the string game at Christmas...you should try it when there are multiple strings and presents for a number of people. Every time the strings crossed you'd have to check caefully which was yours or you'd end up with someone else's present stash.

Its a fun way to start Christmas day...but takes a bit of organising on Christmas eve!

Heather

Lara said...

That's an awesome cake! The treasure hunt reminds me of things my parents used to do on my birthday - I'd have a series of riddles to solve that would take me to different places in the house. At each place I'd find the next clue, and waiting at the end would be my present. The main one I remember was my 8th birthday, when I received a lovely signet ring. My mum made fabulous cakes too. Ahhh... all the things to look forward to if/when I have my own children!!

Swift Jan said...

WHat a great cake!! I may just have to borrow that idea one day :)

(hi from WTBAY ;) )

Anonymous said...

Oh I love that cake! I haven't put much effort into cakes over the last year or so, but that one looks great.... Ms A might find herself with a rainbow cake for her 4th birthday next year :D