It's all for the kids...

A couple of summers ago I took a cake decorating class. It was a good time. My sister-in-law and I spent 3 hours a week for 4 weeks learning how to decorate cakes that might one day look professional. (my sis-in-law has taken her craft to new heights...)

Sitting in that small classroom, we learned to call it icing, not frosting. We learned how to hold a piping bag. We learned how to write on frosting. We learned how to make flowers.

The classes continued on, but I didn't have the money to take all of the classes, so I only have the skill of a beginner under my belt. But that has not stopped me at all from achieving the goal I set for myself.

I enrolled in the class to spend some quality time with my SIL, but mostly I was enrolling to learn how to make really cool cakes for my kids. I wanted to be able to make a cake that would normally cost $25-$50 to buy from a bakery.

And since today is my Buddy's 5th Birthday, I had to do something really special. I had to make him his very own Optimus Prime Birthday cake.

I baked the cake on Saturday night, putting it in the freezer over night...to help keep it moist.

Then last night, I measured shortening, powdered sugar, vanilla, and water.

I added red, blue, black and yellow coloring to the icing.

I sat down with my Optimus Prime drawing and immediately began to doubt my skills. I was almost in tears when Oswald came up to me and put my face in his hands and said,  "You would do your very best and it will be enough. He will love it."

So I wiped those tears and went to work. I piped thousands of tiny stars. I sat at the table for hours. When I was finally finished, my hand could barely open from squeezing the bad so hard for so long.

But all of those hours, sweat, doubts and regrets were wiped away when I saw the look on my Buddy's face. His face was one of complete pleasure. He loves his "Optimis in Prime".