Week 10 -Birthday Bonanza!

As you know it was my baby girl's first birthday this week. Let's just say the preparations lasted the whole week through. Cupcake prep started on thurs evening when I decided I would make the butterflies. We don't own a microwave so melting coloured chocolate and then putting it in pastry bags, is really hard. The chocolate is so flippin hot I had to wear an oven mitt for the procedure. Hence, my tracing skills (of my beautiful butterfly outline) was a little wobbly. 22 purple and pink butterflies later, I realize I have to store them in the fridge until Sun. Ummmm crap, where will they go??? So I clear out the top shelf of our fridge (probably didn't need or know I had half of it's belongings anyways) and gently place the 3 trays, 22 butterflies, AKA 44 wings in the top shelf. Ahhhhhh
I decide to make the cupcakes the day before the party. I don't like to do this, because I hate stale cupcakes, but time was of an essence. So of course I squeezed in it between 2yr old haircut, lunch/naps, and a visit with friends to our house. Of course I fit it in:) Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the 3 dozen no sugar carrot cupcakes turned into 1 dozen carrot and 2 dozen chocolate. (If you know my husband you would know why. For those that don't, basically he is a choco-holic. More than any chic I have ever known:) Love you honey but you love chocolate more than me, and that's a hard one. So somehow he convinced me to make chocolate, and I did) 1 dozen carrot, complete, no worries. 2 dozen devils food chocolate no worries. I did however manage to complete destroy our kitchen in about 1hr. Hubby had left me a lovely note saying how clean the kitchen was for our arriving guests and I was not to mess it up. Ummmm opps again! So our guests arrive. Best friend Richelle, husband Dale and daughter Ella. I apologize for the chaos called our kitchen. Little did I know that the chaos was just beginning. If you know Richelle, and you know me, then you put those personalities in a 2 and 1 yr old and you know the visit is going to be fall off your chair funny, and a little busy. Which it was. Just to paint a quick funny picture in your head of the visit, here are a few highlights.
-My 2 yr old is on day 4 of potty training. There were many trips to the potty that involved 2 adults, 2+kids. Musical potty seats and lots of children acrobatics on the potty. A few funny noises here and there potty style as well:)
-Lack of meal planning meant we had a 3 course meat meal. Tuna, sausage and chicken. Sorry kids, no veggies today! (Let me say though, it was delicious and I highly recommend it)
-Me making the icing for the cupcakes in between meat meal and bath times= more chaos in the kitchen.
- 3 kids and 4 adults eating = messy table and messy floor. Don't worry though our busy crawling 1yr old treated it like a buffet.
-2 toddlers in the tub. Need I say more here.
It was so much fun and so funny. I loved it. Made me way more relaxed for the upcoming birthday party with the family. 17 adults and 10 kids:)

Back to the cupcakes. I put them in the freezer overnight to hopefully preserve any freshness in them. Decorated them around noon. Then put the butterflies on them. Had my dad sort the smarties to pick out all the pink ones for me. Thanks Dad. I think they turned out great. They were so pretty, I just may make them again. Maybe, some day, ask me in 20 weeks or so:) Again, I have no idea what to make this week. Ask me in a few days.