I stepped outside this morning and discovered on the outside kitchen window ledge a box of coloured chalks and a mug. I knew precisely who to blame: the girls! A 24 (soon to be 25) year old - our number one granddaughter - a 23 (soon to be 24) year old - her housemate and old school friend - a 19 year old - our number two granddaughter - and a 5 and a half year old - our number three granddaughter. They had gone into the garden, accompanied by number one granddaughter’s dog, to chalk pictures on the side of the garden shed and in one case to drink green tea. Some time later they had come inside, bringing dog and dog-toys with them but forgetting the chalk and the mug. Fortunately it did not rain especially hard in the night and so the chalk survived. Indeed, we are waiting for a heavy downpour falling in the right direction to wash earlier chalk graffiti off the shed!
On Wednesday it is Number One Granddaughter’s 25th birthday. On Thursday it Number One Granddaughter’s friend and housemate’s birthday. It has become a sort of family tradition for me to bake a cake for family birthdays. We had discussed when to celebrate number one granddaughter’s birthday - should it be the weekend before or the weekend after her actual birthday? Yesterday was chosen because next weekend is the 21st birthday party of another young lady who has a birthday on Wednesday, the daughter of our daughter’s oldest friend. She’s almost family - I have known the oldest friend since she was days old as our families used to be neighbours - and they did not want to miss her 21st celebration.
In a fit of madness/generosity/inclusivity, I suggested to Number One Granddaughter that she should bring her friend and housemate with her. The cake could be a shared cake, we could sing Happy Birthday to both of them. As they would have to come by bus, our daughter’s car not being big enough to carry everyone, they could bring the dog. Number One Granddaughter has been wanting to bring the dog with her on numerous occasions but her mother won’t rearrange the boot of her car to accommodate the hound. Number One Granddaughter has always had the option to bring the dog on the bus but one aspect of her general anxiety is a strong reluctance, not to say total refusal, to travel alone on public transport. Accompanied by her friend, she could deal with the bus ordeal!
The menu was sorted out - with a sideline bacon sandwich for Number Two Granddaughter who is a fussy eater - all was organised and I baked a cake. My birthday cakes are always a standard sponge cake - my mother’s recipe but substituting lemon yoghurt or vanilla yoghurt for milk in the mixture. It’s almost always topped with butter icing, nicely organised into peaks, sometimes sprinkled with coloured sugar stars. For Number Two Granddaughter and Number One Grandson it has to become a chocolate cake with chocolate butter icing but that’s by the by. Very occasionally I have to use fondant icing when, for example, Number Three Granddaughter requests a princess cake or Number Two Grandson requests emergency vehicles!
The main course of the birthday celebration meal finished, we moved on to cake and dessert. Number Two Grandson, 2 and a half, youngest in the family, watched me put a birthday cake candle into its holder and declared that he wanted to do it. So he dealt efficiently with the second candle - one candle for each birthday girl - no way was I putting 25 + 24 candles on the cake! As I put them on the cake he demanded to know, “Why are they not on fire?” Good question, excellent 21/2 year old language use! We lit the candles. We sang the song. The candles were blown out and wishes made. The candles were relit for the smallest members of the party to have a turn at blowing them out! All in all a good time was had by all!
As we ate cake - birthday cake and lemon drizzle cake baked by Number One Granddaughter - Number Two Grandson expressed a desire for more icing. A small amount was provided. After all we didn’t want him to have too much of a sugar rush. Then we noticed that he was using his dessert spoon to help himself. The cake was moved along the table. Shortly after this a small voice was heard saying, “I can do this! Almost there!” He was leaning to one side, stretching out his little arm to attack the top of the cake with his spoon once more! An enterprising young man, determined to solve life’s problems! We removed the cake!
Wednesday is also our son’s birthday. (We go in for shared birthdays in this family. If I add my Italian friend Guido, that makes four people I know with a birthday on Wednesday.) Five years ago our son had a week of celebration. First some of his work mates took him off the one of the Hyde Park Concerts, possibly Eric Clapton, then he went off with a few friends to a festival just outside Madrid, and returned in time for us to go and see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in Hyde Park. That’s how to celebrate birthdays!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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