Birthday Preparations

This year we asked Chase where he wanted to have his birthday party and he said Chuck-E-Cheese.  His dad and I were in agreement:

Ugh.

So we compromised with him and said we would go to Chuck-E-Cheese as a family the day before his birthday with my parents, and he could have his big birthday party the next day at the bowling alley (which he also loves).  He agreed (a bit begrudgingly, but we took it).

The kids had a great time at Chuck-E-Cheese Saturday.  Chloe loves anything where she gets to ride a horse:

Chase ran around the whole place and even roped Grandma into playing games with him!

Afterwards we went home and Chase hopped on Grandma's iPad (his favorite thing to do while they were here)...

...while I made (dun dun dun...) the cupcakes.  You know... THE cupcakes.  The cupcakes I feel the need to make for all my kids'  birthdays, even though it has been proven over and over that I am not very successful at making them!

Since Chase was having his party at the bowling alley I found some bowling pin cupcakes to make.  They looked easy enough, but it turns out if you really want them to look like bowling pins you have to do more than just slap the donut on top and throw some icing on it.  You should probably take some time to shape it and smooth it out.  So as Chase was iPadding, I was quietly working in the kitchen.  I finally stepped back to look at my work and said a meek, "Ummmm... Mom?"

Mom came in and I said, "They look like crap."  In true Mom form she said something like, "Well, they're interesting...."  Then we just busted out laughing.  I mean, come on....  They seriously looked like CRAP!

So I called Chase into the kitchen to see them and before I revealed them I said, "OK, Chase.  No matter what you think of these cupcakes you have to say, 'Mom, these are the most amazing bowling pin cupcakes I have ever seen!'"  He agreed to the terms and I revealed them.  He stared at them in amazement for a few seconds and then said, "Uh, Mom...?"  I held my breath.  "Yes, Chase?"

"Is that the best you can do?"

My mom and I about died trying to stifle our hysterical laughter behind his back.  I said, "Chase!  You are supposed to say they are the best bowling pin cupcakes you have ever seen!"  His response:

"Well, they just look a little sloppy."

Then he decided he should help, because apparently he could do it better:

So he cut out the triangles.  I felt like saying, "Oh yeah, Chase?  You think that's better?"  But I'm a better mom than that, so I kept my mouth shut and made fun of his stupid little triangles behind his back for the camera instead.

Ha ha!  Who let me have children?!?

Anyway, I decided I would let him help because then I could say at the party, "Chase helped with the cupcakes.  Didn't he do an amazing job?"  Ha!  A scapegoat!

Seriously....  Who let me have children?!?

Anyway, here's the finished product.  My friend Katie says they look like ghosts with blindfolds.

(She's such a great friend.)