On Tuesday, we celebrated Nick’s 33rd Birthday. What an old man! He really robbed the cradle with me… until I turn 33 myself in July. But let’s not dwell on that fact. Weren’t we such babes back in the day?
The girls are a little confused about Birthdays. Every single day they ask if it’s their Birthday. So I wasn’t sure how it was going to go with us celebrating Daddy.
I made a special point to really include them and let them help make decisions about how to make their Daddy feel special.
And that’s where the ‘Rainbow Sparkle’ cake came in.
I’ve made a rainbow cake before, but I used some weird recipe that called for Sprite. The colors were more vibrant that time (namely the red), but the cake was SO GROSS. I decided taste matters too. So I just used a cake mix and food coloring this time.
With some supervision, the girls made this cake pretty much by themselves. I should have taken a picture of them stirring all the different colored bowls of batter. SO cute.
Since posting this on Instagram and Facebook, a ton of you have requested a tutorial. I didn’t really take pics of the process, so I’ll have to make another one sometime soon and show you how (DARN!). It’s really very easy. Anyone have suggestions on making the red REDDER?
While the cake was in the oven, the girls wanted to make their Daddy ‘heart Birthday cards’. I cut some cardstock in the shape of a heart, and let them paint away.
It’s very cute to listen to them chat while they’re creating together.
*GASP* Della your painting is looking so beeeautiful!
Thank you Paisley! And I like the colors you picked. You’re a very good artist!
HILARIOUS! It’s obvious they really listen to the words I use. I need to be more intentional about complementing them more. And making sure they know I delight in them. It’s so easy to just get caught up in the everyday… and the baby sister.
Anywho.. we chopped up those two round cakes to make an airplane shape. Nick’s current hobby is RC airplanes… so we thought this would be fun! I found the idea here.
I used to be a cake decorator at a bakery, and it took everything in me not to make this cake PERFECT. But it’s not about me. And I think the girls did a pretty smash-up job.
Don’t mind the toothpick candles. SOMEBODY forgot to buy candles. But we’re pretty innovative around here.
The girls each picked out a balloon for Daddy from the Dollar Tree, and we tied the string around each of their gifts to him (they wrapped their heart cards). Everything was set up, and the girls patiently waited by the window for daddy to come home from work.
When Daddy pulled in the driveway, the girls screamed the highest-pitch screams I’ve ever heard come out of their mouths. They made him close his eyes as he walked in the door, and brought him over to his special table.
It’s so fun watching the girls get excited about making someone else feel special. I’m proud of them, because I know that’s a hard concept for them at age 3. I’m so glad I allowed myself to let them really take ownership of Daddy’s birthday and really dive in with their ideas and creativity. I know he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way!
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This is adorable! Thanks for sharing this snapshot of your lives!
I know a way to make the red redder! Use gel food coloring instead of the drops. It makes darker colors. I can check if I have that color but I don’t think I do. You can get them at Walmart in the cake decorating/wedding section 🙂
That’s actually exactly what I used. I love the gel food colors (I have Wilton) but just not impressed with the red. One of my other readers recommended a certain brand (AmeriColor) and I just ordered it from Amazon. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Sarah I used Wilton. Where can I buy AmeriColor?
Amazon! I have never seen it locally at the craft stores.
This is so sweet that it brought tears to my eyes. You are doing a great job with your girls! My own daughters are growing up so fast and it made me long for the days when they were this small. Next month my oldest graduates from high school and my twins graduate from 8th grade. Lots of sappiness happening over here! I love reading about your family…
Time flies doesn’t it?! I’m trying to soak up their little-ness. Even on the frustrating days. Because I know there will come a time where I miss these days.
Check out the info on red velvet cakes (the chemical reaction between the cocoa, baking soda, and buttermilk gives it a reddish brown colour without having to use 1/2 bottle of red dye. And they say that powdered coloring works better. What a nice family surprise from the girls.
Oooo good thought!! I’m going to look into that!
Thank you Kara! 😉
What kind of food coloring did you use? I have a pack of AmeriColor gel paste food colors that I would recommend. You need way less than regular food coloring or Wilton ones to get vibrant colors! But I think it’s still tricky to get really bright red or navy blue. Love that cake!
Look at them painting! My son goes wild with paint and it gets EVERYWHERE! Now we paint in garage, on a huge table cloth with a circle drawn on it that he is not allowed to leave while the paint is out. I love the cake.
That’s fun too though! Every kid has a different ‘technique’. And it sounds like you’ve got a great method for containing it! I think the girls have seen me carefully/meticulously painting so much that they’re very thoughtful and purposeful about their paintings for such a young age. They would paint every day if I would let them!
I love that Paisley calls her Della too! What other nicknames do they have for each other? We call Macy ‘Sissy’ and Peyton is ‘Peytie’ a lot. We also call her Tater or Tater Butt. LOL. I also regularly call each other them by their middle names Elizabeth and Aubrey.
Awww love their nicknames! We have lots of nicknames around here. Paisley gets called Pais, Petunia, PJ, Sis, etc. Adelyn get’s called Della, Dell, Dello Jello, Doodle, Sis, etc. Cypress gets called Cypie Jean or Goober. 🙂
What a sweet birthday surprise! Happy birthday Nick! My twin girls are about the same age as yours, so I love hearing how they talk to each other!
Awwww yay! What are your twins’ names?
Amelia and Lily. I have an older singleton named Ellen also. 3 girls is so fun!
Awww wo cute! I love those names!
The post below is mine, who knew I had two log in accts, not me! 🙂 I so enjoy reading about your days. 🙂
They are absolutely the cutest things, all three girls. I love the cake, it was adorable. I only wish I was 33 again. 🙂
It’s so sweet to see little ones excited! The cake turned out awesome!