Birthdays (and ugly cakes)

It is the birthday marathon.  I have really enjoyed doing cakes in the past (here and here and here and here...to look at more, just look in the blog archive under August or October), and though they are far from professional, I have certainly liked the look of them.  THIS YEAR, however, I have been lazy in my cake making and decorating.  I have not even attempted any cake-pops this go 'round.  I bought E's cake back in August, totally skipped making Z boy a cake when it was his turn a week and a half after E, and then threw together D-D's cake the afternoon of her birthday.  I tell you, these are not stellar mom moments.....or stellar cakes.  D-D's is quite laughable.  But, since she loved it and could totally tell what I was going for, I guess it does not matter too much that proportions were slightly skewed (as in way, way, way, way off).  

E's cake

(ugh!  store bought, but who can wrinkle your nose at an ice cream cake

...and a Reese's one at that?)

D-D's cake:

I honestly knew it wasn't the best decorating job I had ever done, but did not realize it was THAT poorly done until a friend said, "Cute duck."  Duck!!!!!  DUCK?!!?!!?!!?!!?  wow.  this is cry worthy....sniff, sniff...

Her cake is supposed to look like Rainbow Dash from the new and improved My Little Pony cartoon.  I tried to model it after this drawing:

Another honest confession.....I do laugh over her cake.  I laughed over it as I was decorating it....and as soon as I finished it.  

~~~~~~

And, since I was making D-D a cake, I decided to make Z-boy one, too....almost 2 whole months later!  I guess it is better to be late than never, right?  Again, I just slapped icing on, and got his done quickly.  It is sad, sad, sad.  I think it (as well as the ducky-pony cake) could possibly show up on a blog about terrible cake decorating (I hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me,they are that shoddy).  

  

Can you guess what/who it is?

NOOOOO!!!!  It is NOT Frankenstein's monster.  I'm not even sure my little man knows who that 

character is!  

Think 4 year old turning 5

(Fine, fine!  He's already five, but play along with me, OK?).....

Oh, good grief!  I'll tell you, for pity's sake!

It is the Incredible Hulk!

A different friend than the duck-commenting friend

(yes, we have more than one friend.  Don't be jealous, now!)

said, "What a great LEGO head"

Oh!

Yes.  

Ummmm.

right.  Right!!!

That's right!  Lego Hulk.  It is what I 

was DEFINITELY going for!

yes, yes, yes! 

Well....at least this little guy knew what it was!  And judging by the smile on his face, he liked it.  

Counting

I keep seeing this drawing online and am reading the myriad of answers.  The question is::

HOW MANY SQUARES DO YOU SEE? 

Most people are saying 26.  They are counting these squares that I have numbered here:

18 + 8 = 26

But MORE squares can be found when putting four blocks together to make a 2 x 2 square.  Which can be done 9 times:

Notice I chose a different color to represent each 2x2 square.

THEN, there are the squares that can be made using 9 blocks

for a square measuring 3 x 3:

 

There are FOUR 3x3 squares (each labelled in a different color)

Finally, there is the most obvious square, which is often the most missed.  The large 4 x 4 square:

SO let's add them all up:  

18 + 8 + 9 + 4 + 1 = 40

40 squares.  

Now, there are others coming up with larger numbers.  I can not see more than 40 right now, but would love to be proved wrong on this count.  

:)  

Down!!....Set!!!....

"E" is now able to get in on the school football fun.  

We are all pretty excited about it and I cannot believe how big 

and TOUGH

he looks in his football gear.  

Yep!  

He is the 

best looking and most compassionate football player I know::