Cupcake Wars

 

 Today, after I picked Joshua up from kindergarten, he and Larkin asked if we could watch an episode of Cupcake Wars.  What 5 year old and 3 year old ask that?  How awesome are my kids?

Aaron requested us to make some cupcakes...war style.  I'm pretty sure I've made a million cupcakes in my day...all from a box.  I will make homemade frosting...on occasion if asked for it.  But today, we did it all from scratch.

My cupcake is a vanilla bean, coconut reduction cake with coconut infused buttercream frosting.   The candy pearls and toasted coconut capture the feeling of a tropical island.  It's finished with a delectable flourish of milk chocolate on top.

I had a panel of distinguished judges...complete with a crazy little guy with a hard to understand accent.  Noah does the best accents ever!  Arwen said my frosting was too sour...what??  I think it was the only thing she could make up as a critique.  There was nothing remotely sour in them :)  That and she said they were not moist.  I'm pretty sure she doesn't even know what that word means.  Joshua loved them, but then again he always votes for the prettiest girl to win on the actual show.  Larkin loved them!   Aaron loved them!  Yea :) 

Since the other contestants failed to show up, I won the war!!  In lieu  of the $10,000 I told Aaron he can just take me to Hawaii.  When are we going, Aaron??

Black Bean Breakfast

LuLu

Noah was our oatmeal boy.  Larkin is our bean girl.

Here she is enjoying her delicious breakfast of black beans and a pickle.  

"Oh yeh!  You're jealous", she implies with a wink.

Day at the Park

Day at the Park

Some time ago we were just having a nice day in the park.  

Swinging on swings.

Sliding down slides.

When Noah wandered down a dark and narrow path into the woods stumbling on a den of demented stick creatures.

 

 He screamed the scream that he often screams then tamed the wild stick beast and named him Lenny.

Christmas Tree

Sarah and each of the kids chose their favorite tree.  The problem was that none of them were the same tree. I listened to all the pleas to "Cut this one Dad, Cut this one".  Tree cutting day was either going to be a great beginning to Christmas or a crying fest.  With some negotiating I suggested this and that and we wandered around enough that no one knew where their favorite tree was now.  We picked a new one together.  I think this years tree was the best we've ever had.

Walk In The Woods

It was cold, and muddy, and fun.  Hot chocolate waiting back at the car helped.

Best buddies.

Larkin ended up in the mud once and surprisingly didn't demand new clothes.   

Nice pose Noah.

Poor Sarah was home resting from a back injury.  We missed you Sarah.

Hanging Out In The City

After our muddy hike we wandered into Portland.  Got some "lunch" at Cost Plus.  I let the kids pick out strange fool like things to try.  It, along with a bunch of caramel corn kept us alive.

Then we headed over to Washington Square to watch the ice skaters.

Then we hopped on the Max and road into Portland to play around Pioneer Square.

 

Noah's quite the doeboy.  Giddy-up.

 

This picture caught Larkin thinking she was going to fall off...Joshua saved her.