Fishing for compliments?

My Fish Birthday Cake for T's second birthday!

Okay, so I intended for the birthday shenanigans to be kept rather simple this year... But I still managed to get totally exhausted by it all! Only a 'family' party on the Saturday, but also another party with six mums and eleven kids on the Monday had me flat out cooking sausage rolls, spinach and cheese savouries, a main fish birthday cake with jelly-water surround, and a couple dozen cupcakes! Not to mention wrapping presents and organising games, etc.

Too tiring really! Though I was happy and proud of myself... but my over-tired and grumpy moods were perhaps not quite worth it for my husband...

Why do I set such standards for myself??? Why am I not happy unless I make most of the stuff myself?? I am over 7 months pregnant, let's not forget! Surely a bought cake would have been good enough??? But no. I cannot manage to escape my "Martha Stewart" fantasies of motherhood. I want parties to be loads of fun and entertainment, with the majority of items made by me... including wrapping paper and gifts, etc...

I am still making the 'Cafe Kit' present that I have in my mind for T... and also now a new idea of a special picture book for her second birthday (as I did for her cousin many years ago now..) I have written the story and am very happy with that - but the illustrations will take quite a bit of time! I will post it up here when done - hopefully not too far away, so stay tuned.

Which leads me to the topic of this entry... Do I do it for external acclaim??? No, I don't think so... but some praise and admiration from others definately does not go astray... I'm pretty sure it is just me who I am trying to impress - though it is rather sadistic of me to put such pressures and expectations on myself!! At least I am getting better at thinking "oh well" about whatever I don't get done... at least I think I am... ;)

(Unfortunately I over cooked the cupcakes... I think I am more in favour of a large cake rather than cupcakes, as the little ones are rather fiddly and time consuming... and i reckon don't quite have the same impact as one large cake either! - at least I tried!)