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!)

Preparing for a party...

My daughter will turn two this Friday! So my week priorities are all set for that... (Still haven't had any time to start any of the art/craft things I am itching to do... but that will have to wait a little a longer... I am optimistic that I am a little bit closer: I have a table cleared out in the shed that I can work on, and I have a bag full of my shell craft materials sitting ready, along with some cardboard boxes ready to cut up - that is for a crafty 'cafe kit' I want to make for T as a birthday present.. so that has the most hope of getting done... hopefully!)

Her two days in childcare this week I will be busy doing extra grocery shopping, making cupcakes, sausage rolls, extra savouries, baking a cake and getting birthday cake decorating items.. not to mention party decorations and wrapping presents.... I already have some Nemo serviettes that she took a liking to.. But if there is going to be any theme, it is probably going to change to 'Thomas the Tank Engine' as she is really into "Toot-toot" as she calls him - and that is what we've decided to do for the cake!

I also have to take stock of all the 'little bits and pieces' of birthday gifts that I have been buying and hiding away over the past few months... I'm sure there is heaps there - so I won't have to go out and buy anything else... The indulged little child I have doesn't want for anything as it is - and I can imagine all the pressies she will be getting from grandparents and other rellies!

I am excited that she is turning 2! She seems like such a 'little girl' now - I almost feel as though I have a 3 or 4 year old; that's how mature and grown-up and capable she seems to me! It really does seem like such a great age... the only problem being her perhaps starting to grow out of her daytime nap (Please, No! Don't let that happen in a hurry!!!!)

I am hoping that I have learnt from her 1st birthday party not to go too overboard... The first one I really went all out - doing all the birthday things I had ever dreamed of, and inviting plenty of people... It took me a few months to get over it!
No - this time we are having a simple family party on the Saturday... she will be the only child! Then on the Monday a party with some mums and kids from playgroup - which is a shared party for T and another girl who will be one! Yep. That sounds reasonable.... not too crazy... But then I still have to plan something special for the REAL birthday day on Friday.... Hmmm.. How does trying to keep things simple suddenly turn into three different events!??? Hey, she's only going to be 2 once - and she is so gorgeous and cute, and smart, and funny, and adorable....... (And I'm a gloating, soppy mum!)