When my oldest daughter started having birthdays, I would plan a party every year. When she was young, that meant mostly family. When she was older, that meant for friends. My oldest daughter picked a theme and I designed some decorations and activities for her and her friends.
Then there was the cake. I enjoyed decorating her cakes. Mind you...I am NOT an expert on cake decorating by any stretch of the imagination. It was more about the love. When she was little, I had no money. Therefore, I creatively applied myself to give her decorated cakes and cute decorations. Her parties were then unique. She seemed to enjoy that her parties were different. I hope that was the case.
Then came my youngest daughter. Her yearly birthday celebrations started off the same kind of way...But then it became something else. You see...My youngest daughter's life isn't filled with happily squealing young friends like my oldest daughter's life was. So, that isn't her focus. Her focus isn't even the gifts (although she likes those too). Her focus is the cake.
Like I did my oldest daughter, I would ask my youngest for a theme. She would give me some theme for me to start planning. Early on, she started having an idea what kind of cake she wanted. Every year, she became more detailed about what she wanted. As with my oldest daughter, I poured my love into designing the cake requested.
Finally, her details were an absolute design for what the cake should look like (what kind, icing flavor, theme, what should be included, every little detail). She told me what she wanted and it was up to me to bring her vision into reality. This collaboration became the main focus of her birthday.
She gives me details ~ I incorporate a design ~ and she oversees every detail.
When it's all done, it becomes this visual representation of my love, her ideas and our creativity. I'm looking forward to seeing the final product of where her vision takes us this year. :)
