Big Affairs: Ballet & Birthday

I'm back, deadlines made, dr appointments averted, children fed, with 2/3 in bed, the other 1/3 engrossed in library books, husband in another state, and a mound (literally) of sewing to tackle, which, of course, is all very delightful, except for the husband gone.

How I love to watch Olive dance.  She was made for it right down to the twinkle in her eye.  She had her recital recently and I snapped this at the dress rehearsal (why there's a lady standing in my shot, argh).  Olive's the one in the middle.  With a sock bun.  Pinterest does come in handy, except it fell out during her tap number (it wasn't even that raucous!)  I told her a true performer just keeps on smiling, even if their sock falls off their head.  Good thing it was just a rehearsal.  We prevented any further sock bun incidences with a handful of bobby pins and a can of hairspray.

These recitals are a huge deal.  We're talking held at the local university not only with a rehearsal the day before, but curtain call at noon and we don't pick up our little dancers until around 4, when we're all weary of smiling and clapping.  Olive was only in the second act so Ryan didn't come and bring the rest of the kids until later, but he still got there too early and some of the natives got restless and I nursed Drummer in the restroom, leaning on the spacious counter, greeting the restroom cleaners with a big smile and noisy slurping baby.

To keep the ballerina busy backstage, I sent her with a bag full of goodies and activities.  She said she mostly just played princess with the other dancers, though, acting the part of servant.  Such humility.

Speaking of princesses, the littlest princess dill turned 4!  We celebrated in hues of red and pink with a request of crêpes and fresh fruit with homemade chocolate sauce.  Strangely, she refused to be 4 the whole day.  I'm not 4, yet, she'd say when talking on the phone with gramma and grampa and when we'd ask her how old she was.

I guess it just took the whole day to really sink in that her thumb was the only unneeded digit.

I'm always amused at the sibling gifts.  Those with foresight have something small and trinket-like already purchased.  Others scramble off to find one of their beloved (or not so much) toys to regift.  Of course Clover was delighted with everything.

Those PickYourPlum cupcake papers came in handy.  She requested cupcakes with cherry frosting.  I think she was hoping for the almost-neon maraschino cherries, but since she didn't specify, I just added cherry purée to some buttercream frosting.  Our favorite white cupcake recipe actually comes from one of those little children's cookbooks where almost everything is painfully simple to make, yet we are always delighted (and surprised) when we make these.  They're light, but not too light, with a buttery-not-too-sweet flavor.
White Cupcake Recipe:
1 stick + 1 T butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup self-rising flour (or just add 1 1/2 t baking powder and 1/8 t salt to 1 c flour)
2 T milk
Cream butter, add sugar and beat unti light and fluffy.  Add eggs, beating after each addition.  Sift flour into mixture, fold until incoporated. Stir in milk until mixture is smooth.  Divide between paper liners, baking 15-20 minutes at 375℉.

Divine made a Pin the Crown on the Princess poster, spending a good portion of her day doing so.  It's convenient to have older children who can help with such tasks.

I accidentally put mine on Olive ;)

We moved the poster across the room for miss smartie pants who still got the crown spot on, even after running into a few objects, like me!

I whipped up a last-minute birthday outfit with a ruffled underskirt she can wear every day and an overskirt when she's feeling extra fancy and an over-sized red silk bow to top her off.

Clover.

She's got L♡VE in her middle.

Happy Birthday, Cloves.