Birthdays.

The present pile is slowly emptying.  To the best of my knowledge we have only two to go.

July is birthday month in my family.  It is chaotic.  When my daughter was born three weeks early and therefore went from being a potential August baby to an actual July baby I was almost not surprised.  Along the way we have managed to pick up a number of close friends with July birthdays, and what with our July baby and her July baby friends, and our eldest daughter we have attended birthdays/ held birthdays every weekend this month.  And this weekend two birthdays.

The first weekend celebrated my birthday - a last minute general yum cha invite.  It was well attended, chatty and a great catch up.  A perfect birthday!  The following weekend, coffee and cake to celebrate the first birthday of one of the Poppet's friends.  Before I knew it it was the Poppet's first birthday and that weekend passed in a blur of preparation, celebration and illness.  This weekend - two birthdays - a joint first and third yesterday and a four year old's party today.  We are spilling over into August as well - a seventh birthday party of a friend, as well as my niece's birthday down South.  Busy times.  In between the weekends there have been the midwweek birthdays with catch ups and phone calls.  I think we know nearly twenty people now with July birthdays!

As I look back from July's last day I'm not sure how I've managed to make it through.  Both children have been sick (the Poppet is on to her third consecutive cold) and I spent ten days being very ill.  Moore Wilsons was a completely lifesaver present wise - their toy department has a superb range of children's toys and books, there is onsite free parking, and you can pop into their 'Fresh' section for a freeshly squeezed orange juice as a reward for the hour of toy shopping (yes - one hour -  I did it all at once for six children)!!!

While in Moore Wilson's I had a quick browse through their cookbook section and came across the re-issued original Australian Women's Weekly Birthday Cake Book.  I'd provide a link to it, but I know that anyone born in Aussie or NZ knows this one.  It is the one that our Mums had.  My Mum baked many of the cakes for my sister and I.  I remember vividly my sister's mushroom cake (which from memory she didn't like, but I must have because I remember it so well), the jelly cake and my Mum reminded me that she made the famous typewriter cake.  Respect.  I doubt my children would know what a typewriter cake is but I do have visions of making an ipad cake - so simple.