Yesterday, my son celebrated a half birthday! 2.5! I can't believe he's 6 months away from THREE! Anyway, I won't bore you with the "where did the time go" thoughts that every mother has at these times.
I love the idea of half birthdays! Let me tell you why. I had a December birthday, as does my son. Growing up, I loved the pool and water and other summer activities and always envyed other children that could have fun, summertime birthday parties. Those just didn't happen in December and especially not in my town where indoor pools were virtually unheard of.
Half birthdays are a perfect way to mark another milestone within a different season.
Now, while I envyed summer birthdays, who knew that some of them were envying ME.
People with summer birthdays are not usually fighting weather conditions, but attendance issues. What are the odds that several of your friends are going to be on vacation on your big day? Or at a camp that they've already signed up for? Children of divorced parents often spend the summers with the other parent and some children spend a considerable amount of time at a grandparent's house.
The grass is always greener, right?
We're celebrating in a small way this year. My son still doesn't understand the concept of birthdays, but like most children, he does understand cake and fun decorations! And he especially understands people gushing over and celebrating him.
And that's what it's about really. Celebrating him and the amazing time he's been in our lives!
A couple pics of the simple setup:
The HALF cake. All you need is one round cake pan. Cut it in half and stack! I will probably only have five people eating this cake so it's perfect! If you have a larger crowd, since you have leftover cake mix, make another half.
On icing the half cake:
- This is a chocolate cake with white icing. Crumb coating was extremely necessary!
- Crumb coating also helped with icing the flat edge of the "inside" of the half. Because it was sliced in half, there were lots of "crumbs" to ice. Very frustrating, because the cake is moist and wants to fall apart when you run the icing over it. Crumb coating including freezing, really helped.
I've seen a lot of half birthday cakes where 1/2 was piped on with a pastry bag. I decided to use the traditional numbers and add a decimal for a modern touch.
The decimal is made of one piece of dot candy "glued" onto the flat side of a white chocolate melt with icing.
Up close. Kinda hard to see since it's white on white, (click on it to see it larger) but the melt sticks into the icing like the numbers.
Farm friends! These came from a Martha Stewart kit. They were at a local Super Walmart on clearance for $3. The kit contains everything, even the balloons and stands. Super easy! All the pieces already have adhesive.
These farm animal balloons would be precious at Easter or you could make them smaller and use for a baby shower.
Happy 2.5 birthday, Keaton!
