I hope I’ll always keep the tradition of making our children’s birthday cakes and cake toppers every year.
They’re never as good-looking as store bought cakes but I love making what they ask for.
For the curious and those who want to try… I use airdry clay ($11) from Lazada to make the cake toppers, stick it on an inverted toy plate, and buy the tiny flowers decorations ($3.90) from Redman. Not a baking whiz so Betty Crocker’s Devil’s cake ($4.90) is what it is. Thankfully it’s one of the children’s favorite cakes and they’re always so encouraging 😭
So glad we could put a big smile on so many kids today. As Cliff walked out of the school in his outfit, waving at all the different classes, I thought of how it’s just like him to keep spreading joy to all around him just by being who he is- giving of himself wholeheartedly.
None of the “programme” was pre-planned, it just happened 😅
I kept thinking of the tram uncle who sang our little one a birthday song and how much he wished he could relive his children’s childhood with them again. I think the twinkle in his eyes as he sang might actually have been tears he held back.
As we walked home, a group of teenage boys stopped us to say the bubble tea vending machine was wonky and discharged an extra tea. I was so touched that the young man offered it to us— turns out that it was our little one’s favorite flavor, passion fruit.
“God answered my prayer,” she said as she walked, clutching it tightly.
I don’t think she prayed for it, really, but I do know the gratitude she felt for God remembering her, especially when she realized she had left her toucan pin behind at the Bird Park.
“You can have mine,” my firstborn said.
😭
“It’s ok,” my birthday girl said, “I am OK.” I think what she really felt was that God remembered her in her time of distress and sent a stranger to encourage her.