"Green, with Percy on it"

"Andrew, what kind of birthday cake would you like this year?"

"I want a green one, with Percy on it."

That was the conversation I had with my now 4-year-old son several times over the past few weeks.  I kept asking, because I expected the answer to change every time.  But no - every time I got the same answer: green, with Percy on it. 

Were you ever four and knew exactly what you wanted? 

Ah, the joy of knowing what you want...and being Batman.

Andrew got two birthday parties this year.  His actual birthday fell on a Wednesday, so we had a small gathering with pizza and a little pile of Saturdays.  He knew his "Green with Percy on it" cake would come a few days later when the family gathered en masse. 

"It's a UTILITY BELT!!!!!"

His response to, "What would you like for your birthday?" has consistently been, "toys."  So we had some wiggle room there, but we really hit it out of the park.  He opened one of the packages and yelled, "It's a utility belt!!" with all the joy and satisfaction of being young and getting what you really wanted for your birthday.  That was a great guess, and I give full credit to my husband for that one. 

Finally, Batman's long wait for his green cake was rewarded:

8" Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Mousse filling, Vanilla Buttercream

I kept it simple this year, and it was just what he wanted.  Nothing's better than giving your child a gift you know they are longing for. What a shadow of a sliver of a taste of what God feels when he satisfies our righteous desires...what a gift to experience even a whiff of that sweetness. 

Percy the train...thank you for being a toy an not making me
craft you out of gum paste at midnight last night:). 

This year we had chocolate cake, filled with chocolate mousse (a la Joy of Cooking...mmmmm) and topped with the signature Bake Lore buttercream. 

This cake may not have topped the style of years past, but it was by far the best-tasting cake I've ever made for my son's birthday.  And yes, I let him have two pieces. 

I love you, dear, sweet boy.  Happy 4th Birthday to you!