A Special Order

Saturday, Nathan and I were sitting outside on the swing, discussing his Uncle Steve's birthday party. He decided that his cake should be a firetruck. I thought that it was clever at three, how he could participate in planning the party. This is the same boy who remembered Jesus had a birthday, Christmas.
He knows that birthday's are very special. He just had one in January like his uncle, he is a winter baby. The trouble with people born this time of the year is trying to get everyone together. Different shifts, weather and sickness, usually cause the difficulty. We had to postpone tomorrows party to the weekend. Nate's party was "cars" Steve's will be firetrucks.
The only difference is Nate had balloons, Steve won't.
Nathan has a peanut allergy, which is very common with young children today. We must make the cake homemade as a result. Most cakes are made where peanuts are utilized. I'm so grateful that Pillsbury products usually are considerate of people's allergies. The problem is not the cake, nor frosting, but firetruck? I'm going to have my hands full trying to find what I need to decorate it. We must not disappoint his little three-year-old nephew.
I've made many decorative cakes, and wedding cakes for friends and family through the years.
It brings back memories like the time I made a giraffe cake for my oldest for his second birthday. It was so large that I placed it on a folding table. While he was sleeping I was cleaning up the mess, when I heard him say, UM!!!!! And then I caught him both hands full eating the cake which I was to serve guests. Having taken out part of the long neck, I was left to fill the hole with bread and frosting.
Another occasion caught us off guard as we didn't anticipate the town cutting up the road, which made it difficult to deliver the wedding cake while dodging the holes everywhere, shaking the living out of the car. We made it there without the three-tier cake cracking, only to find it pouring rain on our arrival.
What started out to be a joke, and a course that I took to accompany my sister, who was just engaged and waiting to join her man after their wedding, almost turned into a career.
I enjoyed making the roses and dying flowers for the centerpiece. My aunt started to take orders for me, as people were requesting cakes. It took up too much of my time, not to mention the mess.
This one will be fun, and I'm looking forward to the challenge.
It's been a long time since I've decorated a cake, especially for my son, Lt. Steve, who works at our local firestation.