Birthday Cake
6 Octobro, 2010
That morning, Puck announced, at 6:50, that he was ready to get up and breakfast.
“Go back to bed, Puck,” OLeif groaned, who had been pulling a pile of late-nighters. “Just for a little while longer.”
“But it’s twelve, six o’clock, Daddy,” Puck replied, marching back to bed.
His usual breakfast oatmeal was served not long later. Puck was in one of his unenthusiastic moods for oatmeal.
“It’s as hard as a rock,” he protested.
It was not.
Over at the house, preparations were being made for Linnea-Irish’s birthday the following day. She was going to be 13. The last day of any Snicketts to be less than a teenager. A strange sort of realization…
And to the algebra, while Linnea sorted her collection of ‘silly bands’ and foreign coins and bills.
In the afternoon, it was time to make the birthday cake for Linnea to bring to youth group.
Collette mixed up the white cake batter and divided it into six equal parts. Then they added the coloring paste: violet, sapphire, emerald, bright yellow, bright orange, and bright red. The colors were carefully ladled over one another, the violet, sapphire, emerald, and yellow in one pan, and the orange and red in another, attempting to create layers that did not blend into one another too badly.
While it baked, off to the store for two boxes of frosting and dark golden brown hair dye for Rose.
Then back to double-deck the cake, frost it, ring it with Kit-Kits, and top it in M’nMs.
Puck was up from his nap, outside with Linnea in the grass. Then he hurried over to his aunts catching some sun on the patio. Carrie had her trusty water bottle to spritz her arms with water when it became too warm.
“We saw an angry bee!” Puck exclaimed.
“Aw, come here sweety,” said Carrie. “Let me spray your hair.”
While Rose dried her own hair after its dye process, playing badminton in the backyard with Linnea, while discussing the possibility of purchasing new pajama pants — the old M’nMs pair was getting ratty and covered in paint — Puck was involved in playing with his own collection of stealth bombers, pirate captains, and train engines.
Church was much the same, with the ever-quickening darkening of the heavens to rosy gold. The rainbow cake was a success.
When Collette picked up Puck, sitting in his little baby chair with all of his friends, Luke and Leia’s mom came over…
“He’s had a package of Starburst in his back pocket all evening,” she said. “And he’s been calling it ‘his bump’. Then he handed it to me and said, ‘Could you please hold my bump? He’s so cute!”
While they waited for Linnea to finish youth group, Francis began destroying old water bottles by twisting them and popping off the caps.
“Twist up some more water bottles, Francis!” Puck declared in excitement. “Mama will be so happy! Splurt it up!”
And afterwards, Collette, Francis, Linnea, and Puck met up with Dad, Mom, and Joe on the Dardenne parking lot, where Francis and Joe traded places. Dad polished off the last slice of the cake, and was passed the package of little peanut butter cookies.
“Is this for me?” he had asked, pointing to the cake.
Then back home, accompanied by Joe and Linnea, where Puck was a little slap-happy. They sat around relaxing for a little while after he had been put to bed, listening to Mr. Rogers, and then for a viewing of Jumanji. Movie nights were fun times.
OLeif packed for Tennessee when he returned. He also surprised Collette with her completely refurbished laptop, which had been covered under warranty.
Puck, meanwhile, had not liked the thought of his daddy leaving town…
“We need to get my daddy back,” he said. “I love Daddy.”
That morning, Puck announced, at 6:50, that he was ready to get up and breakfast.
“Go back to bed, Puck,” OLeif groaned, who had been pulling a pile of late-nighters. “Just for a little while longer.”
“But it’s twelve, six o’clock, Daddy,” Puck replied, marching back to bed.
His usual breakfast oatmeal was served not long later. Puck was in one of his unenthusiastic moods for oatmeal.
“It’s as hard as a rock,” he protested.
It was not.
Over at the house, preparations were being made for Linnea-Irish’s birthday the following day. She was going to be 13. The last day of any Snicketts to be less than a teenager. A strange sort of realization…
And to the algebra, while Linnea sorted her collection of ‘silly bands’ and foreign coins and bills.
In the afternoon, it was time to make the birthday cake for Linnea to bring to youth group.
Collette mixed up the white cake batter and divided it into six equal parts. Then they added the coloring paste: violet, sapphire, emerald, bright yellow, bright orange, and bright red. The colors were carefully ladled over one another, the violet, sapphire, emerald, and yellow in one pan, and the orange and red in another, attempting to create layers that did not blend into one another too badly.
While it baked, off to the store for two boxes of frosting and dark golden brown hair dye for Rose.
Then back to double-deck the cake, frost it, ring it with Kit-Kits, and top it in M’nMs.
Puck was up from his nap, outside with Linnea in the grass. Then he hurried over to his aunts catching some sun on the patio. Carrie had her trusty water bottle to spritz her arms with water when it became too warm.
“We saw an angry bee!” Puck exclaimed.
“Aw, come here sweety,” said Carrie. “Let me spray your hair.”
While Rose dried her own hair after its dye process, playing badminton in the backyard with Linnea, while discussing the possibility of purchasing new pajama pants — the old M’nMs pair was getting ratty and covered in paint — Puck was involved in playing with his own collection of stealth bombers, pirate captains, and train engines.
Church was much the same, with the ever-quickening darkening of the heavens to rosy gold. The rainbow cake was a success.
When Collette picked up Puck, sitting in his little baby chair with all of his friends, Luke and Leia’s mom came over…
“He’s had a package of Starburst in his back pocket all evening,” she said. “And he’s been calling it ‘his bump’. Then he handed it to me and said, ‘Could you please hold my bump? He’s so cute!”
While they waited for Linnea to finish youth group, Francis began destroying old water bottles by twisting them and popping off the caps.
“Twist up some more water bottles, Francis!” Puck declared in excitement. “Mama will be so happy! Splurt it up!”
And afterwards, Collette, Francis, Linnea, and Puck met up with Dad, Mom, and Joe on the Dardenne parking lot, where Francis and Joe traded places. Dad polished off the last slice of the cake, and was passed the package of little peanut butter cookies.
“Is this for me?” he had asked, pointing to the cake.
Then back home, accompanied by Joe and Linnea, where Puck was a little slap-happy. They sat around relaxing for a little while after he had been put to bed, listening to Mr. Rogers, and then for a viewing of Jumanji. Movie nights were fun times.
OLeif packed for Tennessee when he returned. He also surprised Collette with her completely refurbished laptop, which had been covered under warranty.
Puck, meanwhile, had not liked the thought of his daddy leaving town…
“We need to get my daddy back,” he said. “I love Daddy.”