three!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  I have to say that since Minty's birthday is on the 13th the holiday has been somewhat eclipsed for the last few years.  Add the fact that Turi's birthday is right next to our wedding anniversary and you can begin to understand why I thought that romantic celebrations were a thing of the past.  But this year Mr outdid himself by surprising me with a trip to Japan in May… without the kids.  I admit to feeling somewhat guilty about leaving the kids behind, (after all they feel like they missed out if I even try to take the rubbish to the bin without them) but my excitement over shopping for bento boxes, washi tape and cute fabric somewhat out ways the guilt!  We are very blessed to have parents who are willing to take tiny lodgers for the duration of the trip.  Any suggestions of must-sees in Tokyo would be appreciated (we're only there for a whirlwind 3 days so bear that in mind).

And now onto a wrap up of Minty's number three birthday.  We had a little get together with the family and a couple of friends... 

I made a giant cupcake (I know it is remarkably similar to the cake I made when Minty turned two but it was Minty's request and I suspect she was trying to replicate her only birthday memory).  I had major dramas with the cake this time.  For some reason it would not come out of the tin and after half an hour of trying just about everything I could think of I almost resorted to scooping it out of the tin with a spoon and making trifle.  Eventually it came out… in six pieces and I had to reconstruct it like a big cake jigsaw puzzle.  Thankfully there isn't much that a bit of buttercream and a few curse words can't fix.

Camping in the backyard was a bit of a disaster.  Minty enjoyed putting up the tent and roasting marshmallows on the fire but when it came to sleeping time she had a complete freak out.  I went inside to check on Turi (who had retired to the comfort of his cot earlier in the evening), and Minty upon hearing a cricket concluded that I had been eaten by some kind of wild beast in the yard.  She clung to her dad and begged to come inside.  After sighting me in Turi's room she collapsed into her bed in relief and fell straight to sleep.  I'm glad we didn't bother driving to Wilson's Prom - maybe next year.