Leo's 1st Birthday Bash


Being an unmarried (therefore kid-less) couple, it is a little something fun for us when we get to take part in the lives of our friends' kids.  Unmarried couples are sometimes stereotyped by kid-filled families, to be the fun, wild friends that hide their tattoos, and get up early after a night of bar hopping so that they can make it to a 2pm Saturday birthday party, looking presentable.  While this is not exactly the case for us, I do sometimes feel a bit awkward as I stand there while a party mate runs after his or her 2-yr old who has just shoved a handful of pretzels down his throat.  Can I help?...or do I just stand here, and take another sip of my beer?  

This weekend it was little Leo's 1st birthday, so I offered to make a birthday cake, for the adults (since I am the kid-less friend of course, I had to fulfill expectations). However, this does not mean there were any lewd connotations or alcohol involved, just complex flavors and ingredients. It was a Fall Spice Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting, topped with some home-made candied orange peel.  The cake turned out perfectly (luckily) dense and moist while the frosting was not too sweet, or overwhelming.

 Leo's mom is an amazing mom and has been a close friend of mine since we were little kids ourselves, growing up in California.  She did an absolutely incredible job decorating the house for the party.  There was no average kiddie party decor anywhere to be found.  She had a perfect theme of a simple color scheme: light blue and orange.  It flowed throughout...starting with the invitations and ending with the home-made goodie bags for the kids, and the specialized chocolate candies on top of the cake (I borrowed a few when I arrived, to add to mine). 




One of my favorite additions was the chocolate teddy grahams on the window sill.

   

The grassy backyard was set up with a spread of sandwiches, cold drinks,


and Anthropology tablecloths for sitting in the shade.


Leo and Dad had a few good laughs,

By Pete Smith

while Leo's favorite part might have been playing in the whipped cream.

By Pete Smith

So, as the unmarried, kid-less friend, I can say that was an awesome party, Leo.  Hopefully your Mom will help you out with all your parties for a little while longer. 
Happy Birthday Leo.



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