My baker...

I didn't get a chance to post this earlier this summer ... These are pics from Alyssa's birthday with us. Things are still pretty tight so we haven't done big gifts lately. But, Alyssa was on cloud nine from her birthday.  A

Alyssa LOVES to bake, especially cupcakes. Her favorite tv show is a show called Cupcake Wars. Half of the shirts she owns have a cupcake on them, and anytime she sees something with a cupcake she WANTS it. So, for her birthday, we bought her more stuff to bake with.   Unfortunately, I personally do NOT enjoy baking... I don't like the mess, I'm not patient enough to wait for things to cook.  We don't even bake cookies at our house (cookie dough is better anyway - just ask Steve and Taylor).   So, Alyssa does her baking with her sisters or on her own.  If any of you ever want a little assistant when you are baking, Alyssa would LOVE LOVE LOVE to learn from others. 

 

For her birthday, she got frosting tips and bags, which she has used probably EVERY week since her birthday.  And she got cupcake papers (which are all gone and have had to be replaced already).  Someday, I'd love to put her in a class of some kind, or maybe I'll bookmark a bunch of "tutorials" on youtube for her to watch.  Her favorite part of the gift was this cupcake recipe book.  It has recipes for cakes, frostings/toppings and lots of decorating ideas.  I think if the house was on fire and she could save just one item in the house ... it just might be this book! 

She also got a new apron and a matching oven mitt.  If you can't tell, the apron says "Queen of Everything" and that fits her PERFECTLY!  :) 

Alyssa honestly makes cupcakes EVERY week and would probably make them even more often if I would let her.  She is still learning to clean up after herself though ... her idea of clean and mine are rather different.  (frosting smeared with a wet rag on the counter ... is not clean, but she seems to think so.  But I do love how happy it makes her to bake.  And she made some VERY YUMMY peanut butter cream frosting a week or two ago.  I could have eaten it by itself but add a chocolate cupcake and it really was worth paying for!

Her dream is to grow up and open her own cupcake shop.  Of course, she also wants to have something like 23 ADOPTED children, not get married and go to Provo College because they don't have football players.  Oh, and there is something about a greenhouse with a flower store and being a vet since I won't let her have pets.  I love how she dreams! 

I love how much Alyssa is growing up.  This past summer she has gone from temper tantrums and whining like a little girl to ... well, a pre-teen who thinks and argues much more logically and strategically.  She is much more helpful and responsible.  We even leave her as babysitter when we go out on date night.  It still makes me nervous because she and her sisters sometimes argue, but she is getting a lot better at it.  I don't think they called once last weekend while we were out!  She is turning into an amazing, smart, talented, beautiful young woman and I can't believe she is 11!  Only one more year of elementary school.  Only one more year until she enters Young Women's at church.  Oh and her favorite excuse right now when she loses her patience or control of her emotions ... "its hormones ... I'm getting them!" 

Oh, my little girl, you are getting so big!  I love you!

Warning ... if cupcakes show up at your house and look like they were frosted by someone who is still learning ... don't blame me! :)
I honestly don't know what to do with all of them.  I don't like them all going to waist/waste ... and yes, I mean both spellings - my waist does not need anymore of them!  She especially loves to make the little ones and cut out fondant shapes to decorate them.