You've had a birthday----shout hooray!

This post feels like it could be an acceptance speech from the Academy Awards of birthdays. I want to thank all of you who wished me well, gifted me, called me, facebooked me pedicured me, babysat for me and in any way made me feel like an excessively important person today.  I hope I return the favor on your special day.  Most of all I have to go live to let a very amazing little girl named Madi know how unbelievable and exquisite her gift was.  So, aside from the birthday-charm of these photos, you must know that the three-layer devil's food cake with vanilla-buttercream frosting was made entirely (except for a few sweeps of frosting by Scott) by Madi, a girl of many and uncommon talents. And this ain't no 'Easy-Bake' creation but rather a carefully selected recipe made with butter, unsweetened chocolate and cocoa from 'America's Test Kitchen' cookbook; made in pans lined with parchment with ingredients appropriately at room-temperature, precisely measured and perfectly blended.  Even I haven't made a cake like this. It was rich, tender flavorful and heavenly.  So try as you'd like to duplicate this, but the wizardry is really in the hands of a tiny kitchen-elf.  She is not for rent. Thanks, Madi, for a gift of heart and sustenance. Thanks to 3 little boys who showered me with kisses, lavishly suggested that I could be a model (a hand model---of course ) and added to my I-tunes collection.  (Owen, please don't accidently spend all my I-tunes money on Exit Stage Left by Rush again this year!) So, here's some pics from a great day and underscoring it all is a priceless man who always makes me feel like I could win the Academy Awards.