A Dragon Birthday

While this post should've been part of Thankful November because Wesley is one of the people I'm most thankful for, like I often say, "better late than never." So here we go. In November our second-born turned 7. Because birthday season is hectic around here, we put off a kid-party until early January and then celebrate once with all three of the older kids and their friends. This reduces the stress a little bit on our schedule, but limits the opportunity for themed parties. So each kid gets a themed party on or near their birthday with just immediate family. This year Wes chose a How to Train Your Dragon party. I have to admit, I was really excited to plan this party for him. I've always been interested in our Nordic heritage and this gave me a chance to learn more while researching for his party.

His birthday sign was written using a (slightly modified) runic alphabet. It does say "Happy Birthday Wesley" even though there are only a few recognizable letters.

No birthday is complete without a cake so I'll start with that. I can't remember when I stumbled upon this cake recipe or what occasion I had to first make it, but it has become THE birthday cake. It's not fancy (I think it originally came from the Hershey's website) and I just found it on pinterest, but there's a secret weapon that makes it the most delicious chocolate (is there any other flavor?) cake around. This everything you need, 

but this is the secret ingredient. You have to use the Special Dark cocoa powder.

You mix up all the dry ingredients,

then add the wet ingredients to the dry ones,

add some hot coffee, mix it up and...

viola! Awesome (it'll be thin) cake batter.

Bake it in two lined, buttered and floured nine-inch round pans.

Let it cool (I always cool the bottom layer on the cake platter and let the top layer cool on the rack), then frost it however you like it. 

I was inspired by this cake so I added two six-inch layers to the top of my nine-inch layers. I probably should've put the smaller layers closer to the center or figured out how to support the edge because the cake started to lean quite a bit by the time it was served. Live and learn.

I don't do fondant so I mixed up some gray frosting, gave it a good crumb coat and put it in the fridge for a few hours.

As you can see, I embraced the "rocky-ness" of my buttercream and left it rough around the edges. Some chocolate rocks and green icing for grass finished it off.

I added a small Toothless figure to the top and it was ready to go.

With the cake done, it was time to transform the rest of the house.

Viking shields and a map of Berk were the backdrop for the dinner table.

Snakes and fish surrounded the island,

while dragons flew overhead.

We dined on a fleet of twice-baked potato Viking ships,

dragon bones,

dragon tongues,

and the leafy greens of a charred forest.

I wanted to give the kids something to do while they waited for dinner to finish cooking so I had them make these fire breathing dragons. The idea was that they could use them like noise-makers, but without the noise. 

The whole project was pretty much a big fail. Jack didn't participate at all and Wesley wasn't happy with how his was turning out.

Elise was doing okay...until her dragon's eyeball wouldn't stay on.



Then she cried.

And when it was all said and done, the streamers didn't really wave when the kids blew through the tube like I promised they would. Evie was the only happy child but that's because I pretty much made hers for her and she's two so she didn't care that the streamers didn't blow around that much.

After dinner, it was time to open gifts. Wes had on his science hat when making gift requests this year. He's spent the last few months learning about rocks...

minerals...

and stars.

Wesley opted to light his own birthday candles this year.

But he left the singing to everyone else.