Cain's Party

You've probably heard me mention our little neighbor, Cain, from time to time--he's blond, he's blue-eyed, he's freckled, he's eight?

Well being the same age as my David, Cain's over here quite a bit and he spends his time digging in the sand box, jumping on the trampoline, avoiding the water when the kids are running through the sprinkler (he doesn't like to get wet) and turning over the rocks in my garden looking for bugs to bring together to form new species.

But for a week in July Spencer and David went to cub scout camp, leaving Cain alone except for Lillian who followed him around for the week as his cohort in entomological adventures. They dug for worms, found worms and played hide and seek with the worms. Lots of fun was had by all but evidently Cain really missed his buddy David because Monday morning once the kids were up and about they looked out the front living room window and saw Cain. In his front yard. With some chairs and a cake and a sign.

Grace, Spencer, David and Lillian all trooped outside to investigate and found themselves the guests of honor at Cain's Welcome Back party. He'd moved some chairs outside on the front lawn by the corner--down by the fire hydrant--and had taped signs to the chairs that read "Welcome Back." Can you see the hand-lettered sign stuck on the chair?

He proudly showed them the multicolored cake he'd made that was sitting on one of the chairs, looking rather misshapen, colorful and spotted like some Dr. Seussian giraffe.

"I made it all by myself--except for making the batter and putting it into the oven," he said as he began cutting it and serving pieces.

Grace came back inside a few momenfts later with her partially eaten piece of cake (it was, after all, only 9 am or so) and reported that though the cake was oddly put together it was remarkably tasty. The colorful splotches looked suspiciously like Playdough but did that stop my boys from snarfing it down? Of course not.

Grace reported that Cain had handed her an extra large piece, saying: "I'm giving you and the biggest piece because YOU have the biggest stomach." She accepted graciously, taking the comment at face value--it was meant as a gesture of kindness.

I wondered how the cake had materialized. Obviously he'd decorated it but I'm betting he had his mother help him and though I've hardly seen her I had warm feelings for anyone who'd be so patient and kind as to either make or help her son make a cake for a neighborhood Welcome Back party for boys that she didn't know for a party that might seem silly to some.

I'm starting to get pretty attached to this kid.

***

Congratulations to Deborah from Andover, Kansas who was this week's Saturday Giveaway winner. She's won the two mini-zippered pouches from Blissful Handbags--more next Saturday so stay tuned.

Technorati tags: parties, cakes, Alaska