Hi, thanks for your replies. gellchom - The party is only small (approx 30 people) but I like your cupcake idea. rob333 - I would prefer to do one cake if I can but have thought that two polar cakes would have to be used if I can't come up with a relevent idea. The only thing is, as I am making them myself, my time (without my son being around) is limited and would be quite stretched if doing two cakes (it is a surprise party). donna_loomis - I regret to say that unfortunatly my father and youngest son do not have the classic 'grandad-grandson' relationship as he still works full-time and although thier relationship is close, they do not spend enough time together to have a shared activity. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks

I DO love the birthday groups and the lotto blocks. The first year in a birthday group I used my blocks to make a Linus Project quilt that ended up getting me a free pass to Disney World for a day. Better yet, I hope it brought comfort and joy to a child. I know others have also used their birthday or lotto blocks for donation quilts, so even if you don't want them for yourself, there are plenty of good things to do with them! Skill level doesn't matter - its just fun to participate. :~)) Kate

if u don't want to go the book route, how about a savings bond?? u pay $25 and in 15-20 (i forget which) years its worth $50., i know its doesn't sound like a lot but we did that for our kids since birth. for my oldest it paid half of her college bill in junior year. had the whole family on board and everyone did it when they were too little realize they really didn't "get" anything.. everyone always got them a little something to go with it, so when they we knew they should get presents, they had something to open.. the amounts go as high as $500 i think. did it for every occasion, it really adds up!!! $500 bond, $1,000 in allotted time plus interest if u hold onto them past the mature date....

Yes, 4. It's hard for me to believe too. (sigh) The older I get, the faster the time goes, it seems, funny how Chase and I have that in common. (grin) Sharon, I thought about selling cakes, then decided that I really just want to play with flour and fondant. I want to see a picture or think of something and make that, and I don't want to deal with some spoiled bride complaining that a ruffle is 1/16th of an inch lower on one side so she doesn't have to pay me. I've had a couple of people ask right after I made the birch bark wedding cake, but decided I just don't want to deal with the inevitable hassle, or the problems with transporting and setting up some of those elaborate concoctions. Coconut, I'm glad to see you here! Yes, Makayla is a big help, and she's far more artistic than I am, so she's good at things like painting gold lustre dust on those mermaid tails and making fondant seaweed. When the kids get those ideas, though, I don't hesitate to say "I can't do that". They promptly come up with something else. And if I try it and it doesn't work, I do something else and they're always fine with it. It's cake, after all... Ellen, cake and buttercream frosting and fondant and M&Ms and ice cream. Yeah. It's their parents' problem. (snicker) Cindy Mac, Maci is adorable in appearance, she's fierce in behavior, trust me. She's the youngest and the loudest of all the grandkids. Dcarch, they did indeed, eat cake. No leftovers for me to deal with, double bonus. Colleen, a lot of my cakes are your chocolate cake recipe, the texture is "right" for holding up decorations! Kathy, your Beau/Lily must be getting nearly as big as Makayla. It's hard to believe. Annie