Birthday Cake Stress

So, one thing I LOVE to do is make my kid's birthday cakes. Sure, anyone can buy one at the bakery. But it truly takes a crazy woman to stay up late and try to decorate one without ANY training or experience. I've had several different fiascos over the years - you'd think I'd just start preparing for them ahead of time...

My loving son turned 7. I managed to talk him out of (another) Thomas the Tank Engine themed party - he decides on police. Do you KNOW how hard it is to find anything police-themed for kids stuff?? They have Army, Fireman, and every other thing you can think of - but no cop stuff.

Off I go to Michael's craft store hoping they have a car cake pan. They do - a 3-D one, very cool. It says "comes with directions" - Mine must've been lost while the birthday boy was playing with the pan. I look them up online and it says, "Takes 2 layer cake mix". So, I bake the cake and got this...



I forgot to take a pic of it upside down before I dumped it out of the pan - I panicked! only 1/2 way full and a HUGE dome in the middle. Crud. It's 11pm. I go digging through our food storage and find 2 different brands of white mix. Yes, you can mix two differen brands. Apparently it was 2 (boxes) of layer cake mix. *sigh* See the difference?



And the after shots. It turned out good, I think. Even if the deputies who showed up for to give the kids a tour of their car said it looked like the geek squad car! No, I'll never win any contests, but my kids are happy and the other mom's are impressed (and really- that's what it's all about, isn't it??? lol)