An Impromptu Cupcake Party

The other day some of my children’s friends were over. We were all having a grand time, when suddenly my fourth grader suggested we make cupcakes. I was behind on my dishes, and the thought of adding more wasn’t appealing. But, a wise woman once said “Say yes as often as you can.” So, I said yes. And that started our impromptu cupcake party.

First, everyone wanted to help make the cupcakes. And so, we did. All of us together, in the kitchen, mixing the cupcake batter and laughing. It was great! I used a box mix because it’s faster and easier. I added a secret ingredient (lemon juice). We filled the cupcake papers, and put them in the oven.  Next came the hard part—waiting. It was 15 minutes of pure agony; I’m sure because they told me so.

It’s amazing what children can be bribed into doing while waiting for cupcakes to finish baking. First, I challenged them to put away the clean dishes before our 15 minutes were up. They were able to get that chore done, and then they were able to pick up the floor of the front room. Every two minutes or so, though, the kids needed a time check. They first started trying to open the oven—but Mom put a stop to that. Slowly, the time got down to 10 seconds, and we all shouted out the last 10 numbers. When zero was said then entire house erupted into cheers. And, surprisingly, the cupcakes were perfectly baked with no extra time needed.

Oh, but then I had to explain why we couldn’t frost them right away. The whole concept of the frosting melting and running off was a little more in-depth than their anxious little selves could absorb. So, I said I had to take the cupcakes on a walk. And I did, with the kids all trailing behind me. I think they were worried I’d secretly eat them all.

After the cupcakes had cooled enough to frost (almost), I slathered some pink lemonade frosting (from a can—don’t say it, I already know) on each cupcake. Then the children descended. They happily set up their work stations while I got the sprinkles, crumb topping, and chocolate chips. (The chocolate chips were a special request by the children).

What followed was a flurry of sprinkles in all shapes and sizes while the children creatively decorated their cupcakes. Each child got two to decorate and eat. And honestly, it was a fantastically fun afternoon.

I was glad I said yes to the cupcakes. Even though it meant more dishes, and more sweeping, it was well worth it. I’ve had requests every day since for another cupcake party. We have been too busy to say yes to the later requests, but I’m hoping to be able to say yes again soon. Either way, the impromptu cupcake party was a success. The kids enjoyed decorating the cupcakes. And I enjoyed the bites of Pink Lemonade Cupcakes I was given. (Of course, they all wanted me to try their creations.)