Another child's birthday done!

This weekend has been crazy. We had a laser tag birthday party for my son Benjamin (who turned 8) and his friends on Saturday at Planet Lazer. Lots of fun, but we definitely needed two adults on deck to ensure all the kids were okay. They have a great package that includes ice cream cake, two pieces of Pizza Hut pizza and a drink per kid, and a party space. All you have to do is show up!

Then on Sunday, we did the family birthday party, which was decidedly more low-key. But not without its stresses--namely, my annual birthday cake decorating challenge. I asked Benjamin what he wanted for his cake, and he announced, "A Death Star cake." Have you ever seen one of these? A Death Star is a creation of Star Wars, and its shape is spherical-ish with an indentation on the upper hemisphere. I wracked my brain for weeks trying to figure out how to produce this on my own and sadly, couldn't come up with a way to do it easily without it looking horrible.

I opted to reproduce the more forgiving chaotic scene where Anakin and Obi-Wan duel to the near-finish in the lava fields. A little orange and chocolate icing, some crumbled up chocolate wafers, and two store-bought figurines did the job. Here it is!