Secret Elf Project: DAY 3

For the third installment of our Secret Elf Project, we outsourced labor as well as added an Elf. Auntie T, our daughters' godmother (note: no official baptism sealed this deal, but she's both Godly and like a Mother to us and our children) offered to lead the activity, and our neighbor, another soon-to-be kindergartener, played the part of co-conspirator (and batter-drinker).

This time, the gifts were mini loaves of lemon cake with copious white frosting and sprinkles. Auntie T brought ALL the ingredients and materials as well as patience and a sense of humor, much appreciated the day after we returned from vacation (many hours of Togetherness as a Family) and the day before I returned to Work and we all returned to Routine.

While they measured, poured, mixed, sneaked fingerdips, licked, and wrote Secret Elf cards, I made a photobook of our vacation and ignored our un-unpacked bags.

The Elf Crew made six cakes: four to give away to neighbors, one to eat, and one to save for our traveling friends who would return to come over for dinner Tuesday night.

Delivery was a comedy of errors, with one Elf in pull-up diaper and shirt and Nothing Else, one Elf loudly declaring her presence, and one Elf admonishing the aforementioned to Be Quiet, This Is a Secret Project. Not quite understanding why one cake refused to be delivered to one elderly neighbor's front porch, I finally (guessed, and then) hinted that our friendly and talkative neighbor might need to "go inside, as the elves like to be SECRET when they deliver their goods."

We have no idea how the other cakes were received, especially since at least one or two languished in the sun on the recipients' porches.

But hey! It's the thought that counts! Okay, and the cake batter. And the frosting...YUM!