"I see TRAINS, Mommy!"

I assume that my son's fixation on trains is a fairly normal thing.  After all, there's a reason why Thomas the Tank Engine is such a popular licensed character, right?  Well, as the result of many unfortunate circumstances beyond my control, Peter's last day at daycare will be tomorrow.  On the one hand, I am really enjoying all the extra time I've had to spend with him, but on the other, the circumstances really suck.

To mark Pete's last day, I decided to bust out a Williams-Sonoma pan I found at a rummage sale this summer for only $2.00.  I had seriously considered buying it for myself for full price, but didn't (mostly because I couldn't justify the cost), so this was a super find.

I typically do not bake.  Mostly because I find that I ignore seemingly benign instructions (Why the hell should I split the batter in half?  Just to make another dirty dish?) and misunderstand others and that nearly always results in disaster.  In this case, I ignored an instruction to split the cake batter I made FROM SCRATCH and misunderstood some convoluted instructions about how to fill the wells of this cake pan.  Luckily, disaster was averted, but I did end up with some wasted batter and a few slightly small train cars.  Oh well, live and learn I guess.  I have to say, at least I really go for the gusto even if I'm doing something I'm woefully unqualified to do.

Peter is absolutely in love with these little cakes.  In fact, as I write this, he's asking to "see train again" and I have to keep flipping back and forth between this post and the pictures for it.  I hope all his friends at daycare like them as well.  If I were a kid, I don't think I could imagine anything better than cake encrusted with candy, but who knows about kids now a days.  And, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I hope the MOMS are impressed as well.  Parenting is a competitive sport these days.