Fleur de Aleta

Dear Son, You told Daddy upon his return home from a three day business trip, "I didn't make Mommy upset, not even one time."  Before Daddy left, he told you to behave and be extra good, because Mommy wasn't feeling well.  I had a sinus infection (which I'm still coughing from, but a thousand times better than last weekend).  My parents were out of town at the time, Daddy was away on business, but even with that.... you going to school and Mommy going to work and being sick, well, we managed.  But yes, I'm thrilled to say you were an extra good boy. I can't believe that in a few weeks you will be four years old.  You were such a sweet baby, loving cuddles and falling asleep holding strands of my hair.  Even as a baby, you loved to smile and see us make silly faces.  Now, as a boy, you enjoy making the silly faces, jokes about farts (boys, what can you do), and giving hugs and kisses. Just recently I watched a television show... there was a mom an...

I didn't have a real recipe to follow for the chocolate buttercream icing, so I went based off of what I know about buttercream and winged it.  I'm writing for future reference in the hope that I can "wing" it again. Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups butter at room temperature 1/3 of a Hershey cocoa 16 oz container 2 bags of 2 lbs powdered sugar 2 1/2 cups of hi ratio shortening splash of vanilla (1 tablespoon) splash of chocolate extract (1 tablespoon) splash of wedding flavor (2 tablespoons) hot creamer mixed (1 cup boiling water, 1 cup coffee creamer) - use 9 tablespoons of this Directions: Cream butter and hi ratio shortening in mixer Add vanilla, chocolate extract, wedding flavors and hot creamer in mixer After those are all mixed together, add Hershey cocoa - mix at low speed - should mix into a dark chocolate - you want this to be dark because when you add the sugar, it will lighten in color and chocolate flavor. Continue mixing at low speed and add in the powdered sugar...