Corey's 25th

Ugh, I was intending to post some more last week, now that I have my life back. But I forgot what usually happens when I get some free time...Things go a little crazy and I end up busier than ever!

Anyway, it was Mr Still's 25th birthday  last week Wednesday. He was determined to let it pass just like any other day. Which made me determined not to let that happen! He was working on Tuesday, till 11pm, which gave me plenty of time to put plans in action and do secret surprises etc.

I walked him to the bus stop in town and did my girlfriendly duty of sobbing into a handkerchief as the bus rode off (I may be making this up...I may not be...), then proceeded to dry my eyes and go food shopping. Clinton's was my first stop for a card, sentimental little wallet card, butterfly that flies out of cards and a balloon. Which I had filled with helium. And then spent most of the afternoon worried it would somehow blow away even though it was weighed down. Co-op was next for supplies for the birthday breakfast, dinner, cake and home-made present (more on that still to come!). I had money in my bag, so didn't bring my purse. And got IDed for the first time in about a year. And for the first time ever I had no id on me. Co-op took my wine away, and I left, rather bemused. I am, after all four months away from my 26th birthday, and I certainly don't look that young, either.

I got home and started on the first part of my plans: the making of the stick puppet friends. I went to job training, and started on the second part: the making of the lemon curd, to be used on the cake and to be given as a gift.

The process of making lemon curd 

 Corey likes lemon curd, the cake recipe called for some in the icing, and I wasn't able to give him his actual present on his birthday, so making him a jar of lemon curd as a surprise seemed like a good idea. It was surprisingly easy to make, though its possibly a tad too runny. Due to the recipe asking for 3 eggs and one egg yolk, I was happily separating the egg into the mixture, only to realise I'd put the egg white in...not the yolk...so I put the yolk in as well.

I then made a stupid hat for him to wear as he ate his breakfast meal and opened his presents and card.

Luckily I have a boyfriend who appreciates effort as opposed to looks. He's also very willing to look stupid if it makes me happy

I then made his cake:

Possibly made too much icing...

Which was honey yoghurt and lemon flavour. The yoghurt made it so wonderfully moist, even after it was left in the fridge while we went to St Albans over the weekend.

Oh yes...stick puppet friends: here they are!

Don't they look happy, sitting there, creepily watching Corey as he ate his breakfast. Oh, yeah, that "honey" jar is the lemon curd I made

I got up bright and early (ok, half past 8) on his birthday and proceeded to make his breakfast. He didn't want a fry up, he said he was happy just having toast/cereal. Again, I was just not happy with this. Toast does not a birthday breakfast make. So I baked him scones. To have with the lemon curd. See how my plans come together so perfectly?

Before going in the oven. Looked like mini leaning towers of Pisa. But they tasted goooood!

I like to think that the fact he came down to a table full of unopened cards, a room covered in happy birthday banners (he'd bought these for my birthday), a balloon and a stupid hat, with the smell of baking scones in the oven, made him change his mind about just letting his birthday pass by. He was dutifully impressed by the lemon curd. He knew about the cake since he'd opened the fridge (after me telling him not to) and seen it there. He'd also seen the wrapped up jar, but didn't guess what it was.

He ate scones, opened cards (which I placed on display on the table), wore his hat and played around with the stick puppets. Afterwards we went to the local museum, which had just reopened its dinosaur display to the public.

Roooooaaaaaaar!

He may have turned 25, but he's still fascinated by old bones and things. Probably a good thing, since I'm certainly not getting any younger.

Oh, and his present from me: a trip to London to go to the British Museum, followed by a walk/tube journey depending on the time, to Tower Bridge, to go to THAT museum, followed by a walk along South Bank as the sun goes down. The British Museum, along with the Fitz in Cambridge, is a museum neither of us have gone to, and every time we plan a trip to London, we try and go there, but never quite manage it. I have decided that, before the year is out, we shall go to both!