Cupcake Nazi

I am sure most of you have heard of the Soup Nazi from the TV show Seinfeld.  Well, last week, the children and I meet the Cupcake Nazi!!  It is at times like this when I wish I was a gifted writer so I can make this story really come to life on this computer screen.   But alas, I am not so try to bear with me here as I try to relay the story and find the humor in it.

We were attending cupcake decorating class with some of our fellow UK homeschoolers.  This was being held in a local operating cake decorating store.  We were escorted in to this absolutely amazing room filled with the most amazing decorated cakes.  So I (along with several other parents) immediately started taking pictures of these amazing creations.  The children were oohing and ahhing and generally fascinated with the cake designs.  My children particularly were astonished to see these cake designs as their mother (me) is a very basic cake designer, as in there is icing and rainbow sprinkles on top of a cake that bears more resemblance to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and that is it:)!  

I had only taken 3 pictures before the store owner told us quite loudly and firmly we were not to take any pictures of the cakes on display and asked to immediately delete all pictures.  I complied with the request, but, luckily, there is a difference between "Delete" and "Delete All" on the camera!  I thought this was a rather strange request, because her cake designs can be found on her website (which, surprisingly, isn't CakeNazi.Com!).  I know this because I have since checked!  Who knew that cake designs is a secretive business........

I'd post a picture of one of her cakes, but I'm afraid that I might get a letter from her attorney (what if she reads my blog...........).

Once the children were settled at the tables, 4 children to a table with one knife and two rolling pins to share between them in the center of the table, the parents were ask to leave the room.  Well, this I had a problem with as I have a child who needs additional assistance.  When I informed the owner of this, I was told to stand at the class room door.  In addition, all the parents were told not to take any pictures of our children decorating the cupcakes as we would have pictures of her cakes in our photos.  I never realized there was such a thing as cake espionage, but there must be.  I guess we could have been sent by a clever cake design competitor thinking "I'll send in a group of homeschool moms with young children; they'll never suspect them of spying".  Alas the competition would be wrong as we were highly suspected of cake design espionage:(  I wonder if there is money is this line of work!

Well you can imagine this did not go over well with a bunch of homeschooling MOMS!  Many of us, myself included ignored this rule and we zoomed in, from the doorway,  to capture our children decorating their cupcakes.  The store owner, who was also instructing the class was not happy--so much so that she twice asked to speak to the organizer of the event privately to inform her that the parents must comply with her demands.  The organizer tried hard to work with this women to come up with a compromise, but after giving the organizer a second scolding the owner attempted to shut the door to the room where the children were seated.  Unfortunately for her, I was standing at the door and refused to budge.  She tried to shut the door, but luckily, I have a very tough foot and managed to wedge it in the door.  We the exchanged stares for a second like two gunfighters in a B-movie Western, I said not a single word, she backed down and left the door open.  I wasn't leaving my children in a room with her unattended for even a second!!

While I will admit she was very friendly with the children, there were still a few problems, like having only one knife (luckily, not sharp!) and two rolling pins at a table that four children had to share, which meant waiting turns, and lots of time for children to not be busy and looking for others ways to amuse themselves.  Hmm, a room full of young kids being told to wait their turn for a chance to decorate their cupcake--you can imagine how THIS is going to end!  It was not long before there were children rocking back on chairs, hanging over the low barriers separating the children from her precious cakes.  Children climbing under the tables and generally trying to find ways to amuse themselves while waiting their turn.  At that point, I think I was rocking back and forth too, foot firmly planted in the door, thinking of my Happy Place.

I was worried that a child (not necessarily mine) would knock over one of the cakes by accident.  Every once in a while a anxious parent (me included) would rush into the room to try to settle a child down and then quickly leave.  Talk about being on pins and needles.

Little Man patiently waiting his turn for the knife to begin frosting his cupcake

Princess having a turn at icing her cupcake

The finished masterpieces

Thankfully the kids had no idea of the crisis occurring in the other room and once they got to eat their creations we were able to forget the inconveniences of the day.  Mom on the other hand will be avoiding all future cake decorating classes and stick to my rainbow sprinkles!!!

That evening, when my husband asked where his cupcake was, I responded "NO CUPCAKE FOR YOU!!!!!".