April turned two at the weekend. (Where did those 24 months go?)My parents were here to join in the fun. It was hot on April's birthday so we were able to open presents on the balcony, in the sunshine. April's old enough to understand the concept of gifts, so she got stuck in with gusto.
In the afternoon Simon and my Dad took April to the park, so she could ride the new bike that my parents bought her. Apparently the expedition went rather well. Well, until it came to going home. At which point April decided to lay down in the gravel and have a tantrum - several times. My Dad was mortified, but Simon was unfazed, having seen such displays before.
Luckily I avoided all the kerfuffle by staying at home. While Mum got her fill of cuddles with baby Alexander, I embarked on a baking bonanza. I made two birthday cakes and a pile of fairy cakes, ready for April's party the day after. I must say that I am pleased with how they came out. It's a while since I baked and I was surprised the cakes didn't burn/go soggy/sink in the middle. I enjoyed decorating them with a lavish amount of sprinkles, chocolate drops, marzipan and Smarties.
The next day April had a little party with some of her toddler chums. I think she enjoyed herself. She was a bit shy at first - but soon overcame this when the party spread was unveiled and her mind turned to thoughts of CAKE.
On Monday we went sightseeing with my folks. We took a trip to the opposite side of the Rhine, via the Cologne cable car. (More info here: http://www.blogger.com/www.koelner-seilbahn.de/english/index.html) I was a little nervous when we started to sway in the wind. However, I was consoled by the thought that if the cable snapped and we fell to our doom, at least I'd have died happy (well, apart from the falling to our doom bit at the end). Here's a photo Simon took from our cable car. 
When we arrived at the opposite bank we had a little picnic to celebrate (and give thanks for still being alive). After lunch we visited a building called the 'Triangle Tower'. It is 28 storeys high and you can take a lift to the top where there is a viewing platform that you can walk around. Here is a snap my Dad took from the top of the tower, looking back across the Rhine at the cathedral. More info about the tower is available here: http://www.blogger.com/www.koelntriangle.de/April may be too young to remember all the things we did over her birthday weekend, but I'll always recall those days with fondness.
