Melting Ducks

I was asked to make some duck cupcakes for a friend's two-year-old's birthday party. It was a "Rubber Ducky" theme. She wanted some ducks to be "John Deere" green, since they are farmers!

I knew as soon as I read the instructions that those duck beaks were going to be a problem. Softened Starburst candies smooshed into frosting-covered doughnut holes? Hmm...

I made a few extra cupcakes and created some "water" for the ducks to swim in. 

And a few of the ducks were diving down in search of a snack! 

Not only were the ingredients a little precarious in the first place, but the party took place outside on a hot summer day. The cupcakes were not in direct sunlight, but they were still displayed outside. We really should have put them in a refrigerator...

By the time they were ready to be eaten, they had melted almost to the point of being unrecognizable! Their beaks were dropping like flies, their heads rolled off onto the table, and a few lost their tails! A sad story. The kids still enjoyed eating them, though. That's what counts! (I couldn't bring myself to take a picture of the gooey, melted mess of cupcakes. They were just too sad!)

Here's Callie trying to play the duck matching game. Well, she wasn't really playing it- just squishing the ducks because they made a funny sound! 

Jack loved this toy lawnmower. He wanted to play with it so badly, but it seemed like another child always had it whenever he thought about it. He finally got his turn and he made sure it was a nice long turn! He had heard someone say the mower was used to "mow the lawn," so he kept telling us, "I want to move along! I want to move along!"  Yes, he meant, "mow the lawn."

All the kids colored ducks and then played "Pin the baby duck on the mama duck." Jack put his right on the Mama's head. :o)

Callie was so proud of herself for getting her baby duck stuck on there, too! 

We got to go on a hayride with everyone at the party. (The party took place on a big farm.) Jack said the hay was "too itchy" to sit on. 

The weather was warm and clear, the food was good, and it was a fun party! Happy 2nd Birthday to Zoe!