Every great story begins with a snake … (Nicholas Cage)

On this quiet Sunday afternoon, as the precious few hours of fall sunshine slips away, I’ve been searching through photos from the summer and smiling as I go. Back in those lazy, crazy days of August our small cabin was bursting at the seams with visitors and it was soon to be granddaughter Britney’s fourth birthday. I was prepared with cake mixes in the cupboard and loads of icing sugar, food colouring and sprinkles.

Two days before the big event, I asked her what kind of birthday cake she would like. I had bookmarked on Pinterest a fairly easy looking butterfly cupcake creation that I thought might be a possibility.

Like many conversations we have with children, I was ready to throw my suggestion on the table before Brit had even a moment to gather her thoughts. She didn’t give me the chance. She levelled her gorgeous blue eyes at me and said, “I have a snake cake, Gama.”

My own eyes widened in surprise. “A snake cake? Really,” I responded. “I was sort of thinking about a nice butterfly.”

Her blonde curls danced as she emphatically shook her head. “No, Gama. Snake cake.”

Being ever one to go with the flow, I said, “Okay, then, snake cake. What colour?”

Once again her response was immediate, as if this idea had been fully formed for some time. “Geen, Gama. I have a geen snake cake.”

Britney’s inability to say the letter ‘R’ often results in some darn cute sentences. Like the time she said, “Gampa Buce like geen, so I like geen, too.” Or when she asked me for geen gapes, Gama.

What the heck, who needs Pinterest? We made that green snake cake complete with shaped snake head, chocolate chip eyes and a bright red construction paper tongue. A unique cake for a very special four-year old who already understands the importance of going her own way.

Granddaughters Britney (age 4) and Emma (age 6).