So it wasn't a big surprise to her little brother, Tommy, when he found Vicky tossing the pots and pans out of the cupboards, looking for the perfect mixing bowl.
"What are you making this time?" he asked curiously.
"What does it look like I'm doing, silly? I'm going to make mom the best cake ever!"
Tommy wasn't so certain, but decided to watch his big sister anyway. He followed her into the backyard as she took mom's good wooden spoon and started digging up the flower bed.
"I've never seen mom make a cake like that before," he said. "She usually takes it out of a box."
"Well that's because she's doing it all wrong," said Vicky. "This is how you're supposed to do it." She piled the dirt higher and higher.
With weeds and flowers sticking out of the bowl, she carried her masterpiece across the yard.
I've never seen flowers in mom's cake, either," Tommy said.
"Of course you have," Vicky said with irritation. "Don't you remember the cake we had for your birthday last year? It had flowers on top! Now stop asking questions, I'm trying to concentrate!"
Vicky placed the silver bowl beneath the water hose and turned on the tap. The water gushed all over the bowl, spilling over the sides and running onto the lawn.
"What a mess!" Tommy said. "I'm not eating that!"
Vicky ignored him. Once the bowl was filled to the brim with water, she stirred the big mucky mess, splattering mud everywhere. In her effort to stir the batter, the spoon bent awkwardly in half, before shattering into little pieces everywhere!
"Now you're in trouble," Tommy said. "Look what you did to mom's spoon!"
"Will you be quiet?" she said irritably. "Don't you know a chef needs time to think?"
Vicky decided if she didn't have a spoon, there was only one thing left to do. Removing her socks and shoes, she jumped into the mixing bowl, squishing the mixture together with her feet.
"This is fun! Come on, Tommy, help me!"
Tommy, being a year younger, but much wiser, thought better of it. After Vicky mixed the mud thoroughly, she hopped out of the bowl and poured her creation into a large pan for drying.
"Now all we have to do is wait for it to bake."
"Wouldn't it be quicker if we used the oven?" Tommy asked.
"Of course it would, but I'm not old enough yet," Vicky said shaking her head. "Don't you know anything?"
Tommy sulked on the lawn and waited for the drying process to finish. Just then he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Vicky, come here quick!"
Vicky ran to his side and was surprised at what she saw. Squirming at the top of the pan was a long pink worm.
"Ooh! Yuck!" Tommy cried. "There's a worm in mom's cake!"
"Tommy, that's just a candy worm!" Vicky said.
"A candy worm? Like the ones I buy in the store?"
"Yes."
"Well how did it get in the pan? How come it didn't come from the store?"
"Because candy worms grow in the backyard. Where else do you think they come from?"
Tommy sat and thought about this for awhile, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "That means I never have to buy them in the store again! Yippee!"
"Well, let's save this one for mom, because this is a special day."
Tommy agreed and waited by Vicky's side for the mixture to dry. Hours later, Tommy yelled, "It's done! Look!"
Vicky came over and saw the beautiful creation, dry and firm to the touch.
"Great! Let's take this to mom!"
Vicky held the pan proudly in her hands, eager to show mom what they made. Tommy opened their mother's bedroom door, "Surprise! Happy Mother's Day!" They both chimed in together.
Mom lay in bed eating the burnt toast dad had made, a look of shock on her face. Vicky walked carefully to the side of the bed, but as she did, she tripped over the cat and the pan fell out of her hands.
Vicky and Tommy watched in horror as all their hard work flew across the room, hitting mom square in the face!
To their surprise mom didn't lick the cake off her face, like most people do. In fact, she looked like she was going to be sick.
Vicky, being the helpful daughter like she was, sat by her mother's side and did what any normal
5-year-old would do.
She ate the cake, worm and all.