I feel the tears coming...I don't know how to cope with my week ahead,I have a slot machine cake to do for friday,a hello kitty cake for saturday,a plan for the demo I have to do @ michaels on saturday(featuring course I cakes),a disney cake for sunday,a two tier wedding cake for course III on monday and I just did/sold two cakes for yester day.plus my husbands bday is tues.and I have nothing yet and I lost my instructions for FBCT that I need and I haven't seen alot of my kids which makes me SAD whats a mom to do?
When I have a week ahead like yours, just the thought of it can send me into a panic attack. What I do is just keep saying to myself "One cake at a time! One cake at a time! One cake at a time!" Think about what you can do ahead, like make frosting or mix colors, and then just do one cake at a time. That is all any of us can do. Get plenty of rest, try not to drink too much coffee, remember to eat 3 meals a day, stay hydrated. And don't forget to breathe...
You will be just fine! 
First, take a deap breath! You can do this! Make a good list and take it one day at a time. Map out your baking and icing making times, plan time to shop for/make the things you need for them (...gold foiled chocolate coins etc...). Don't cook complicated meals, instead, spoil them with Chuck E Cheese one night. Try not to forget the kindergartener's snack day - which is what I did on Friday! (There goes the "Mother-of-the-year-award")
We can't be perfect. Close. But not quite. We're here for you. And yes, I got teary about missing the snack day.
Deep breaths...........
and as for kids,
my love of baking and cooking started at 4 when mom simply said: "here, help."
even a four-year-old can break open eggs, stir stuff up (use extra large bowl to contain enthusiasm) wach timers (colored tape helps ---when the big hand hits the .... and teaches time telling to)...
and can even measure stuff (hand them the measuring cup and tell them to fill it so many times -- teaches counting)
and of course the rewards are licking the bowl, beater, and the dome cut off the cake!
I am all about making lists. Make a list of what is due, then a list of what you need for each thing. Then make yet another list of everything you need to make for each cake and beside those put a date for when you should have that step done by. It can make having a ton of cakes due feel far more managlable and as you get things done and mark them off the list you can see you are getting things done and staying on track.
Let the kids sit in the kitchen with you while you work and let them play with some fondant or just talk to them while you work.
It sounds like you need to do some priority thinking. When you start feeling like your ready for the nut house, perhaps just saying no can save your sanity.I am sure everyone in this forum, especially those that are charging for cakes, have over extended themselves. Its the old thing I don't want to lose a sale, or get the customer mad because they may not call again etc... etc...You should know your limitations, is it worth the stress to overextend yourself? Stress can cause some major problems. As for your kiddo's, what would they do if you were in the nut house?Maybe it is time for a reality check. There is nothing and I repeat nothing in this world worth your health or life.
First of all, I know EXACTLY how you are feeling. I have 2 (VERY LARGE) cakes tomorrow, 7 cakes Thursday, lg whole sheet Friday, a 3-tier sweet sixteen cake on Saturday, My son's 13th B-Day on the 6th (Tuesday), 6 more cakes already scheduled for June, and a wedding cake July 1st!!!! Not to mention all the cakes I've already done in May.
Take a deep breath, make a list (especially things that need to be done in advance), definitely drink lots of water, set your kids up a little work station in the kitchen or dining room (some icing, or fondant and a small rolling pin so they don't feel left out) my kids love to play with fondant while I'm decorating! Have your husband or friends help you cover boards and set up boxes......And then, One cake at a time! Just try to relax and try not to panic, things will work out.
First, do what everyone suggested and take a deep breath. Second, break down your list into manageable parts. You can do it! If you couldn't, you wouldn't have all the orders you have! People like what you do, it's obvious.
I don't know if this will help or not, but here's an idea for your demo on Saturday. In my photos is a round cake with flowers. I took the idea straight from the Course 1 book. It's so easy too! Cookie cutters make the flower shapes, and you just fill in with stars. Simple tip 3 stems and 67 leaves complete the look. The whole cake took me about 30 minutes to do once I had the colors mixed and bagged.
As for the kids, someone suggested dinner at Chuck E. Cheese one night. That is soooooooooooo perfect! Plus, Whack-A-Mole is great for stress relief!
I know your cakes will be great. Good luck and happy decorating!
Tina
what if you baked the cakes before and froze and then decorate as you needed. i think that would save time instead of doing them 1 at a time. i am new at this and have not had your problem but just trying to help.
Have to agree - if you have the room, I'd do a marathon baking session to get all of that out of the way today, make all of your icing and put it in the fridge. Then all you will need to do is the decoration. It will minimize the mess and save you that time instead of remaking the mess for each cake.
For the demo, I agree with Smoochiefrog(love the name btw). DO a simple cake from the course 1 book. While you are there, have a ton of wax paper squares for roses and just keep making roses and placing them on the table while customers are there, then smush them back into your frosting when they walk away and start all over. That way they see you doing the most dificult thing in the course, and you just keep recycling the same icing. I got 3 signups in one day doing that. GL.
When I have alot of cake orders due, I'll pick 1-2 days to bake, then freeze. I'll then do 1 day of making frosting, and then another day making any special flowers, decorations, etc. So then, when it gets down to the day(s) the cakes are due, I'll merely have to put them together. Hope this helps! Also, I got so burned out from Easter and my Communion cakes that I am only taking 1 cake a week for the summer. I just can't keep up with everything, with a house to run and 2 young children!
Chin up! You'll make it through!
Julie
I think there are so many of us that find ourselves in the same boat as you. I agree with all the suggestions from the previous writers and thought I'd add one thing I do that helps with the kids.
My kids are 7,8 and 10. They noticed when I'd have to spend a lot of time on cakes and started to give me a hard time when I talked about an upcoming cake. They knew thier "Mommy time" would be less-either that or I would be extra tired because I waited to do the cakes until they were asleep and ended up being up waaaaaay too late myself.
My bright idea was to designate all the money I make on cakes for family time activities like movies or dinners out or the like. This means I don't have to say "No" to things they want to do because it will cost too much. These days, they can't wait for me to get orders and start planning activites with the money. In fact, they have become my biggest supporters now.
I hope your kids are old enough to understand this concept pretty well. If not, maybe it'll help someone else. Don't despair tho', get through this week and then take delectables advice and don't take a lot of orders for the next couple months so you can relax with the family and regroup.
Good luck! Please let us know how you're doing, this is a great site for encouragement and support!
what i would do is just bake bake bake all day long, as much as you can, get all the cake you will need. And then make frosting like crazy. Id make a ton of frosting and stick it in the fridge. and then cover all your boards. that way everything is ready , you just need to pull it out and decorate it. 
Good Luck!
PS: One more thing I learned last month....
I had 20 cake orders in May plus my own son's Communion party, for which I made about 15 different desserts in 2 days! I made the mistake of complaining to friends about how tired I was with all the cakes and other activities/work that I had to do. Well, now they are resisting asking me to make their cakes because they know how overwhelmed I was last month. (I wondered why I didn't hear from anyone about Father's Day cakes yet!) I've had 2 people so far, say they they feel guilty asking me because they know how busy I am! Uh-oh!
Don't make the same mistake as I did! I should have stressed how the other stuff made me tired-baseball, soccer, school stuff etc... all blending together in one month, not so much the cakes. Good thing they are good friends, so it's easy to talk about with them.
what i would do is just bake bake bake all day long, as much as you can, get all the cake you will need. And then make frosting like crazy. Id make a ton of frosting and stick it in the fridge. and then cover all your boards. that way everything is ready , you just need to pull it out and decorate it. Good Luck!
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