Day 21 It’s spring so it’s Birthday Season around here.
All three of my boys have spring Birthdays, as did my mom, all within 6 weeks of each other. The middle “kid’s” Birthday is today. I am reminded of many traditions my family had. The Birthday person decided what was for dinner that evening. It could be homemade or from a restaurant. As I write this, I realize that most dinner requests were made at home – awwww.
The Birthday kid also got to pick what kind of cake he wanted. During the time we had a cookie store in the mall, it would be “ice cream cake, cookie cake, ice cream cake.” Once it left we had three ice cream cakes within that 6 week time frame. (Even those who love ice cream cake get tired of it eventually.) We quickly learned we had to let it sit out longer than the directions stated, or we couldn’t cut it. Just thinking of that makes my palm feel bruised from the pressure on the knife!
Presents were always a hit or miss, kind of like Christmas. I like to think I helped my boys prepare for life not always meeting their expectations. Sigh. The wrong Lego kit (maybe he didn’t give me the right number), a book already read, and clothes that were not quite right all helped them learn that lesson.
These particular three boys fought a lot as kids. Most of it was arguing, and occasionally they would jump on each other. One Birthday the two oldest were arguing about something during the Birthday dinner. The youngest ran and hid behind a couch. When I finally found him, his little dejected face exclaimed, “They are ruining my Birthday!” They kind of were. Once we finally got everyone back on track, dinner was cold. (But, the ice cream cake was cuttable.)
My favorite tradition was singing Happy Birthday as the cake was carried in. For some reason, my family, most of whom CAN sing, would always sing in the most off key way possible. It didn’t matter whose Birthday it was – theirs, their cousins, friends or grandparents. They sang loudly, off key and goofily.
My husband and I took some treats (no ice cream cake this time) over to the Birthday Boy’s house, along with his presents. When we lit the candle and carried it in, we all sang Happy Birthday loudly, and wobbly. Happy Birthday Season. I smiled as I sang.
#SOLSC21
Teachers Write 
Thanks for sharing about your birthday traditions! It’s so funny how family birthdays seem to be clumped together. September is the popular month for birthdays in my family. We also have the tradition of selecting dinner and what kind of cake we want–but by the time we get to my birthday at the end of September I’m so sick of cake! LOL! Words I never thought I would say, “so sick of cake!”
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“Once we finally got everyone back on track, dinner was cold. (But, the ice cream cake was cuttable.)” I couldn’t help but smiling after reading this sentence. You manage to use part of your story to bring humor back later on. That requires skills and observation, and of course, sense of humor.
In my family October and November is the busy season. By the time is my birthday, we don’t even bother to make a cake. We also have the tradition of asking the birthday person for their favorite meal and cake. The cake chosen always involved a Chilean cake style and chocolate.
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My kiddo refused to let us sing one year and I was baffled! I know we are not perfect pitch, but who doesn’t want serenaded once a year?!! Enjoy the season!
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Our family has spring birthday season too. It starts this week and lasts until the end of May. In April my boys have back-to-back birthdays. When they were little it was crazier than Christmas:) My daughters-in-law have added a summer and fall birthday to the mix. I loved reading your birthday traditions. I had thoughts of Judith Viorst’s Alexander and his brothers while reading about your boys.
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