The Queen Mum

Ill be the first to admit it.
I am totally just an overgrown kid when it comes to birthdays.

Birthdays were a HUGE deal in my family growing up.  Im not talking about extravagant gifts or necessarily elaborate parties, but birthdays always meant you were queen for the day.  A breakfast date with daddy was a tradition.  He'd then take me to Valerie's (a small boutique flower shop) and hand pick an arrangement for me.  More than one year, I remember Mother had made a new birthday dress.  Upon returning home, she would have streamers, balloons and photos of every birthday displayed.  For a day, the world revolved around me.  There were always tea trays at bedtime.  Surprise visitors.  Picnics with petti-fours.  A day packed with surprises.  Dinner of choice.  A friend or two to spend the night.  I think that birthday-princess-syndrome is just something I never really grew out of.

Maybe thats why Im a little guilty of overdoing it with my own kids birthdays.  I want each one to be memorable.  I want their memories to be as fond as mine.

Poor C!  More than one of our first holidays together ended with me in tears because celebrations weren't the over-the-top-red-carpet-events I envisioned.  He has made such an effort to understand what speaks love to me and totally out-did himself this year.  The day far exceeded my expectations (which is saying a lot for someone who is prone to over-anticipation and idealized expectations at times:)

My cup runneth over!!

A morning-long torrential thunderstorm gave me license to stay in my pj's until an hour that I will not disclose here.  Suffice to say, Im glad I had no surprise visitors before lunchtime!!
***please allow me to insert a disclaimer here that no, SAHM's do not do this on a daily basis!*** :)

C served me breakfast before leaving for a meeting.  The little girls and I then indulged in a candlelit tea party complete with cake and cookies.  (dont mind if I do!)  He returned home and sent me out with a dear friend for a pedicure, then made arrangements to take me to dinner at my favorite restaurant.  My precious in-laws offered to keep the 5 older ones to make it a "real" date.  What a gift!  We concluded with cake and ice cream with the extended family.  A perfect end to a perfect day.  There were crinkled paper pictures and smeary painted presents that I treasure more than expensive gifts.  Chocolate kisses and 31 candles blown out by this beautiful bunch.

Birthdays just keep getting sweeter.  How is that possible?

And the up-side about my birthday being over....only 4 more days until we get to celebrate BRITAINS!!!
Yes, I know Im perpetuating the problem and perhaps setting my poor future-son-in-laws up for trouble. I cant help myself.
I love birthdays!
Time to put on my party-planning hat!