Birthdays

We have 11 people in the house... that makes 11 birthdays every year. 6 of them are between Christmas day and March 17. This is Birthday Season 1. Birthday Season 2 is between July 2 and August 2... 4 of us have our birthdays in that month. Poor Anna is all by herself in October. We'll have to do something about that someday. ;)

So how are Birthdays celebrated in the Peterson Household? In some ways, with great fanfare, in others... very simply. This makes for days everyone looks forward to, but really doesn't stress Mama out too much.

The birthday child (today it's Matt...) is allowed to pick his favorite breakfast and dinner. We used to do lunch too, but it really seemed no one was too hungry after the huge breakfasts they always pick. Usually it's eggs, sausage, biscuits (either Bisquick or whomp-um... sorry all you southerners... I don't make those good, flaky biscuits...), and donuts. They also get their choice of cake. By the end of Birthday season 1 I am BEGGING for someone to have ANYTHING except cake... a sundae bar or root beer floats have been done in the past.

We let them go to the Cake aisle of the store and pick ANY CAKE THEY WANT. They love it, and it's easy. This was from when I was in survival mode and didn't have time to bake a cake, and I have never known how to decorate one... So they enjoy this. (Misti- don't tell them your kids have wonderfully decorated cakes on any theme they want... )

Dinner is usually pizza, although sometimes they pick something else. Today we are having some of Matt's buddies and their families come over for dinner, so we will order out, and the extra expense is actually part of his gift.

The kids all wrap gifts for the Birthday child... they may be some things I have bought that they choose to give, or they may be from the Dollar Store. They will often wrap stuffed animals from their rooms, so it LOOKS like there are more gifts than there really are. It seems, upon observation, that it is understood that these gifts are not really permanent... they end up back with their original owners.

But I really don't care... the point is that the children love to GIVE... they enjoy watching others open them.

Right now, the children are making poetry clues to tell Matt where they have hidden their gifts. He's banished to his room playing K-Nex with Nate. Emma made a crown for Matt to wear. Judging from the giggles of the conspirators, they are enjoying themselves. They have made happy birthday signs and put up streamers... life is good.

The next time we watch a movie (only once a week or so) Matt will be the one to choose it.

Oh yeah- and EVERYONE gets the day off school if your birthday falls on a school day.

So now I am off to make sausage and omelets... have a great day. I'll try to post photos later.