birthday olympics!

tuesday...up early and out to a meeting.  i left both dogs at home.  i just needed to be out on my own with no other responsibilities.  crazy as that sounds, i wanted to be alone with no needs to meet except my own.  that's not to say that everything i did this morning was just for me.  there was also some run around for the kids and some shopping forthe family.  i also had our birthday girl to think of.  and i'm still thinking of her birthday and what we'll have out for her before school we want to give her the camera before school so that she can enjoy it all day.  that's pretty much the most important thing in her life right now. not school, her camera... which is a key component of her social life.  i also have to buy a balloon or two....for the morning festivities. that's not to say that everything i did this morning was just for me.  there was also some run around for the kids and some shopping forthe family.  i also had our birthday girl to think of.  and i'm still thinking of her birthday and what we'll have out for her before schoolwe want to give her the camera before school so that she can enjoy it all day.  that's pretty much the most important thing in her life right now. not school, her camera... which is a key component of her social life.  i also have to buy a balloon or two....for the morning festivities.

let me explain.  i'm the one that created the tradition of the morning birthday festivities.  you see, i come from a long line of big birthday bashes.  i'm not sure how far back they go, but the crazy celebrations continue into our next generation of balloon blowers and horn tooters.  it's not the actual celebration that's outrageous...it's the length of the celebration that makes these birthdays outstanding.

my grandfather always said, "it's a good birthday if it lasts all week."  advice our family has taken to heart.  birthday notes include his sentiments and thanks to long distance relatives, we've had birthdays last a month.

my birthday, in august, seemed to fall on vacation time in vacation locations....so celebrations were especially memorable. we've had birthday cakes, cupcakes, pancakes and muffins, donuts with candles, sparklers and streamers.....on the beach, in a boat or backyard barbeque....with family and friends to share the big day. it's no wonder this tradition travels on!

my mom is responsible for the birthday donut. grace and t.j. continue her legacy.....plain old fashioned donuts and a candle start the day off right.  on t.j.'s fourth birthday, we were camping with friends....on an island....only accessible by boat.  as we approached our launch, i panicked.  we had to turn around.  we had to buy donuts!....for the morning kick off.

with donuts stashed in the large canvas tote, we were off! we were happy campers!  prepared like boy scouts, for our  barbeque, s'mores, sparklers and fireworks, we set up our campsite.  we kept our food out of reach...in coolers....we pitched our tents.......four tents, one for each family.....our friends lent us their old tent since they had just upgraded. whispers, giggles and flashlights eminated from those tents.  and then, quiet.
  
until the middle of the night....i woke up....groggy but aware of a presence...puzzled, i peered about...and as my eyes focused...i saw  a small stuffed animal alongside t.j.....it appeared to be moving.....it was a..... it was a skunk.....hmmmm.....a what?.......a SKUNK.

with t.j. to my left, biff and grace to my right, i could see....it WAS a SKUNK!  not the greatest girl scout, i jabbed my boyscout, biff.  he was jolted to consciousness.  i motioned to t.j., sleeping in his sleeping bag, looking like he was wearing a black and white davey crocket hat.....we whispered to each other in fear of a spray....biff grabbed a flashlight and pointed toward the skunk.

he was poised by the large canvas bag...he was....eating DONUTS.  the birthday donuts!

it seems there was a little problem. during our dash to the boat, i stashed our donuts in the large canvas bag.....they never made it to the cooler...where we had the food locked up tight.  instead, they remained in the bag....in the tent!
while biff flashed the light on the grass near the skunk, we both held our breath and our tongues.  we remained frozen.....until biff led the skunk out through the RIP in the zipper.  always remember this.....keep the birthday donuts out of reach......never borrow a hand me down tent....don't ever tell a skunk where the donuts are stored. 

thankfully, our birthday boy never knew of the prowler....until morning....one box of donuts remained untouched......we sang happy birthday to our four year old!   and that's just a snippet of our birthday lore.


excuse me please.  it's time to wrap some little gifts....decorate the kitchen with streamers and balloons........ and leave a little surprise by grace's bed.  the donuts are hidden....with the candles....and a few balloons at the mailbox....and go to sleep.

let the games begin!  it's the birthday olympics!