Birthday

Going to a birthday party today.  It's all about ice cream!!  Lots of little kids are coming too, so it should be loud and crazy.

My granddaughter turned seven on 4/1/13.  Yes, she is an April Fools child, and she really doesn't mind that at all.  What she did mind this year was missing her birthday at school, since they are on break.  Of course, if you want to have a birthday at school when you are an April Fools child, just wait, because as we know Easter is the one holiday that changes dates from year to year.  It could be in late April next year perhaps.

Do you remember your birthdays at all?  Mine are really a blur at this point.  I can remember one party when some cousins came, as well as some neighbor kids.  My mother bought these huge coloring books and of course, crayons, to go with them.  Everyone seemed to have a really good time, and a lovely black and white picture is the best memory of the whole day.  I don't remember what we ate; I don't remember one single gift; I don't remember the kids coming; and, I don't remember them leaving.  Wow.

So let's get this straight then -- we go ALL OUT for the child's first birthday.  We've got two cakes, tons of food, relatives swarming the house, other little kids who OOOH and AAAH at all the appropriate times, and one really little kid who is oblivious to almost everything.  And after all that, save for some lovely color photos, doesn't remember a thing.  And not only that -- doesn't remember a single birthday for YEARS after that. 

Hmmmm.  Certainly gives one reason to pause, doesn't it?

I saw this absolutely great TV program several years back.  They should play it for every new parent in the hospital.  Young kids were interviewed about life, and especially about what was their favorite memory.  Some of them had probably been on a Disney cruise; some to Disney World maybe; some on expensive vacations.  So they ask this one kid, what was your favorite thing you did as a child?  Drum role ==== tatattattatatatatte == when I camped out in the backyard with Grandpa.  And he had a HUGE smile on his face.  Another moment to pause here...................

So what kids seem to remember is us.  Those who love them and spend time with them.  Listen to them, read to them, pray with them, sing with them.  All the cruises and presents and excitement in the world doesn't seem to hold a candle to the simple things in life, like a Grandpa who risks being bent over in two for a couple of weeks in order to sleep on a tent mattress in the backyard with his grandson, eat terrible food, and wake up to the congestion that only comes from mold spores and pollen. 

One birthday, although I was obviously operating on a budget, I made paper airplanes in various designs (from a book), and we had balloons I think, and I can't remember what else.  I don't think there was a kid there, no matter what age who didn't have a good time.  And heck, I don't remember what we ate!!!

So my granddaughter will have her birthday today, and perhaps I'll try to keep the memory alive by talking about it once in a while.  I know last year she won't forget her birthday.  She was pretty much amazed by Justin Bieber at the time (Justin Beaver to her) and so I did a little cutting and pasting and took Justin Bieber's head and pasted it onto the body of a blue-footed booby.  That's a bird in the Galapagos Islands she had seen in one of my nature books for children.  So it was a blue-footed Bieber.  She opened up the card in front of everyone, and her mom read the note and Lauren just LAUGHED.  She kept laughing for a while too, and it was really precious.  Made my day!!