The End of the "Birthday Season"

I come from a very large family, so when birthdays come around, birthday greetings may start coming in a day or even a few before the actual birthday, and may extend for several days beyond. Frankly, I like extending one's birthday celebration for as long as possible, and have always said, "Never mind shooting for the actual day; any time in the 'birthday season' will be great."

This year our family has had even more than the usual number of things going on it seems, so when my birthday rolled around earlier in January, there simply wasn't a time when all of us were available to celebrate. Jon and Paula and the girls came one evening, bearing roses and tulips and cards, and we had a great visit. But Gary and Sara and Reed were not available to join us then. Each weekend since, one family was available but not the other, until this Sunday. The kids announced that they would be bringing dinner and we would, finally, celebrate Mom's/Nana's birthday."

So, last evening, they came and brought a yummy spaghetti dinner AND my birthday cake. I really had to laugh, and will smile for some time in the future, every time I think about it. Sara went to the supermarket to buy a birthday cake. Reed went with her and really, REALLY wanted to pick out "Nina's" birthday cake. (Reed has always called me Nina, despite the girls calling me "Nana;" hey, that works for me!) Sara finally agreed and Reed picked out my cake.

When they arrived, Reed came through the front doors, carrying the cake himself, and beaming ear to ear. I got so tickled at the cake he chose and thought his Nina would LOVE. And, of course, I did! Don't you?
I love Monday evenings because I pick him up from school and his Papa and I get him through dinner. That gives us plenty of time to practice our skills at playing Old Maid, War, Crazy Eights, Dominoes, Chinese Checkers, Wii, and a growing repertoire of activities. He always wants to top the evening off with an ice cream cone and is much fonder of ice cream than any cake. As for me, well, more even than the Cookie Monster cake, I just love this adorable, blue-eyed boy.

Knowing that I will grow old, and likely "laughable," whilst my grandchildren are still young and mentally alert enough to cause me great embarrassment, should they choose to do so, I really should be guarded in what I say. But, throwing caution to the wind, I simply must share on my blog something that Reed said that is too cute (and innocent) to go unmentioned.

We all know how children can pick up sayings at school that aren't necessarily what we most like for them to be saying. Reed had heard the kids refer to their hind ends as their "butt." Gary and Sara had been encouraging him to use milder language such as "behind" or "buns." Reed promised to try to remember to use these preferred terms.

I think it was following an ice storm, when the kids had been sledding (although I seem to be somewhat fuzzy on that detail), but Reed came in and told his parents in all seriousness that he'd had an accident and his "breads" hurt. Of course, we simply couldn't let that go, so as the evening wore on, several mentions were made of "the Jensen men and their great 'breads'."

A yummy dinner and an evening with the family--what a perfect ending to my 2010 "Birthday Season."