Wednesday 4 January 2017

Change of Birthday Plans

Today our son turns seventeen. The beautiful sunny weather I just posted about? Well, it got replaced with snowsqualls, whiteouts, some road closures, so the birthday plans have once again been changed. This poor kid has had his birthday messed about so many times. There have been many times where we have had to be on the road on his birthday, either returning my mother-in-law to her daughter, driving our daughter back to university, or just plain old horrible weather.

Our daughter has had so many of her birthdays spent in a three day dance recital that it just became normal. Any gatherings or parties that she had were almost always the weekend before, or the weekend after her birthday.


These pictures don't really give credit to the blowing and squalls, but I took them this afternoon.




In fact, it looks positively balmy in these shots. When the wind picked up, you really couldn't see a thing.

The change of plans meant that his girlfriend couldn't come for a visit today, we couldn't go to a town about 45 minutes away to eat at Boston Pizza, in fact, we didn't even leave the house. Instead, we had home made nachos and birthday cake (always home made) and watched Star Wars. (Yes, the non-movie watcher had her laptop and other distractions at the same time). Our daughter is already back at university, doing her own thing.

Birthdays were not a huge deal for me growing up. I have a summer birthday, not during school time, so birthday parties were not part of my childhood experiences. We didn't live in town with neighbours close by, so birthdays were usually just immediate family. My mother baked a cake and there would be presents, but I don't have any specific memories of a cherished present, or gathering. For this reason, I always like to make sure my own kids feel like their birthday is being celebrated. We still put up some kind of decoration, even if it is the Happy Birthday Sign. Sometimes there are balloons and streamers, even at the ages they are now. I always bake a chocolate layer cake (their request). We still hid our son's presents and told him if he was hotter or colder as he looked for them in the house.

At present, a very young Harrison Ford is on the screen and I am about ready to pass out from the heat of the wood stove and the one glass of wine that I've had, but we managed to celebrate son's seventeenth birthday and he isn't one to fuss if things don't go as planned, so it's been a good day after all.

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But it would likely be easier if we just had cats.

12 comments:

  1. I have a summer birthday too. I never had a party with all my friends showed up

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    1. Ohhh, now I feel sad for you. I hope you've had good birthday memories now that you are an adult.

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  2. Happy birthday to your son. Oh yes it was awful driving out there today. I am another summer baby. I love my birthday & celebrating it, unfortunately I am & was surrounded by people who don't. I think everyone should celebrate the day they came into being. I like the kitty birthday celebration - it gives me ideas for the fur girls.

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  3. Happy birthday to your son. Glad he didn't pitch any fit over the alternation of plans. He's a good one. :)

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  4. Happy 17th birthday to your son! Wow- Don't they grow up fast? I hear you -our youngest son has a birthday that falls right around Thanksgiving so he has always been a tad 'cheated' as we always celebrate it that day...at least there is other family present.

    Your childhood birthdays were like mine. It was only my mom, dad, brother and my aunt from next door. Hope you have a great rest of the week- xo Diana

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  5. Happy Birthday to your son...i must say you blooming made me giggle yesterday with my mice pie ha ha ha, Eee that snow looks very pretty but a nightmare when you have plans, im glad the day worked out for your son thou p.s cats aren't easy either lol sammie xx

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  6. We all have winter birthdays in our house. Growing up i was jealous of my brothers July summer birthday. Still winter is kept busy with birthdays and Xmas this way. Your pictures make it look so pretty. I wish I had a log burning stove. I had one as a fire in the lounge in a previous house.

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  7. Birthday greetings.17 is a great year.
    All my birthdays were low key, except one. A neighbor boy and I shared the day and our mothers decided to throw a joint party. We birthday kids were not impressed, and it never happened again.

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  8. My sister has her birthday on the 4th as well. She always felt she was so short changed as a child (so close to Christmas and all) that she chooses to ignore her birthday now. Doesn't stop her from really whooping it up with her girlfriends on new years eve though!

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  9. We just got a Boston pizza here. I hope it's good -- sounds like it must be if you would drive so far for it!

    I love birthdays. They're "your" day. So sorry things didn't work out as planned but I'm betting you had a very good time anyway. And that last photo? Fabulous!

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  10. Happy (belated) birthday to your son! Winter birthdays can be tough, especially so near the holidays. I'm a winter baby (born in February right near Valentine's day, so that's always a gyp) and I've been reminded time and again that I decided to arrive into the world on the worst winter day in the history of bad winter days :)

    Anyhow, I hope your son has a wonderful year ahead! Sure looks beautiful where you are with all that snow. It never arrived here. Our weather is often similar to yours but this snowfall didn't pay a visit.

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  11. Glad you try to make it special. When I was little I was spoiled on my birthday. I got to ride my horse home from school and all the grandparents casme. I have super good memories. Happy birthday to your son.

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