We don’t do much for birthdays around here, but birthdays
have always been a big deal for me. This
is probably because my mother spoiled us rotten on our birthdays with breakfast
in bed, a gift with breakfast (I always had a flower in a vase and a piece of
jewelry) and anything we wanted for dinner.
Mom took special requests for our birthday dinners and I vaguely
remember french onion soup and crab legs for dinner for one of my birthdays and
everyone had to suffer through it. We also
went out that weekend for a birthday meal as a family to our favorite
restaurant where we could order whatever we wanted. My brother and I both always chose Red
Lobster. So yes, my mother made
birthdays extremely special in our home.
As a teenager, my mother had balloons and flowers sent to high school,
and even as an adult, she had them sent to work and she always made me feel
special on my birthday. For my 31st
birthday, mom took me to get my first (and only, thankyouverymuch) tattoo. The best part – she got one too. We have them in the same inconspicuous location
and the same design. (Side note: Mom wanted
to do this for my 30th birthday; however, I was on blood thinners
due to some medical issues I had 6 months before my 30th birthday.)
Todd’s family is quite the opposite. Birthdays are just another day to them. When my birthday rolled around a few months
after we started dating and nothing was planned, I was upset. It took only that first birthday for Todd to
realize how important they are to me.
Todd wishes we (my mom and I) would forget his birthday altogether. He doesn’t want to get any older and doesn’t
want to have to feel any more aches and pains.
I should probably honor his wishes, but I don’t. For his 40th birthday, Todd got to
fly a plane! He will never forgive me for that gift, but I
will tell you, it was a lot of fun. J
On the in-between birthdays, I try to make his day as
simple, carefree and special as possible.
This year, I made him a nice dinner with foods that we don’t
generally buy. Unfortunately, he had to
work on his birthday this year, but this was his menu.
Breakfast: Glazed doughnuts (his favorite)
Lunch: He ate whatever he took to work for lunch
Dinner: Steak with mushrooms and onions, shrimp, pasta salad,
corn on the cob and a baked potato
Drink with dinner: Sparkling Apple Cider
Yes, I went all out for his dinner.
I am suffering from the worst case of poison ivy I’ve ever
had and Todd mentioned that we should just go out to a local restaurant for a
burger on his birthday to make it easier on me.
Though I appreciate his concern, I enjoy preparing for birthdays as much
as I enjoy celebrating my own!
This is what dinner looked like on his actual birthday yesterday, May 30th. Yes, it was a feast. After all, we like our food!
We ate like a king and queen on Todd’s birthday and enjoyed
every minute of it. This meal cost a
total of $18.38 (including his breakfast), which is steep, but well worth the
splurge. We wouldn’t have been able to
order two burgers from the local restaurant for any less than this large
meal. The best part is that there were
leftovers to enjoy!
We usually choose a special meal to cook at home, invite the entire family and follow the meal with a homemade dessert of choice (cake, brownies, cookies etc).
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