It was my birthday this week; mums birthday. Not a particular special one for me; just one more year to forty…which is a whole other story..
Birthdays mean a lot in our house; parties, spectacular cakes (bought of course), cards, meals out, early morning chaos, wrapping paper everywhere and frantic last minute buying.
But typically, that’s for the kids these days. Birthdays have changed, can’t imagine why:
1. Usually you are woken early by a small person bouncing on your head
2. You get a lot of “help” unwrapping your presents which…
3. You typically know the contents of because:
(a) you bought them or,
(b) your three year old told you it was a sexy neglige…
4. …oops sorry, you may not get those anymore as gifts, so they might actually say “its a nice cotton nightie to keep you warm when you have to get up in the night to take me to the loo, mummy”
5. You get a Peppa Pig cake as your treasures helped choose it at Tesco
6. Your idea of the perfect gift is not a night out with Brad Pitt, it’s a time where you get uninterrupted sleep and get to stay in bed after 10am TWO days in a row..
7. It’s getting a bit to the stage where it’s just another year. Not a big deal. The big deal birthdays are the kids ones, where you end up turning party planning into a military operation
8. You struggle to think of an answer to what people can give you for your birthday, other than a bit of peace and quiet…
9. You do drink, but just a few glasses of wine after the kids are in bed, generally that’s it. School runs and hang overs generally result in bad experiences for everybody…
10. Birthday meals out are raucous affairs, but because the kids are about and there is a slight disagreement over the only toy mummy remembered to put in her handbag and not because there’s someone dancing on the table
11. The birthday soundtrack involves Barbie Girl, and not Blur
12. You don’t get the bumps anymore *sniff*
13. Birthday meals at home involve far too many cocktail sausages…
14. You receive a beautiful collection of hand made cards, mostly made by the kids at school that you are “not allowed to see” but usually do as they try surreptitiously to hide them on the desk directly in front of you
15. Oh and you don’t get to go to the loo on your own, yet again!
What do you find different about a mums birthday, rather than a birthday when you weren’t one, do let me know below.
Disclaimer
I would like to point out that this year my friends and my husband Brad surpassed themselves, and god only know what they are going to do when I do turn forty. Check out the KiddyCharts Facebook page for the pictures of my KiddyCharts specific cake from a very talented young lady. And as for Brad, well I was whisked off away from the kids for a night in a hotel as he arranged for more lovely friends to mind the spogs. So shockingly, I did get my five minutes peace and quiet after all. I don’t call him Brad for nothing you know.
Thank heavens for the friends that make these birthdays that little bit special after all. Even when you are beginning to wonder whether they are; friends make sure they are!
kate morse
Monday 2nd of May 2016
after reading this i felt nostalgic...brought so many memories of the childhood....perfect discription.
happy birthday cake
Saturday 16th of April 2016
I love this post – it is so typical of birthdays in our house as well. Thank you for making me laugh. thanks Helen.
happy birthday cake
Friday 12th of February 2016
Your list did make me laugh! Yes it is funny how birthdays now have to take the shape of what we do for our daughters birthday. Actually means we have a lot more cake in our house! Hope you had a lovely birthday
the original hcg drops
Sunday 28th of April 2013
Creative. My thanks for posting that. I'll come here to read more and tell my coworkers about you.
Mammasaurus
Wednesday 18th of July 2012
Ah yes I can relate to the Peppa Pig cake thing! I find that I don;t get as excited about my birthdays any more, maybe it's a getting older thing. The kids on the other hand go mad for anyone's birthday and so I a more than happy for them to highjack my birthday. But not, under ANY circumstances my gin in a tin. You have to draw the line somewhere!