I'm 42 today. And I am a happy girl! This birthday was spent with Danny and Jacob. The girls are away at their big girl schools. Won't be home until tomorrow evening. Jacob and Danny took me to Puss in Boots and then we got McDonald's. It was easy and fun and it was the best because my best guys were with me. And honestly, there is nothing I would rather have for my birthday than that!
Birthdays on Park Ave had some reoccurring themes. Out to eat followed by cake and ice cream at home. I always chose Bob's Big Boy. I always got the fish 'n chips. It came in a basket with fake newspaper. I also got the chocolate shake. After dinner, we would go home and have cake and ice cream.
Cakes were generally the same, angel food cake with white frosting. Sometimes I would opt for yellow cake with chocolate frosting. But angel food was my favorite. I remember it cooling on a pop bottle. Hanging upside down on a glass Pepsi bottle back when there were glass Pepsi bottles. We had a cake plate. It wasn't a fancy glass plate, just a plate that the cakes always went on. And the cakes were stored in a silver domed cake saver. It had little locks on the side.
Anyway, back to the cake. Angel food, frosted in white. Decorated in my choice of two colors. And traditionally it looked like this. Happy Birthday Anne on the top in a semi circle on the top of the cake. Current age on the side of the cake, once on each quarter. Then a row of stars on the bottom alternating my two color choices in frosting OR two rolls of stars, one row for each color. This pattern would repeat itself at the top of the cake, too. All leftover frosting would find itself between a couple of graham crackers. Graham cracker cookies are the best part of left over frosting!
Cake got candles, we all sat on the couch, presents were neatly arranged on coffee table, photo was snapped. I look back at those photos to see the year I got my first pair of jeans (1975) or which year I got a stuffed animal (most of the '70's) or when my feet were puffy (1971).
I remember the year that Susan Kath gave me a box of chocolates. I didn't have a party, she just gave it to me. It was real grown up, too. That was pretty neat.
There was the year that I was late to celebrate because Crissy ran a stop sign or something and the cop took forever with us because he was sure that Crissy and I were twins and he needed to see both our ID's. I don't know if she ended up with a ticket but the cop must have felt pretty stupid when he saw that we were over seven years apart.
There was the year that Danny was in Saudi Arabia and Mom and Dad had flown me and my little belly home to Cedar Rapids from Oceanside. I turned 21 that year. Danny sent me roses. Crissy took me out to the bars so I could drink water. I got hit on that night. Guy asked why I was drinking water and I said that I was pregnant (didn't take that hint). He then asked where my boyfriend was and I told him my husband was in Saudi Arabia (took that hint)!
Danny and the kids have always made my birthday wonderful. There have been breakfasts in bed. Amazingly wrapped presents. Really thoughtful gifts. I got a surprise roller skating party for my 38th birthday and a party at the house for my 40th. Even the years that Danny and I were apart, he was making it special for me.
So tonight, as I blow out my 42 candles, I don't really need to wish. I have a man that loves me like crazy. A son that loves me so much he would go to Puss in Boots with me. Two daughters that will shower me with birthday love tomorrow. I have an amazing family that is far flung but through the miracle of Facebook, is right here with me! I have friends, old and new that support me and tolerate me. so other than the winning powerball ticket, I really wish for nothing more than this life I have and another 42 birthdays plus 8!
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