Birthday Week

Marc and I not the most sentimental couple you'll ever find and I worry that our lack of sentimentality and traditions will make Ben's and Shira's childhood somehow less. To counter our lack of family traditions, I instituted a birthday week last year for Ben and Shira. We make a huge fuss of the beans during this week and we build it up for weeks before hand.

Ben's and Shira's birthday week started last Saturday when we drove up to DC to celebrate Marc's sister's birthday. The excitement in this household has been steadily rising since then.. I'm starting to wonder if my bright idea of a birthday week is so great. Emotions are very labile right now. Even though the kids are becoming rather delicate, it's fun. Today after our homeschool spelling bee, we had a miniature party because 4 of the children celebrate their birthdays this month. Here are Ben, Shira, Chloe and Austin.


Tomorrow is their birthday. That's the day they get their main presents. Ben can't wait, he's getting a starter set of O gauge trains. Shira's getting an easel and art supplies. They are also both getting a half an hour massage from my massage therapist. We started this tradition 3 years ago. Once a year, on their birthdays they get a massage from someone other than mommy.

Then it's off to lunch at a local Italian restaurant who can make gluten free, vegan food that is safe and then on to the park for homeschool park day and another birthday celebration. We're finishing off the day with a feast when daddy gets home and then sparklers when it's dark. Think we'll have cooked little beans at the end of the day?

Talking about feasts, I told the beans that I'd make whatever they wanted to eat for their birthday feast. Ben asked for potato kugel (a death by oil and starch dish I very rarely make and that Ben loves ) and Shira asked for an Impossible Vegan Pumpkin Pie from The Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. and a nice, plump, red tomato.

Image from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.


On Friday Shira and I go for mommy and daughter birthday manicures and pedicures. I felt tiny bit guilty about the massage, mani and pedi after i read an article on how terrible moms are to do such things, but it gives the kids such joy and it only happens once a year. Shira will derive much more joy from the fact that it's just her and me doing something on our own, than she will from the beauty treatment.

Ben and Marc will be doing the guy bonding birthday thing next Saturday when they go to ride garden trains out in Suffolk. Ben will be in 7th heaven. He'll be surrounded by half a dozen train crazy men, all tinkering with trains, who are only too willing to talk trains with a seven year old.

The birthday week ends on Sunday with their party at the Tidewater Gymnastics Academy.