We have a tradition in our family that birthdays are actually birthday weeks. It started about 5 years ago, when I was having a birthday. My husband determined that I should have a celebration that lasted all week long and our kids, aged about 1 and 3 at the time, went along with it because who doesn't like a party?
The next birthday after mine was for my Kid#1, turning 4 at the time. Of course, he wanted a birthday week, just like mommy - and somehow, because hubby was very busy at the time, I ended up organizing it.
The next birthday was hubby's - and of course, he's not going to organize his own birthday week - so I did that one too.
And then the next birthday was Kid#2 who was turning 2 and really didn't know what a birthday was or really remembered that anyone else had even had a birthday week, but Kid#1 keeps special track of these things and so we had a birthday week for Kid#2 as well. Which I organized.
This pattern has remained pretty much ever since - I seem to organize 3 out of 4 birthday weeks in our family, and it was originally hubby's idea. Thanks dear.
This year, since we've been in Boston, birthdays have been a bit of a bust .We have no close friends or family to invite over and life seems to be even busier here than it ever was back home, so birthday weeks consist of very small events - or else really big outings. Kid#1's birthday coincided with a family trip to NYC. His birthday gifts consisted of souvenirs from just about every place we went - and he got a huge Lego set to boot.
For Kid#2's birthday, it coincided with a school vacation week and we went to DC. However, we also spent many long hours in the car - including about 8 hours on the actual birthday day. Not exactly the great way to spend a birthday. And so his birthday week, which was supposed to be just the vacation week, seems to be extended. Although he already decorated birthday cupcakes, he has also taken birthday treats into school AND gotten a home-made and mommy-decorated birthday cake. And although he already got lots of souvenir birthday presents from our various stops in DC, he is also getting a huge Lego set (TBD) and maybe a party at a movie theatre.
All I can say is that this had better not be a new tradition - because I already work hard enough planning three birthday weeks in three months for the other three members of my family. I'm not really interested in making it a birthday fortnight!
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