It pops up every year… this event, my birthday. Single Parents, I bet many of you have figured out by now that you are solely in charge of the level to which your birthdays are celebrated at home. Especially when the kids were younger, but even now with my boy teens, I’m the shopper and/or maker of presents, dinner, and dessert. As I’m pulling it all off for myself, but really for the sake of normalcy and the benefit of my kids, I’m cleaning the house, driving kids, and, of course, cooking. Decorations? Pffft….

I have to stop here to mention that my amazing friends took me out to lunch on my very day. They were able to do it because I’m on Spring Break this week. On top of everything, the day, itself, was fantastic, warm and sunny. The stars truly aligned, and yes, I’m feeling happy and fortunate.

Lunch took place in between me scrubbing all the floors in the townhouse and a grueling half hour on the treadmill, walking off a full sandwich, bread and all. Maggie and Pippa were at lunch, as well as, my birthday twin, Grace. Liesel ran through on her way to the eye appointment she scheduled like three years ago. Then she sent dilated eye pics to Maggie, providing birthday entertainment.

Back at home later, I luxuriated on my postage stamp patio with a cold drink in my Yeti and my novel. The Bear was at baseball, the Fat Angel at the park. I got up a couple of times to prepare an ice cream pie and to greet my friend and neighbor, Lara, who stopped by with a bottle of wine.

At 7:30 PM, I texted the Teep with my gift request. My text was a sly way of actually reminding him that it was my special day…which falls precisely two days after his own birthday every year, without fail. I would like his gift to me to be him using my gift to him, the expensive DNA test I made sure he had on his birthday. I can’t actually think of another way to get him to spit in that tube.

Single parents, step up, and make your birthdays memorable. Your kids are the only gifts you need. Maybe they can’t pull off the planning, buying, and frosting. Maybe they should be able to, but they just didn’t. Who cares? They’re always learning about celebration and tradition by watching you. You are molding the next generation of top notch birthday planners!

My happiest moment all day was at 8:45PM when both boys were finally home at the same time. I quickly lit the candles (before the Fat Angel ran out the door to XL thirteen minutes later). I blew out four, as in one for each of us, on my strawberry, as in the boys favorite flavor, ice cream pie, and my celebration was complete. I will even display the card the boys gave me of a skunk with a moving tail that reads, “Stinking of You on Your Birthday.” It has the potential of becoming Baddie’s favorite toy…