Last year we started a tradition . . . a tradition that I am totally & completely in love with.
Sometime during each of the kids' birthday months we (Scott & I) take them out for a special date. It's special time with mom and dad and they get to chose the activity, the food . . . . whatever they want to do.
We began with Anna last September. Seeing as she was only 3 we planned things for her. A dinner date at Red Robin, she got a balloon, the waiters sang to her, and she got an ice cream sundae. She was in heaven.
Then in November Conner picked Chuck E. Cheese. We ate pizza, played games, and capped the night with a stop to Coldstone for ice cream.
In February I gave Payton a few ideas and he finally went with Out of This World Pizza. Picture a huge warehouse where you eat pizza, and then the kids can run loose in a giant space-themed play zone, bounce down the jumbo slide, ride scooters, the works.
Now it's September and we're back to Anna. A few weeks ago I asked what she wanted to do for her birthday date. Her response: "Go to lunch, get a balloon, go to a movie." And that's just what we did. Another lunch at Red Robin where she was oh so excited to eat a grilled cheese sandwich. Off to Gap to buy a backpack for preschool and an outfit for the first day of classes. And finally to the movie theater to see Ponyo (the only Anna-friendly movie in theaters this weekend -- very weird, but she seemed to like it).
The waiters sang to her again at Red Robin and I captured her reaction on video. Let's just say that it's a bit odd. When she's feeling a lot of excitement and happiness either she's dancing all over the place & giving hugs & kisses or . . . she freezes up. In this case she went with the latter response.
Anna's 4th Birthday Date from Shannon on Vimeo.
I plan for this tradition to carry on and on. I love it, the kids love it, everybody wins. They now have a special date to plan and look forward to for months. I love it when Payton comes to me in March (1 month after his birthday) and shares a great idea he has for his next birthday date. :) I recently heard of a sweet woman in our ward who takes a trip to visit each of her grown-up kids on their birthdays and does something nice with them. I thought that was just so cool.
Birthdays are one of my very favorite things so why not take the time to make them memorable. Now, I'm not for throwing over the top birthday parties, or having friend parties for my kids every year (they'll be lucky to get a total of 3 in their lifetime). But just enough celebrating so that the birthday boy/girl feels special & loved and they get to taste a little magic on their day. The "magic" is in the little things, I think. The traditions, the thoughtfulness, the small details. Everyone deserves a little magic, right?
