Birthday Thoughts

 

While receiving a good number of birthday wishes, a few gifts, some treats, and a lunch date with a coworker I also count as a good friend, the people in my life have all reminded me that it’s MY day. Relax, they tell me. Splurge. Treat yourself. Order take-out and indulge in a long bath. Even my kids instructed me to do something fun for my birthday, and then announced that would be ice skating with them.

Good ideas, indeed!

However, amid the well wishes, cards, and cake, the thought occurred to me that perhaps the person who should enjoy a bit of rest and rejuvenation in honor of this day is the lady responsible for my very existence. The one who lovingly and dutifully carried me for nine months and then, when I decided I’d much rather stay put where it was warm and cozy, endured my procrastination until she was finally induced. My mother.

I do love May. I love the Earth springing to new life with green grass and the riot of color the flowers bring. The days are milder and the outdoors offer a host of new activities. And while this bright and beautiful month may be the perfect time of year to honor our mothers, I can’t help but to chuckle when I think to myself that my mom had no such weather the day I graced the world with my entrance.

January in Minnesota is no friend to pregnant women. It’s cold. It’s icy and slippery. We have ice storms, sleet, slush, and snow. And for expectant moms who already battle an off-kilter sense of balance, pulling on boots and wading through snow is no picnic. For a nine-month pregnant woman, retrieving the mail at the curbside becomes a risky endeavor. Of course, she may just have to shovel a path there first!

Most of my siblings had the good sense to be born in warmer, snow-free months. Months like April, May, June, July and August. But two of my brothers and I were winter babies. We weren’t born on days that saw tulips opening or butterflies flitting from flower to flower. There was no lemonade on the front porch as the sun went down or children flying kites or racing around the yard with sparklers. There was snow, slippery roads, wind chills, and chapped hands. There was shoveling and snow blowing and waking up early to see if the school-aged children had a snow day or not. For my mom, there was bundling up three boys, ages 2 to 5, in snowsuits and parkas and boots and ski masks while working around a protruding belly.

I have two children of my own. While their birthdays are definitely their own special days, each year I remember very clearly the day each was born. I recall very specific details, right down to the fabric design on the nurses' scrubs. I know the same is true for my mom. She can still rattle off the hospital room numbers she was assigned to for each of us. Yes, children's birthdays are to be celebrated and remembered. But for moms, these milestones call to mind the days (or nights) these little ones came into the world.

Each January, when my birthday rolls around, I usually contend with a healthy dose of typical Minnesota winter weather. It's a nuisance and leaves plans hanging a bit. But after becoming a mother myself, I can't help but to be reminded of the love and self-sacrifice a mother braves to bring a baby into this world. And when the wind howls and the temperatures dip into the negatives, I think of the extra struggle winter moms dutifully endure.

I think perhaps my mom is the one who deserves the cake!

Calling All Caped Crusaders!

What little boy isn’t enamored with superheroes? My son loves running around the house, a dark colored bath towel turned cape pinned around his shoulders, fighting off evil-doers untold and battling against villains unnumbered to protect and uphold justice and freedom – in the living room. Let’s just say that his sister may have clomped around in mom’s high heels, a pink feather boa tossed haphazardly around her neck, but my son is every ounce the make-believer as well. I’m not sure by what name Stan Lee might have dubbed this little imaginative fellow, what with a black vampire cape, Batman suit, cowboy boots, a ninja mask, his Thor helmet and a light saber as his crime-fighting accoutrements. Never have I seen Bruce Wayne don cowboy boots, but then perhaps someone ought to clue him in that a Bathorse might just come in handy should Gotham City’s criminals seek refuge out West. See? My son is just a forward-thinking little crime fighter!

As evidenced by the other little cape-wearing characters in the neighborhood, superheroes are a big hit with little boys. So what better way to celebrate boyhood than by having a superhero birthday party? Invite all your little Man of Steel’s sidekicks (or arch rivals!) over for a party that could leap tall buildings in a single bound. Even if your little guy’s birthday doesn’t happen to fall close to Halloween, make it a costume party! Be sure to have a few inexpensive masks on hand, just in case some of his buddies forget their gadgets and gear. If your playroom dress-up box looks anything like ours, you’re sure to be able to outfit the entire Justice League singlehandedly.

Unless you’re a cake diva (which I, sadly, am not), a quick trip to the local bakery should afford you enough options from which to choose a diabolically delectable cake or cupcakes decorated with your Boy Wonder’s favorite superhero. My son was a fan of the cupcakes topped with plastic rings emblazoned with superhero emblems. It’s the small things, folks.

Decorations? Oh, where to begin. Balloons, streamers and confetti in colors matching your child’s favorite character are a fabulous start: black, gold and gray for Batman; red, white and blue for Superman; green and purple for the Hulk, and so on. If you’re feeling creative and ambitious, turn your basement into the Batcave or even an evil lair. As my husband and I discovered, Silly String can work wonders to transform any room into a web of Spider-Man happiness.

Depending on the ages of the children, games can be simple and quick, or a bit more of a test of their super powers. As Clark Kent can attest, changing clothing can be an exceptional feat of superhuman agility. Have the kids compete in dynamic duos to see which can don his or her costume the fastest. Set up an obstacle course in the backyard. Put your crew of caped crusaders to the test, challenging them to make it through the Maze of Metropolis. Divide the kids into teams and give each a box full of household items with which to create a new superhero (think oven mitts, fly swatters, snorkels, athletic gear, vacuum cleaner hoses, etc.). Make sure the winning team has come up with a good name for their creation, and an explanation of his or her super powers. Looking for something a bit simpler? Pin the nose on the Joker, anyone?

Game prizes and goodie bags can include inexpensive comic books, superhero-themed party favors, and small toy figurines. At snack time offer them up some lime green Kryptonite Kool-Aid and bat-shaped cookies. Feeling Daredevil-ish? Make it a sleepover and let your heroes and villains choose superhero movies to enjoy with popcorn.

Remember to include any little superheroines who may want to join in on the fun. Where would our comic book heroes be without Wonder Woman, Catwoman or Batgirl? If the girls are a bit less enthusiastic about dressing up as crime-fighting lasses, there’s no reason they can’t create their own unique super character – Ballerina Girl or Princess Power, perhaps?

Using some of the same creativity and imagination your child uses every day you’ll be sure to throw a marvel-ous superhero party. A bit of prep work, a little decorating and Biff! Bam! Kazam! You’re little masked marauders are in for a delightful party of fun and adventure.