Today is my birthday. I love my birthday. I enjoy hearing "Happy Birthday" all day, I look forward to birthday treats, and like opening presents and cards from my family. I also think it is cool that I share a birthday with Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. (Did you know today is National Hobbit Day?) But as much as I enjoy my birthday, Oliver seemed far more excited than I.
He and Seth made Death by Chocolate Cake for me on Monday, and they may chocolate truffles too. I was astounded and very pleased. Oliver has been talking about my birthday ever since. You see, I think he sings "Happy Birthday" every day, and if he can't think of anyone to sing it to he just sings "Happy Birthday to No One." He bakes birthday cake in his kitchen and decorates it with M&Ms (in other words, he pretends to make his birthday cake).
Tonight, he helped Seth put the candles on my cake, he helped me blow them out, and he helped me lick them off. He ate all his cake and asked for more (we told him he can have more tomorrow). Then he gave me my presents and helped me open them and take all 15 bows off of the present from him and Daddy.
Don't get me wrong - birthdays can be fun, special, memorable, and exciting without a two-year-old. (I'm sure some people prefer them without two-year-olds!) But tonight, Oliver reminded me of the anticipation and excitement that I met birthdays with as a kid. Somehow, as I've gotten older I've learned to tone it down and have a nice, calm, adult approach to my birthday. But underneath, I think my inner two-year-old is just excited about the cake and presents.
