Some might think that celebrating a birthday for eight days would get old after a while; but, no, it doesn't. None of it gets old. Party hats, streamers, balloons, gifts, flowers. Nothing stale about any of that. If you have tried celebrating your birthday for a week(+) and it isn't a jolly good time, I would suggest that you are, perhaps, not doing it right.
Little Sir reminded me of this bit of fun, I am sharing it with you because, well, "music is awesome" (also, is it just me, or does anyone else think the Yo Gabba Gabba writers are brainstorming ideas while on some sort of designer drug?).
Every year, there is one particular sort of gift that I can count on for my birthday. Books. I am a bookish sort of person, which is probably for the best considering my trade is archives and libraries (yes, both, there is records management as well, but let's not dwell on that). Last year I got a lot of great books for my birthday, I suspect this year's haul will be just as excellent. I guess we will have to see about that tomorrow. But take my word for it, I am sure I will see a great bunch of books to add to my bookshelf and spend time with this summer, like Wildflowers of America (worst segue ever, just go with me), which I have to admit was purchased with home decor in mind, not coffee table or book shelf adornment. The librarian in me is embarassed to admit this, but I am going to rip this book apart (with a razor blade, maybe some thread, actually) for the plates and frame and hang them around my house. It is operation "make the house a home" time, after all. And hey, aren't I resourceful?
Since I have books on the brain, it makes since that today's gift would be a book as well. If you are a knitter, it's a good one. If you are not a knitter, sorry, I've got nothing for you (aside from my wit...) Rowan's Purelife Autumn... It was so great, and I liked it so much, I bought two copies of it. There is something to be said for redundancy, I guess.
If you want to add this fine book of patterns to your collection, please tell me a funny birthday story, joke, anecdote, whatever. I will also happily take fun birthday themed links (see above video of the Ting Tings for reference). I will take comments for this post, and all Novakkah posts, until 11:59 EST (or 2359, should you prefer that), Thursday, May 12th (that would be tomorrow). Please leave your responses on the appropriate post. One entry per post/person. I will show you what I have to gift each day and let you know what you need to tell me to try to get it. Giftees will be selected on the 13th and gifts sent out shortly thereafter.
Ooh, I love the idea of using framing plates from that book to use as decor!
Here's a little birthday song for you:
http://youtu.be/uRSNy5Gjgzk
Posted by: Jodi | May 11, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Sounds like a great use of a book to me! I love receiving books as gifts.
My favorite birthday story:
When my nephew was 2, he went through a stage where he loved to say, "d@mn it." He wasn't a great talker yet so it always took a few minutes for his mom or whichever adult was around to realize what he was saying and then, of course, they would tell him not to say it. Anyway, after a while he knew he wasn't supposed to say it but still sneaked it in when he could. Anyway, shortly thereafter, my mom had her birthday. My nephew decided to sing to her. And here is what he sang: "Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear d@mn it, happy birthday to you."
Posted by: Haley | May 11, 2011 at 01:32 PM
I'm not going to enter b/c I don't knit, but I do have to agree with you about Yo Gabba Gabba. It's like your brother's most burnt out friend went ahead and made a tv show for kids. So refreshing! I love the Jack Black episode most.
Posted by: molly | May 11, 2011 at 01:36 PM
I've got one for you: The birthday before last was a really rainy day. It just drizzled all day, and after returning home from the movies, I went out to the dumpster at my townhome complex with some trash, and. I threw my purse in with the garbage. Just chunked the whole thing in, and the zipper was open.
Luckily, the trash had been dumped that morning, so it wasn't too full of grossness, and also luckily, my neighbor (a tall and agile guy) was able to hop in and retreive it for me pretty quickly. I felt like such an idiot, but I've never made that mistake again.
Haley's story above is hilarious!
Posted by: Jacey | May 11, 2011 at 02:43 PM
For DeWayne's birthday last year we.went to a local Mexican restaurant where they know us. I told the waitress that it was his.birthday and the party was on!
After a wonderful dinner, on the house I might add, she and all the wait and kitchen staff come out with anhuge dessert, a guitar and a sombero. The sombrero goes on his head, felix couplianous is being sung...all laughing and happy...the. waitress takes a spoonful of the whipped cream from the dessert and shoved it up his nose! It was hilarious.
I worry about Karma...my birthday is April Fool's Day...but it was so worth it!
Posted by: Angelia Batson | May 11, 2011 at 11:38 PM
i like the photography of Rowan's stuff, but they do a crap job getting the patterns out there for people to see. I've fallen in love with their 2009 winter book, but by the time I found out, it was out of stores. sorry, just my rowan gripe.
I don't have any really funny birthday stories, but my earliest birthday memory is kind of funny. When we were 4, my parents took us to the San francisco zoo for our birthday. they used to have bubbles to play in. Anyway, we had a picnic and got 7-up (!!!! soda was a big treat). I was excited and I flipped backwards on the bench (reasoning only to be explained by a 4 yo) and when I sat back up, the carbonation caused the 7-up to shoot out of my nose and across the table. Early chemistry lesson. :)
That was the same trip where my dad broke into the zoo to go get my fuzzy white jacket I left somewhere. shhhhh
Posted by: Kathy | May 12, 2011 at 10:37 AM
I don't know how funny this will seem to other people, but here goes... So in my family, birthday packages are almost never, ever sent on time. There are promises and "oh we're just waiting on something"s and whatever. Anyway, one year I got my present from my parents in mid-April (my birthday is in February). And my dad had written in the card "Hey, when did you move your birthday to April?" Hardy har har, Dad.
Posted by: carolyn | May 12, 2011 at 11:06 AM
Ok, so here goes my story. I was turing 16 (yaaaaaa) and it was supposed to be this super big day, the most magical day ever, with everything a girl could ever want. I got a small diamond ring from my parents, my favorite perfume, and I think a few CD's. Anyways, the guy that I was dating at the time knew that I was an avid book lover, and trying to please me, got me a book. However, being that we were 16 and had no money, he must have ran home right before the party and shopped his basement because he came back with a black balloon that said "OVER THE HILL" and a medical book from literally 1968 explaining how to do a pap smear and other "examinations".
He thought he did great. I, on the other hand, was not too excited at the prospect of self examination at that point! Years later he realizes how odd of a gift that was, but it's still funny to think back on!
Happy Birthday!
Posted by: Andrea Kuck | May 12, 2011 at 12:34 PM
The year I turned 23, some friends of mine threw me a surprise party, which was a truly sweet and very appreciated gesture. After cake and ice cream, we played Sardines, which is an amped-up version of hide-and-seek played in the dark. All the seekers hide with the hider as they find him/her, until the last person finds them all.
Anyway, the hider in one round hid in the darkest, tiniest corner of our basement. Before long, there were about 10 of us packed in there trying to be quiet and waiting to be found. And then one of the guys farted.
It was hilarious and awful all at the same time, with the rest of us trying to hold our breath, trying not to make any noise, and trying to restrain from throttling him!
Posted by: earthchick | May 12, 2011 at 12:46 PM
I have no idea which birthday this happened on, but I was young (probably 3, 4 or 5.) I woke up on my birthday and my dad saw me in the hallway on the way to the kitchen. He said "So [insert FULL name using all middles] how does it feel to be _." I started sobbing, fled to my room and refused to come out.
I believe my mom was eventually sent in to calm me down and tell me I was NOT in trouble so that when my friends came over I would not be locked in my room crying.
Posted by: Kat | May 12, 2011 at 03:50 PM
We've had many fun birthdays, but nothing funny comes to mind. My children love to talk about the Harry Potter party we had for my daughter during which we made a potion in a camping cauldron. We used lots of stuff from the yard, but primarily baking soda and vinegar, renamed of course, which bubbled over the sides of the cauldron and onto the table. The kids thought that was hilarious.
Posted by: Kathleen | May 12, 2011 at 11:13 PM
one year on my birthday (I think I was about 6 or 7), we had a party at my house after school. There was a winter hurricane that day, and they closed the school early and sent all the kids home ont he bus ... because they were supposed to come to my house afterschool anyway, they came to my house early with me ont he bus. At noonish, I think. Anyhow we arrived at my house, being little kids, thinking that the party would be ready. My mom didn't know they cancelled school, and was still getting ready for the party and cleaning house, so told us all to play outside, so she could keep getting ready. She thought the school was overreacting by sending everyone home early, and I am sure wasn't rlishing having 15 extra kids at the house for 3 hours more than she planned for! ... so we went off and played in the yard. It was windy, and February, in Nova Scotia, so it was a bit cool. We went to the door a few times, to see if we could come in yet, and my mom said "Go play!". So we did ... Until the fence that ran the length of the yard ripped right up out of the ground - she was looking out the window then, and came to the door and started yelling for all of us to get inside. We went in, and started the party ... soon after the power went out, and parents came to get the kids. The power stayed out for 4 days ... and it was one of the worst hurricanes in the history of the province, and is still known as the "Groundhog Day Storm of 1976". My poor mom thought they were overreacting at the school!
It makes me laugh every time I "remind" my mom about the time she made a whole class of little kids play outside in a hurricane that actually blew a house trailer across the road, minutes away from where we were!
Posted by: Heddy | May 13, 2011 at 06:34 AM