Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Question 38 ~ Happy Birthday!

Tell about any of your family traditions for birthdays.

We never really had birthday traditions.  They just sort of happened.  If we had money we had a party, if my "bio" dad was around usually birthdays turned into crap.  After my mom married my "step" dad we usually had some sort of celebration.  There was always cake,  of coarse.  My mom made the best cakes.  For each of our first birthdays, the birthday boy/girl got to attack the cake... there are pictures of each of us doing that, and that tradition did carry over.  I think that's something a lot of families do.  I guess I don't remember a lot of birthdays which is sad.  I remember bad birthdays... but I don't really want to go back there today.
Now for birthday's my parents take me to a casino every year, not ON my birthday but sometime in the month, my sister usually takes me out for Chinese, my brother and his wife take me where ever I want to go (with in reason)  and other friends will do various things.  I like to throw in surprise parties here and there for family members' not just on the milestone birthdays when they expect it.  I'd like to talk about my sister's birthday coming up (no, no surprise party for her) but she reads this.. so I can't hehe.   We just don't have any traditions. other then we get a year older.. however... I am subtracting after next year!!!

** You know the drill... you can answer in the comment sections, or your own journal.  If you are answering in your own journal please link your entry below so everyone can  enjoy your writing! **

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24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Always cake and ice cream.  For mom and dad's birthdays we go out for dinner as well.  No matter what though, the cake and ice cream tradition still holds.  Make mine a double chocolate!  Sheila  

PS - we really weren't into "parties" except when we were little kids.  I'm not sure, but I think a fight between two of my little boyfriends (I was in 2nd grade) put an end to "inviting friends".  As we got older, we kept it to just immediate family.  Sis is the S.A. of the bunch and likes to make the old jokes to me.  For my 28th birthday, she even bought me a cane with a bike horn on it and streamers that I think she got from Spencer's Gifts.  She also bought number candles and rearranged them on my cake to say "82".  She is getting it back though - from my niece who keeps reminding her that in 4 more years, she'll be 40!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I grew up financially challenged but my mom always made birthdays special for me and my 5 siblings.  I didn't have the traditional birthday cake, my favorite was Pineapple Upsidedown Cake so my mom always made it for me and she would stick the candles in the pineapples next to the cherries.  For my kid lately we've kept the birthday celebrations to ourselves although this year I want the kids to have actual parties for a change.  Usually we go out to eat at the birthday child's favorite restaurant, or I prepare their favorite meal, and as my mom did... I serve up their favorite birthday cake.  My favorite is still Pineapple Upsidedown Cake.  My mom remembered that and when she was here for my birthday a few years ago she surprised me.  I can only hope to be half the mom she has been to me.

Anonymous said...

Double digit parties.  All my brothers and I had big blow-out parties, when we turned 10.  I did the same for Ciara.

Anonymous said...

Hi! Mine is at  http://journals.aol.com/beckieramos/BeckiesBrightBeginnings

Anonymous said...

my family's tradition on birthdays we pretend we forget them

~ana~

Anonymous said...

Posted... :)

Anonymous said...

Made me hungry :)
http://www.blogigo.co.uk/MattelMichele/entry/34114

-Michele

Anonymous said...

ok done ................Diane

Anonymous said...

When I was a kid my mom threw extravagant birthday parties for my brother and me. She invited every kid in my class, wrapped presents very fancy, and always had a magician or clown. There were games and prizes for everyone, and my birthday parties were always the talk of the class the next day. For my 13th birthday, my mom did a surprise "This Is Your Life" theme with all these special people from my childhood. It was fun. As I got older though, my birthdays have become less special, especially since I turned 30. Ugghh... >: P  
I will carry on my mom's birthday party traditions for my son, though.

Anonymous said...

My birthdays were forgotten at times by my father and my mother was ussally high or drunk .But after i left for a few years she would take me to a lobster place that was relly nice.
I had a couple b day partys until i was 6 and then nothing for awhile.
as for my kids they get about 2 a year  1 on there birthday just famlie ussally cake and ice cream and pizza .
later they have a sleep over that starts at 2 and we cook supper(somthing big) and they play games and get little grab bags and have a great time it ussally last until 6 the next night .

Anonymous said...

stay home and eat cake this year i doubt im getting a cake i luv my self :)

Anonymous said...

I remember my fourth birthday, but none after that, actually not much of anything else either until I was 6.  For my kids, I gave birthday parties and let them invite their friends, and we had a blast.  Except my house got pretty well trashed.

Anonymous said...

Well I just celebrated my 45th birthday (Sat April 16th). I spent the day in bed, which for a guy is usually how they like to spend it. he he he.
But I was sick, so I spent the time alone. he he he.
Thursday I was diagnosed with ear/sinus infection, broncitis, and pnmonia. So I spent Thursday-Monday pretty much in bed recupperating.
So my birthday was nothing this year, which is pretty much how I remember my childhood birthdays. Alot of Bad Ones, which I choose not to remember.
But with my kids, I dont carry on the SADNESS tradition.
While they are sleeping I decorate their bed with streamers, balloons, etc.
So they wake up to a surprize. And these traditions too: giftbag in am with small
presents to start the day, hang thier homeaide birthday flags out all day, supper of their choice, cake & ice cream, presents after supper, loook over their file from my desk with birth cert, newspaper of day they were born.
I try to make my childrens birthdays special. To give them what I wish I had got
growing up.

Anonymous said...

My birthday always lands somewhere near Thanksgiving so usually we`re having turkey LOL!! As far as my kids go.....they have had more parties than I did during the entire time I grew up!!! Usually it`s kind of a party tour where they have several with different famliy members friends, etc! It`s tiresome but always a blast!

Anonymous said...

My journal is about birthdays and bills and so I thought this entry of yours was great.  The fact that you celebrate birthdays is great...I know what you mean about subtracting though because it can remind us of getting older.  I figure it's great we have each day.  Time flies so fast and birthdays can really be eyeopening times.   Stop by sometime and visit me sometime!

Anonymous said...

well my birthday is christmas eve, so i never had a party growing up. we usually went to my grandparents for christmas eve, and i would open my presents from them and my parents and then go right into christmas presents. my grandma always made me a birthday cake- a jello poke cake- my favorite, but everyone else in my family hated it so they made me pick a different kind of cake, eventually though we just had christmas cookies. and yes there were plenty of people who took advantage on the 2 for 1 xmas/birthday combo.thankfully my parents and grandparents did NOT do that! last year on 12/23 we went out with some very close friends for dinner- it was so much fun- that is the first time in 34 years i went "out" for my birthday!!!  for my kids- we have had many kid and family parties- taken their friends with us to many birthday outings. we always celebrate on the day and i try to make it special and they always want to hear their "birth" story, we usually have a nice meal, cake and ice cream- their choice- and it is always a good time- they grow soooooooooo fast.

Anonymous said...

What are you birthday Traditions:

We don't really have traditions except that for parents birthdays, my sister and I always try to beat each other with how has the best gift. One year I bought my dad a BBQ grill with all of the utensils. I totally won that one. One year I bought my mom a gift basket that had nutcrackers in it. My sister bought my mom the same one except I gave my mom the present first, so my sister had to get my mom something different. LOL. There are years that my sister does better than me though. We have fun and our parents don't mind. Hell, they get the best presents now that we have this competition going. Brandie

Anonymous said...

My mom's tradition was to do nothing on them, lol.  I think I might have had three birthday parties total.  Other than that we got a gift and a kiss/hug/happy birthday.  Now with my kids, I overcompensate and go all out on theirs, moonwalks, etc.  I haven't set up a circus yet so I am not too overboard, lol.

Anonymous said...

http://journals.aol.com/unicornsteph80/Welcometomylife/entries/357

Anonymous said...

It's your birthday for a week, see what that really means is...

Anonymous said...

http://journals.aol.com/helmswondermom/LorisJournalJar/entries/375
Lori

Anonymous said...

http://journals.aol.com/danielled1/DaniellesJournalJar/entries/663

~Danielle

Anonymous said...

catching up...
http://journals.aol.com/neemom1977/MyJournalJar/entries/1330

Annie =)

Anonymous said...

http://journals.aol.com/devilletteinme/the-devilettes-journal-jar/entries/2006/11/23/birthdays/564