Birthdays

I'm terrible at keeping secrets, which is why the fact that we're planning on heading down to Disneyland this morning for Anna's 7th birthday is killing me. Fortunately it's a very last minute decision otherwise we would have given the game away days ago. Even LK almost blew it last night by saying 'which car do you think we should take tomorrow, the red one gets better gas mileage' quickly covered with 'but either will do on that short trip to school!'

Nice save LK. Swift.

We'd offered Anna the choice of Disneyland or a party for her big day. I think she chose a party because of the opportunity for extra presents, so she elected to go bowling, which my iphone insists on translating to 'boweling'. Nothing says happy birthday like an invitation to bowel with a bunch of small children. I was quite glad at the time, because Disneyland in June - on the week that most schools finish for the summer didn't sound like my idea of fun. But, due to a too-good-to-be-true break in LK's schedule, we're now heading down to LA to join the rest of Southern California in that Pirates of the Caribbean queue. Sorry, line.

This time of year is birthday-tastic in the Aliblahblah household. It has been non-stop.  LK's was a real winner this year. He's always hard to buy for, because what he really wants is either a Honda S2000, a fully loaded camper van, or gin. Nothing price-wise in the middle. That's why I was chuffed to bits to find a groupon for glass-blowing, something he used to do many years ago in college. Not quite a gift with paperwork from the DMV, but fun and a little different - plus we now have four beautiful pieces of glass  just itching for the girls to break them:

Still, I wanted to make him feel special on his birthday, particularly as he was going to be putting in a looooong day at work. I woke up very early and on a whim decided to sneak out of the house and go and get him surprise early morning bagels and coffee.
What a nice wife.

Of course, it would have been more helpful if I'd switched off my 6:30am alarm before I snuck out of the door. When I returned twenty minutes later, bagels in hand, LK was sitting blearily at the computer having had a rude awakening AND found his wife had mysteriously left him in the middle of the night.

He never said whether that was a good or a bad thing.

It was only later that day that I remembered another surprise birthday present I'd planned to get him. A big berry manzanita bush, a junior version of one we both think is beautiful at the local Botanic garden. I'd popped up there a few days before his birthday to pick one up. I also managed to sneak in a quick photo op - because our botanic garden is too beautiful not to share.

So, midway through his actual birthday I suddenly remember the manzanita hiding outside on our bedroom balcony. I immediately called LK to let him know he was such a lucky bloke there was yet another surprise present waiting for him at home.

"I know" he said "I watered it yesterday".

Big Berry Manzanita

So, not exactly a genius when it comes to surprise birthdays. I bet you can't wait to find out how the girls responded to their Disneyland surprise. Any guesses?