A Day Full Of Surprise

Kid has been very excited about my birthday. This is the first year that she is really into our little celebrations and has opinions about how they should go and what we should give each other.  She has also reached the age where she is desperate to have a secret but completely unable to keep it.  It has been nearly impossible for her to keep her mouth shut despite my begging her to NOT TELL ME WHAT I'M GETTING.


She started in on me last night...

"Can I give you a hint?" Kid asks.

"NO! Please just let me be surprised (it happens so rarely)." I ask.

"I'm not going to tell you what it is... but Dad has it hidden in his car." She replies.

"Okay... DO NOT TELL ME ANYTHING ELSE." I remind her.



Kid was up before me waiting, for any sign of life out of my bedroom, so she could pounce on me and begin the birthday proceedings.

"Do you want your presents NOW?" Kid asks upon seeing me awake.

"Sure!" I reply as enthusiastically as I can without an ounce of caffeine.  

Kid gives me a gift bag and I open up.... a new butter dish...gee... I'm overwhelmed with gratitude.
(at least I can honestly say I was surprised by this general purpose household item-cum-birthday gift)

"Can we give her the rest?" Kid asks Mr F.

He asks her to wait... but honestly... a butter dish?!... so I trumped him with a "Yes Please".

I should tell you that I had had it in mind that Mr F was going to surprise me with a new digital SLR to replace ours which he now uses for his job leaving me without a decent camera.

Kid comes in and I unwrap Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred.
(well... at least I did ask for that one)

Then Kid says "We wanted to get you something else but they didn't have it." in a kind of I'm-up-to-something tone.

At the door Kid turns around and says "I can't believe you're falling for this." and starts laughing maniacally.

(and I suddenly had the sinking feeling that while I was clearly getting something more... the more would not be a camera)


Later today Mr F enters the office...

"Do you have any food coloring?" Mr F comes and whispers to me.

"Yes. Hundreds of colors... obviously" I slowly reply, rolling my eyes, wondering why Mr F is suffering from amnesia and why he is whispering it to me.

Psst Mr F... I am the one you are surprising (and I use that term loosely).

"Oh yeah." He responds as if it had never occurred to him that I use food coloring to dye icing and play dough on a somewhat regular and well documented basis.


The big reveal after much whispering (in non whispering tones as is customary amongst children) was a cake in a new glass cake dome.
(which I, also, did ask for and am quite excited about)

While it's true that I didn't get a fancy camera; this is the first time EVER that Mr F has gotten me not ONE... but... TWO things I actually wanted. And as if that weren't enough he actually got them in time for my actual birthday (a first?!... if not pretty close to it).


I did ask Mr F after dessert "So... did you go to the store for the cake dome and see that they had the butter dish?"

 "Yes." He replied. 

"Oh good, because otherwise it's kind of like giving someone a toaster." I added with some relief.