Oct. birthday #1

It's that time of year again. Numerous trips to the grocery store for special family meals, packages arriving in the mail on a regular basis, secrets being whispered behind hands, and higher energy levels.

Don't worry, you still have 76 days til Christmas. What I'm talking about is birthday month. Between my family or origin, John's family of origin, and our current family, we have

2 on Oct. 9
1 on the 12th
1 on the 14th
1 on the 27th
1 on the 30th and
1 on the 31st

To solve the 2 on the 9th problem, we decided a few years ago to celebrate one birthday child on the 9th and the other on the 10th, flip-flopping the order of who gets to celebrate first.

But that means 2 mornings of birthday donuts, and 2 birthday dinners of the child's choosing (ie. vegetables are usually not invited), 1 birthday snack for the child who actually attends a real school and whose school hasn't been totally invaded by the party poopers who think you can actually celebrate a child's birthday with celery sticks and hummus) and 2 birthday desserts, all to be consumed between 6:45 this morning and 7PM tomorrow evening. Grocery shopping alone gave me a sugar coma. Then I had to actually prepare the food.  Now I know how my mom felt when she had to do the same for my brother on the 27th and then for me on the 30th. No wonder she requested no sugar for her birthday on the 31st.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think any of the children are complaining. Well, there was one, who along with me has been on a journey of better health. We'll make do.

So today the object of our celebrations is Shoun, 14 years old.  Since his bus is the first to leave in the morning, he should feel very special just by the fact that everyone got up on his schedule to enjoy a donut with him.  Well, to enjoy what was left of the donut after it had been speared by 14 candles.

Here's to another year of growing, maturing, learning, and loving.

And Jesus grew in wisdom, and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52