Kip's Birthday

(Kip really is 37 this year. We used the same candles last year because that's what we had, so that's what Kip got--he suggested it; I didn't age him out of spite.)

We all have our birthday traditions. Let me tell you about one of Kip's.

First, I buy Kip's present. It's always something good, something Kip will really want. Which is always made perfectly apparent by the fact that as soon as I've bought it, Kip gets the sudden urge to go out and buy whatever movie/clothes/electronic device/tool I just bought him for himself. Generally this happens 1 day to 2 weeks before his birthday. This has happened with at least 50% of the birthday gifts I have ever gotten or planned to get him--even random-ish things that you wouldn't think he'd think of. The year I planned to get him a chainsaw, he announced in the car one day that he needed to get one. Soon. The year I bought him the new X-Men movie, which we hadn't so much as talked about, he randomly said he wanted to buy it just as his birthday approached.

This year I knew Kip wanted some new shoes. He even included it on the Christmas list his parents asked us to send (Hi, Kent and Jeanie--yes, we'll be getting that list to you soon; sorry, I keep forgetting about it). There was no pressing need, mind you, but I knew it was on his wish list.

So for his birthday present, I bought him very nice shoes, some shoes I thought would look really really good on him. I hid them dutifully in my closet. And then one day--ONE DAY--before his birthday, he decided he would go buy himself some shoes. Note to male humans: Please, for all that is surprising in the world, refrain from buying things for yourself the day before your birthday.

Kip: "Hey, we should go look for some new shoes for me."
Me: Assuming blank expression, "That sounds fun."
Kip: "I guess you didn't buy new shoes for me, huh?"
Me: Maintaining blank-ish expression, "Ha ha, are you trying to trick me into telling you what I got."
Note: I am a horrible liar. Fortunately for me, Kip is the most honest person ever and therefore believes pretty much everyone, so he is really easy to lie to.

I had hoped he would forget, but later while doing our shopping errands the morning before his birthday...
Kip: So should we go to Shoe Carnival now?
Me: Trying to act nonchalant, "I don't know; it seems like it'd be easier to do tomorrow when we go out on our lunch date without the girls." (Fortunately, the girls had been helping me out here by whining quite a bit about wanting to go home; thanks, Savannah.)
Kip: "Yeah, it' be easier without them running around."
Me: "Yeah..."

And so, the morning of his birthday, I gave him his shoes bright and early and he liked them. But good heavens, could we pick a less crazy-making one.

Elizabeth sent Kip on a treasure hunt this year for his present. She made the clues herself with help on spelling. They even rhymed.

Mark gave Kip his present in the bag in which it was bought. Appropriately male and just like something Kip would do.

Savannah gave a picture and said Happy Birthday a million times and sang the happy birthday song all evening and was just generally cute.

And Emma ate the cake with gusto. What more could one wish for.

Happy birthday, my dear.

Many thanks to our birthday sponsors--namely the Cara and Jake Kennedy for babysitting our little girls so we could have a couple hours of grown up lunch and shopping (though not for shoes:)).