Next Tuesday is my birthday so in my weekly trip down memory lane for Flashback Friday I thought I'd relieve birthdays gone by...
The years blend into one looking back but I loved everything about my birthday, from choosing the invites and writing them out at the dining table, and going with Mum to buy the matching party stuff weeks in advance as I'd be so excited.
Coming downstairs in the morning to see presents and cards on the table waiting for me and usually presented in a really cool way, One year I had a 'Care Bear' theme (in fact maybe more than one year!) My Mum had brought an extra table cloth and had cut out pictures and decorated the whole room, another year Dad had strung fairy lights all around and they were all twinkling away as I walked in.
Over the years I had some really brilliant presents.. one that springs to mind was a pink Le Clic Camera, remember those? I also had some fantastic cakes, at the time the most impressive to me were the Care Bear cakes made my our neighbour that I had two years running - same shape, change the colour and voilà - different bear! But looking back the Fairy Castle cake made by my Mum has to be the best... I don't have a photo on my computer but this was amazing, made from many pieces of sponge with iced ice cream cornets on swiss rolls for turrets and all covered in lilac icing. My Mum was so worried that it would all collapse overnight before I saw it but it didn't and was great!
One of my best ever birthday memories was on my 16th birthday, when I imagine I would have been much harder to please than in my younger years. I came downstairs, this time much later than my parents (as opposed to the days when I'd charge down at 'stupid o'clock in the morning) to hear "Happy birthday sweet sixteen" playing. Apparently my Dad had been everywhere trying to find it on CD (I think my present that year was a CD player) to be able to play it.
Every time I hear the song it takes me right back to that moment, I remember thinking initially (in my stroppy teenage mind) "oh my god, Neil Sedaka, seriously?" but then seeing my parents standing there and then listening to the words and just thinking how brilliant it was to have it played. Then listening to the words, that my Dad was singing and realising how strange it must be to have a grown up daughter.....because obviously I thought I was now all grown up!
If I should smile with sweet surprise,
it's just that you've grown up before my very eyes
You've turned into the prettiest girl I've ever seen
Happy Birthday sweet sixteen
it's really nice to read how special your parents made your birthdays :) I hope you have a great birthday next week
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