Bradley has a dreaded December birthday.  Most people assume that Christmas is a pretty bad day, and it is, I have a brother with a Christmas birthday.  But Bradley’s birthday falls on December 29th, between Christmas and New Years, when nobody wants to party or shop!  When we got together he made a request that for our family, just the LJ crew, would celebrate his birthday in the summer.  Preferably while at Disneyland.  So for the past eight years or so that is just what we’ve done.  However, bringing excess things on a trip (aka birthday presents) is silly, so this year we decided to have a surprise birthday dinner for our dear daddio!

Of course, when the kids get involved in a surprise, the surprise goes right out the window.  So Bradley invented tasks to keep busy with while he attempted not to see or hear the balloons, the crepe paper, the delicious food, the children yelling, “Don’t tell Daddy about his SURPRISE PARTY!!!” and other subtle clues.  They were so excited, so helpful, and the entire party was planned by our dear daughter (I helped with the menu: grilled veggies, grilled corn, grilled french bread, grilled veggie steak, and un-grilled desserts).

To his credit, Bradley did a magnificent job of feigning surprise when he finally happened to walk onto the patio.  “Surprise, Daddy!”  the kids hollered!  He smiled, admired and thanked just like a good birthday guest should, and he was rewarded with a big hug from Gigi.

And what’s a birthday without presents? My man is always so practical.  He is choosing to get some new pairs of glasses for his birthday.  But we also had to shower him with a few mementos of our love, so he got a few books made by kids, a short story collection from me and a few new bathing suits.

And then, it was time for dessert.  We were already stuffed, but the kids had eaten their veggies with the understanding that treats would follow.  So we broke out the candles and Bradley made his wish.

Afterwards there was swimsuit modeling (we”ll save those pictures for ourselves, thankyouverymuch) and sprinklers and toys and laughing.  It was one of the best surprise parties I’ve had the honor to attend.

And at the end, we were all tired, happy, and apparently ready to sleep anywhere…


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