Gifts

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (AND AMANDA),

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (AND AMANDA),

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PATTI (AND AMANDA),

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!

When I drug myself out of bed this morning (at around 7:30 - my family considers that sleeping in), Dane, Deanna and Daelyn were all in the Den. Dane was wearing a Leprechaun hat, Deanna had on a headband with extended springs holding shamrocks on the end and with green and gold streamers coming out of the shamrocks, and Daelyn had a headband with a darling leprechaun hat attached to the top, so it perches on his head cockily.

While I was sitting, visiting with the children and the puppy, Don appeared with a wonderful ham and cheese omelette and raspberry tea for me. Then he and the children disappeared while I answered the phone and ate my omelette. When they reappeared, they were green. Don had bought, in addition to the head dresses for the children, green cake makeup and spray-on green hair coloring. He had done the children's arms and faces and attempted Daelyn's hair, but wanted me to touch them up, which I did. They are officially now green.

Then we all went to the kitchen so I could open my presents. The children excitedly handed me a small bag, picking it carefully out of a pile of gift bags sitting on the table. I pulled out a piece of tissue paper and shook it out. Nothing. I pulled out the second piece of tissue paper and shook it out, also. Still nothing. Deanna grabbed the now-empty bag and looked inside, then looked at me with an incredulous glance.

"DADDY!!!" she bellowed, "there's NOTHING in this bag."

Don looked at the bag, snickered, and said, "Oh, yeah. I was going to use that one, but the item wouldn't fit."

I profusely thanked Don for his thoughtfulness and gratefully accepted the non-gift. I had asked him to set aside two packages for me to open at dinner. After the first present, I decided I'd better open them all right here and now.

To cut to the chase, I got a cell phone - not one of those expensive, do-everything ones, just a run-on-the-mill, pay-as-you-go, use only for emergencies cell phone.

I'm thrilled. But I have to figure out how to use it now.

Thanks, family, for a wonderful birthday. I love you all (and Amanda).