Birthdays

As I grew up, all of our birthdays fell between August 8 (Dad) and October 5 (JR), so the roughly two month span felt very much like a pre-Christmas season as I got a little older.

I can only remember 1 or 2 birthday parties but they were always shared with David and always closer to his birthday. As we got older, we got to pick a spot for dinner (from a limited selection of restaurants) and a cake flavor.  There was this awful Chinese restaurant in Bakersfield we'd go to and order something sweet and sour, then a local bakery made a light fluffy cake they called a champagne cake...

The next few additions to the family fell in the family birthday window as well. It wasn't until Rebecca was born in March that the trend was broken.

We were all together for Dad's birthday one year; I think Anna, who was born in the Birthday Season as well, was 2? or 3? at the time? I think Rebecca was there so that would mean she was 3... Anyways, we were getting ready for cake and presents and Anna asked "Anna Birthday?" 

"No honey, it's Opa's birthday," David told her.

Anna looked a bit disappointed then said brightly "Then Anna Birthday?"

"No honey, then it's Mom's birthday".

This went on through  my birthday, David's birthday, Oma's birthday, and Aunt Jacqueline's birthday as Anna got visibly more disturbed... It must have seems like forever for the poor child!

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