the Travelling Birthday Party
Yesterday was so fun.
Haleigh’s bday is Sunday the 12th.
Wait a minute… you have to know that for the past 18 years, birthdays have been a big big big big deal at our home. Birthdays are YOUR Day. And we, for some stupid reason, have fostered this with our kids for the past 18 years.
Okay, so her birthday is Sunday and she’s been soooooooooooo sad because we aren’t going to get to spend it with her. She has a 3pm concert and we have the Valentine Banquet at church. It just won’t happen.
The “Singers” are on tour all over the Midwest right now, started Wednesday. So, she’s been super busy with that. The tour ends with the 3pm concert on Sunday. She was disappointed we couldn’t make it to her concert on Sunday.
Did I mention she was upset we weren’t going to spend any of her concert OR her birthday with her??
We’ve fostered this birthday ordeal for the past 18 years…w h y? Well, because we love them!!!!!
So, I decided we just can’t stop now…. The birthdays must go on…
I emailed her director for an itinerary of the tour. We skipped work, pulled the kids out of school, grabbed Aunt Shera and Aunt Shanda, filled the van, got Barth to cover at the office for us, took off early in the morning, headed two hours away, knew they were going to the mall at 11am, went to Wally and bought a few cupcakes, some candles, a lighter, some flowers, a balloon, and decided we were going to be Stacy and Clinton at the mall and ambush her.
We waited for 40 minutes in the mall parking lot for the tour buses to arrive. I called her on her cell phone.
Me: “What are you doing?”H: “I’m on the bus. It’s boring. I’m so tired”
Me: “Where are you going again?”
H: (obviously annoyed with me for not remembering) “I told you!”
Me: “Oh yeah, I just forgot.. .sorry, I’m just busy”
…Busy waiting for you to hurry up and get here!
H: (sadly) “We’re going to the mall. I’m going to buy myself a birthday present”
Me: “Oh yeah what are you going to buy?”
H: “I don’t know… just something for myself”
She’s layin the guilt trip on thick.
Me: “How far are you?”
I’m trying to find out when they’ll be here!
H: “I don’t know”
Me: “Where were you this morning?”
H:(getting madder)“MOM! I told you all this … I have to go”
Me: “Oh, I’m sorry honey”
We waited a while longer… and they finally arrived. We were going to watch them go past us, but they turned and were headed right to us! Shawn had to maneuver and manipulate the van while we were all screaming in the van “ LOOK OUT DAD THEY’RE COMIN RIGHT AT US, THEY’RE GONNA SEE US!”….
He backed around and parked again, right in their path.
He pulled around and hid beside a semi truck and then backed around it two or three times in an attempt to keep BOTH buses from seeing us. After we did that, we realized there was a driver in the truck… I wonder what he was thinking with this van driving around in circles around him!
We saw where they dropped off the singers, went in a different entrance, walked around, saw her, lit the candles, grabbed the flowers, and stormed her singing happy birthday!
She didn’t see us. It wasn’t until we got to the part that said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR….” And Lindsey shoved the flowers into her face that she stopped. The singers finished the last song and the mall clapped. She screamed and was totally surprised to see us!
We ate cupcakes from Wal-Mart that tasted like play-doh, and she loved her gifts. Then we went to an EXCELLENT concert with a world class choir. Nice job Haleigh. It was beautiful. You are beautiful.
Haleigh’s bday is Sunday the 12th.
Wait a minute… you have to know that for the past 18 years, birthdays have been a big big big big deal at our home. Birthdays are YOUR Day. And we, for some stupid reason, have fostered this with our kids for the past 18 years.
Okay, so her birthday is Sunday and she’s been soooooooooooo sad because we aren’t going to get to spend it with her. She has a 3pm concert and we have the Valentine Banquet at church. It just won’t happen.
The “Singers” are on tour all over the Midwest right now, started Wednesday. So, she’s been super busy with that. The tour ends with the 3pm concert on Sunday. She was disappointed we couldn’t make it to her concert on Sunday.
Did I mention she was upset we weren’t going to spend any of her concert OR her birthday with her??
We’ve fostered this birthday ordeal for the past 18 years…w h y? Well, because we love them!!!!!
So, I decided we just can’t stop now…. The birthdays must go on…
I emailed her director for an itinerary of the tour. We skipped work, pulled the kids out of school, grabbed Aunt Shera and Aunt Shanda, filled the van, got Barth to cover at the office for us, took off early in the morning, headed two hours away, knew they were going to the mall at 11am, went to Wally and bought a few cupcakes, some candles, a lighter, some flowers, a balloon, and decided we were going to be Stacy and Clinton at the mall and ambush her.
We waited for 40 minutes in the mall parking lot for the tour buses to arrive. I called her on her cell phone.
Me: “What are you doing?”H: “I’m on the bus. It’s boring. I’m so tired”
Me: “Where are you going again?”
H: (obviously annoyed with me for not remembering) “I told you!”
Me: “Oh yeah, I just forgot.. .sorry, I’m just busy”
…Busy waiting for you to hurry up and get here!
H: (sadly) “We’re going to the mall. I’m going to buy myself a birthday present”
Me: “Oh yeah what are you going to buy?”
H: “I don’t know… just something for myself”
She’s layin the guilt trip on thick.
Me: “How far are you?”
I’m trying to find out when they’ll be here!
H: “I don’t know”
Me: “Where were you this morning?”
H:(getting madder)“MOM! I told you all this … I have to go”
Me: “Oh, I’m sorry honey”
We waited a while longer… and they finally arrived. We were going to watch them go past us, but they turned and were headed right to us! Shawn had to maneuver and manipulate the van while we were all screaming in the van “ LOOK OUT DAD THEY’RE COMIN RIGHT AT US, THEY’RE GONNA SEE US!”….
He backed around and parked again, right in their path.
He pulled around and hid beside a semi truck and then backed around it two or three times in an attempt to keep BOTH buses from seeing us. After we did that, we realized there was a driver in the truck… I wonder what he was thinking with this van driving around in circles around him!
We saw where they dropped off the singers, went in a different entrance, walked around, saw her, lit the candles, grabbed the flowers, and stormed her singing happy birthday!
She didn’t see us. It wasn’t until we got to the part that said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR….” And Lindsey shoved the flowers into her face that she stopped. The singers finished the last song and the mall clapped. She screamed and was totally surprised to see us!
We ate cupcakes from Wal-Mart that tasted like play-doh, and she loved her gifts. Then we went to an EXCELLENT concert with a world class choir. Nice job Haleigh. It was beautiful. You are beautiful.
Comments
Do you realize what you have done to yourselves? Are you ready for 4 years of college times 4 girls and they will all be looking over their shoulder to see when the cupcake delegation will arrive....
Hannah- Gabe didn't get cupcakes either, don't feel bad.
Haliegh- Happy Birthday to an amazing young woman! You are a GEM.
When will I learn??? I need to set the standard soooooooooo muchhhhhhhh lowerRrrrrrrrrrrr!