How do you celebrate b-days?

[5ft Diva]

We have a couple of b-day's in my family coming up here in the next month and thinking about what I needed to do in order to prepare for the annual celebrations led me to wonder how you all celebrate b-day's at your homes. So, how do you celebrate b-day's in your neck of the woods? Do you have traditions? Do you make a big deal out of it? Do you down play the day? Tell all!

[runamyrun]

We love birthdays! When our kids turn 4 they have their first friend party. I love coming up with a theme and basing the games and food around the theme. I am not creative enough to come up with it on my own, so I love the internet. Then every other year they have a friend party. On odd years, we invite family over. We also try to do something fun as a family. The night of their birthday, I make their favorite food for dinner. They decide what kind of cake (flavor and how it is decorated), and I make it. For example, my son had a pirate party and wanted a pirate chest cake. My daughter had a prince and princess party, but wanted a Hello Kitty cake.

[bookworm]

That sounds similar to us, Amy. I make their favorite dinner and they tell me what flavor of cake they want. We used to have all the family invited over, but my family and DH's family don't mesh all that well, so we don't anymore. The DH side grandparents take our family out to dinner one night during the week of the bday (usually on my DH's day off), and in my family, we have a big get together once a month to celebrate all the bdays for that month. I have 6 sibs, and between us we have 13 kids, plus spouse bdays and my parents, so each month has at least one birthday. We bring small gifts for the kids, and for adult bdays we pitch in on one bigger gift. It's a blast. The kids get to see their cousins every month and I get to visit with my sisters, brothers and parents. It's really the only time I see them, so I love it.

With my boys, they had to wait until they were 5 to have friend bday parties, but when Ben turned 5, Katie turned 3 on the next day, so I let them have a combined party that year. In '06 everyone had friend parties, so '07 is no parties. They want to have them again next year, but I'm hesitant. I kind of hate all the hassle and expense, but the kids love it, so I'm thinking it over. I may just let the bigger boys have some friends over for a movie night or something. I let my boys decide what they want to do for their parties last year. We made paper bag pinatas, they watched cartoons (I think it was "The Pink Panther" cartoons at one party), and they ran around like maniacs and had a really fun time.

[Dia Minha]

I have decided that my children can have birthday parties for their 5th, 8th, 12th, and 16th birthdays. This breaks it up a bit, but lets them celebrate those big mile stones with friends. However, they do get to pick an activity to do on their birthday with the family and sometimes that includes friends. It just isn't considered a party. This would be like taking a friend or two to the swimming pool, or rock climbing at Buddy's.

On their birthday they get to pick what we are having for dinner. They always want to decorate their own cake, which I am fine with. However, if they are having a party then I get to do the cake.

I love to do theme cakes. For my son's birthday last month he had a soccer party. I made him an amazing soccer ball cake, and cupcakes. (I have pictures, I'll have to see if I can post them.) We played "soccer" type games including base soccer using the swimming pools as bases. The boys had a blast. It was inexpensive, about $3 per person and that included lunch.

My second son is turning six next week. He has already asked for sport, ball, cupcakes. He even said that I could make them. I might even be able to talk him into letting me do small cakes instead. I had so much more fun doing the soccer ball cake, than the soccer ball cupcakes. We'll see, I guess.

My favorite cake was the fishy cake my 3 year old let me make her last January. I'll have to see if I can get pictures up of that one too.

Dia

[runamyrun]

If your son wants a sports ball cake, I have a completely round cake pan that you can borrow. It makes a round ball, and is really cute. It is meant to be used for all different sports balls. I used it to make a bowling ball cake once.

[Dia Minha]

Thanks RAR. I do appreciate it. I have a pryex bowl that works just fine. It's actually nicer, because you don't have to worry about matching your pentagons all the way around while doing a soccer ball.. So, it leaves room for more mistakes. I actually have three sizes. So, I could even pull off a baseball, a soccer ball, and a basketball.

Dia

[5ft Diva]

I have decided to let my kids do b-day parties every other year. They do their b-day parties on their even years and the funny thing is that my kids are all born on an even year so all of my kids get a b-day party the same year. It's not bad. I've thought about changing it so that it was some on their odd year and some on their even year but I'd rather get it over w/ in one year and have a break than do b-day parties one year after another. Anyway, I let my kids plan the party. They decide everything and sometimes the activities are pretty dumb (imo) but the kids their age love it so I've learned to step back and let them do their thing. On the year they don't have a party, we usually will go out as a family for dinner.

The night before their b-day, we make a poster. (This is a tradition that was started by BS's mom.) On the poster we write the b-day person's name in the middle and all around it we put down all the qualities we love about that individual and have mom, dad, and all the kids sign it. The kids love waking up to their poster. We usually leave it up for a week. We also have a b-day plate (just given to us last Christmas) that the kids can eat their meals on for that day. This is going to be a great tradition when I remember to set it out. Sometimes I remember but most of the time I have forgotten. In the past few years I've been so busy that the day seems to get rushed and sometimes overlooked. I'm trying to stop that. I'd love for my kids to feel that on their b-days the ones they love and who love them stopped and took notice of what a wonderful person they are.

[Dia Minha]

Diva, I love the poster idea. I'm thinking maybe we need to do something like that.

Dia

[5ft Diva]

It's so cheap and I think easier than picking out a card. Does this make me lazy and cheap?

[bookworm]

Oh my gosh, Diva, I think it's a great idea!!! Not at all cheap, either- it's more special than a pre-printed card!!

[5ft Diva]

Okay, good. That's two thumbs up now for that idea. I guess my kids won't mind it fi they "just" get a poster every year.

[char]

Wow..I really like the poster idea. What a pertinent thread as my son turns 8 tomorrow. We usually have a small get-together, with only close friends coming over. My daughter turned 10 last year and she wanted to go bowling. So we had a party at the bowling alley. It was pretty cool. For my boy's bday, tomorrow we're going riding. He wanted to go to a certain place to eat, so we're doing that on Sunday and taking two other kids with us. Last year for his bday, we had just moved to Houston, so the four of us went to the Space Center. VERY COOL place.

I think as they get older, we'll just keep with the low-key thing. Except for the milestones as mentioned above. My only stipulation is that they know how grateful we are for each birthday we get to share with them. Regardless of what we're doing, they know that it's their special day.

[5ft Diva]

Have fun w/ the b-day festivities, Char. It's good to hear from you.

[Meticulous madness]

I absolutely LOVE the poster idea, and the plate idea too! GREAT TRADITIONS.

And as far as seeming cheap and/or lazy, I would disagree. I think it's creative/unique.