I usually get my birthday post written much earlier. Blame my tardiness on the first solid full day of sunshine with no rain in the Northeast in a month.
We came up to our house in Barnard Vermont for the holiday weekend, and I’m driving back later today.
Sunday (my actual birthday) we drove over to Ben & Jerry’s factory in Waterbury for my free birthday ice cream, then decided to drive up the Mount Mansfield Toll Road for the views from the highest peak in Vermont. More about our excursions later this week on Snapshot Chronicles Roadtrip.
This post is my annual birthday self-indulgence. Bear with me. I’ll try to keep it short.
First off, I want to thank everyone who emailed, tweeted and sent birthday messages on Facebook. I totally suck at remembering to do this for friends myself, and wish I didn’t. It is so lovely to get the birthday wishes, and they made the day even more special. I particularly want to thank anyone who acted on the tweet/Facebook message about donating to your favorite charity and thinking kindly of me when you did it. You rock!!
Next, a few good wishes for the new, or about to be new, mamas this week – Shannon M. (@zchamu) and Kristy S. (@kristysf). Shannon gave birth to lovely Avery Grace, who joins a special “club” of folks with early July birthdays – more on that in a minute. Kristy celebrated her own birthday Saturday, and is patiently awaiting the birth of her first child. I’d hoped that perhaps the baby would make an appearance 0n my birthday, but Kristy’s July 4th post implies otherwise.
Nevertheless, I hope her baby arrives soon because the first week of July is a great week to have a birthday. Perhaps the best of the year if you are a citizen of Canada or the United States. Both countries celebrate their independence day during the week, Canada on the 1st and the US on the 4th, so a festive spirit pervades the week. Family get-togethers, vacations and day trips, the beach, fireworks.
When you’re a kid, it may seem like a pretty awful week to have a birthday. Your friends are away on vacation or spending time with their families so you can’t really have a birthday party.
The reality is that you generally get to have multiple birthday parties that stretch over the entire holiday week and possibly longer if you have a party for school friends later in the summer. Sure it’s a holiday week, and folks are also celebrating their country but unlike December, the other holiday month as “big” as July with Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s, the country doesn’t eat your cake or share the presents.
Another significant benefit of a summer birthday is free ice cream. Many scoop shops give you a free ice cream on your birthday, but let’s face it, who really wants an ice cream cone in February? If your local scoop shop is even open. Many ice cream stands in Northern states close up in early September and don’t re-open until late Spring.
So revel in your holiday week birthday!!
Extra special holiday birthday wishes to good friend and talented blog designer Karen Rani, and to Bunny, Thalia and Quinlan, the lovely young daughters of three of the leading ladies of the parent blogosphere, CityMama, Mom 101 and Motherhood Uncensored, respectively.
Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah says
Happy (belated) birthday!
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