What’s Heidi been up to?

Lots of things. Summer vacation, then back to school, and writing.

I worked on some Bible homework that morphed into a lengthy word document, and then three blog posts for our church website. (You can read those posts here.)

I celebrated my birthday.

On my birthday, I ate gluten free pigs-in-blankets.

Birthday traditions at our house include eating a special meal off of the “You are Special Today” Plate, lighting candle(s) and singing happy birthday. The singing starts out nice, and quickly diverges into two warring factions. The Traditionalists belt out the original words to happy birthday, and the Rebels shout the monkey version:

Happy birthday to you

You live in a zoo

You look like a monkey

And you smell like one too 

Our singing still sounds better than that off key singing you hear in restaurants! It is still on key thanks to practice singing happy birthday (and singing in general) at our church.

Another tradition is opening presents. After I opened a gift bag from my parents, Tall Brother said to me: “Your birthday gift is pending… try again next year.”

Courageous younger brother generously offered to share his smoked gouda cheese, which I got him for his birthday a week earlier. I plan on taking him up on that offer. (He also likes to request Reddi whip in a can for his birthday because we don’t normally get it at home. And yes he squirts it directly into his mouth… other family members do it, too!)

This year my birthday fell on a Sunday, so I had the added bonus of a picnic with church friends for lunch.  I’m really feeling the love. They make me laugh. On Sunday we got on the subject of scam phone calls, and one friend had a call with the typical call center background noise. Then a voice with a heavy Indian accent said, “Hello, this is the United States Government.”

To which my friend said “Sure it is!” and hung up. She joked with us that she should have said, “Read me the Constitution!”

Speaking of calls, I enjoyed phone calls from loved ones wishing me happy birthday. Some even sang to me over the phone (but not the monkey version thank goodness!)

Leave me a comment with your favorite birthday traditions!