Things Remembered

Steve always tells me I remember useless stuff, like what I was wearing when we first kissed, or where we were when I saw something I really liked.  I see it as remembering things I find most important to myself. 
Birthdays growing up in my family were celebrated amongst family.  We didn't have big extravagant birthday parties with all of my friends every year like the kids today.  I had friend parties for the big birthdays like when I turned 5 and 13.  Even though I didn't have those big parties, they were still the best parties ever!  They were celebrated with the ones that most loved me and cared about me, my family.  Let me be the first to say, I really do have the best family!  Let me bring you back a few years and let you celebrate like we did. 

First my mom always told me the story of the night I was born.  I was 5 days late and decided it would be fun to come during the middle of a snow storm in WV. 

When I was young, my parents bought me one of these.

Do you remember these?  My old Fisher Price record player!  I loved this thing! 
Another year they got me this to go with it

It's not just a record, it the birthday song from Zoom from the Moon.  Do you remember it?  If you've never heard it, or need a refresher, here are the lyrics, I couldn't resist!

Space command to Zoom
All systems are go for your message to YOU!

Hey, YOU!
It's your birthday!
I'm in charge of the stars
And I'm here to say,
'cause YOU,
You're the BIG STAR today!

My name is Zoom
And I live on the moon
But I came down to earth
Just to sing you this tune
Hey, YOU,
It's your birthday today!

A present for you
I wanted to find
An outerspace creature
A one of a kind!
A wild whop or a kukelchoo,
An apple drop or a buzzardstew
Or maybe a 3-eyed tickleshay
For your birthday

Did you ask:
"uh, what's a kukelchoo?"
Well, up on the moon it's nothing new
But that won't do for you,
On your birthday!

I searched behind the clouds and stars
I even zoomed my bike to Mars
And met my friend the saucer man
And he said:
"Hey Zoom I got the bestest plan!
What your friend needs is something new,
So how about a song, just from YOU?"

And so tonight when you're in bed
I'll be singing to you as I zoom overhead
Singing, YOU! Happy Birthday
Singing, YOU! Happy Birthday
Singing, YOU! Happy Birthday
To you!

Happy Birthday, YOU!
See you next year!

I love this song, you always knew it was your birthday when it got played. 

Because it had such an impact on my cousins and myself when we were kids, my cousin AKA my little sister Brooke got one for Da Freakout for his birthday.  We now make it a tradition to play it for him on his birthday.  You can buy it on CD now with your name, it is so Tinsel!!! 

You can get it here.

Birthdays for me always had a bought cake that looked like this

or this

because my birthday is so close to Christmas I always had a birthday themed cake and my gifts wrapped in Christmas paper.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I loved my cakes and appreciated my gifts, but my birthday is 7 days before Christmas, not on Christmas.

We didn't really go anywhere or do anything big and crazy.  We spent time together remembering the day I was born and celebrating me.  We had yummy birthday cakes from my favorite baker, Mrs. Mooney in Clarksburg WV, they were always jelly filled, yummy!!  We listened to Zoom and I opened my gifts which were always things I really wanted.

Now that I'm all grown up, and moved away from home, things have changed a little.  My cakes are usually made with care by my son and husband.  My record player needs a new needle so I don't get my zoom from the moon anymore, though I need to probably by a cd now. And since we live so far from my family, we celebrate much smaller, just the boys and I, though once in a while they might come to visit or we celebrate with my Mrs. Mooney cake when we do make it to WV.  I still get the best birthday gifts ever, my husband make sure of that, he's the best, if I haven't already said that! 

I will always love my birthdays.  You always have the ones you look forward to, and those you dread, but I don't dread birthdays, each one is exciting and special.  I figured that out 3 years ago.  I was dreading my 30th, I cried, didn't want a party or to celebrate.  2 weeks before my birthday, my childhood best friend died, Michael, he was 29 years old, he never saw 30.  From that day forward, I decided life was to precious to worry about how old I was.  I was alive, I was healthy and life is good.  So I celebrate my birthday every year with a smile on my face make my wish and love those that surround me for those birthdays, because life is to short and you never know what might happen. 

Celebrate, love, and appreciate what you have, not what you don't!  Have a great day and come back tomorrow.  I have my favorite birthday pie recipe I'm going to share!

Love, BJ