Pandemic Diaries: Part 29 – Anastasia (and Some Sleeping Beauty) – Happy Birthday, DC!

I will be the first to admit that I can get carried away with DC’s birthday. Much like Christmas, it was a long time before he actually “got it” and when he did, he was all in and so was I.

When he got to be an adult, I stopped calling his birthday get-togethers “parties” because party meant things like party bags, games and/or some form of entertainment. We began calling them birthday dinner with his friends. He was okay with that and really looked forward to it each year.

Of course this year would be different. Like last year, he would not be able to have a birthday dinner with his friends. he was disappointed because… his friends.

I was disappointed because it was his 30th birthday and that, as they say is a big deal.

As you have read… DC was even more excited than he usually would be about his birthday because he really misses “Going Out To Eat”; and what is a holiday or special day without going out to eat?

Bringing his “Out To Eat” favorites home is something that he REALLY looks forward to since this pandemic began, so he was in “breaking my sanity” kind of excited mode.

That being said, I wanted to make it special – as special as it could be in the living room with just Doug and I in attendance.

It also goes without saying that this is all a just ploy to force you to look at DC’s birthday photos (you knew that).

He started his day wearing his annual birthday shirt and his new birthday socks.

I went with his second favorite of late – Sleeping Beauty for birthday breakfast.

And of course, a whoopie pie because who doesn’t need a whoopie pie to brighten their day?

Off to “work” he went and I got started decorating. I have to admit, it was fun. I haven’t done any “party” decorating in a very long time.

I wrote about his love for Anastasia in my last post. As I also said in my last post; Anastasia items are not easy to find. Party supplies are non-existent – I had to wing it.

I decided to use “Together in Paris” as the theme and Paris party supplies were not very hard to find at all.

But as I do… on the day I decided that the three backdrops and plain pink table cloth were not enough. I started cutting up the paper plates to liven up the table cloth.

There was going to be only three of us, so how many plates did we really need?

Then I went on a hunt around the house looking for anything I could use to add to the effect. The Glinda costume that had been hanging in the garage for may years was sacrificed for it’s pink glittery material, that I used to cover the lamp and wrap around the edge of the table.

No worries! It was no great loss. After many wears by many different people, it was not in good shape any more. It had also been taken in when I wore it a very long time ago; and not very well. Plus, the garage did not do it any favors. I was really wondering why it had still been hanging there and not thrown away. I suppose I just got used to seeing it there and stopped noticing it.

Right now, I am sure you have questions (and might even be shocked) by one or both items I just mentioned…

Let me clarify for you.

Yes, there was a time when I actually had to take in costumes so they would fit me! Shocked, I know!

I am not nor have been a sewer. When I say, I took something in, it was with a needle and thread (not a machine) and it was more like grabbing material in certain spots and sewing it up. It was not a good look, but usually I could get away with it on a costume. Now-a-days I can’t even see to thread a needle.

Moving on…

The cake…

All that DC had been talking about was a cake with BIG red roses (this guy loves frosting as much as his mother does). He showed me online images of cakes with large red roses on a daily basis. His only other stipulation was that his cake needed to be bigger than mine had been.

After searching “Anastasia” for days hoping to find something I could use as a cake topper, I decided on a tiara and found an Eiffel tower candle.

Simple; but it made the point.

The baker did a wonderful job.

(After DC jamming the tiara on my head far too many times, the following day – I found a home for it on his Tangled doll that stands in the corner of his room. I am not tiara material.)

Needless to say, he was surprised when he came home to all of the decorations.

After he went through his “coming home” routine which had to be followed even on his birthday, I told him to go upstairs to change into his party shirt. He looked at me sort of funny because he was already wearing his birthday t-shirt. I told him there was a new shirt on his bed just for this occasion.

He went upstairs.

I listened.

I heard a squeal!

I could not find a “Together in Paris” shirt that would have arrived in time, but I was able to find “Once Upon a December” (you know… the song he tortured Camp with all summer?).

Have you ever gotten really excited about something in the hopes that your child will be as excited as you think he/she will be – and then they are not? I cannot even count how many times that has happened.

Well, he was just as excited about the whole thing as I hoped he would be!

We ordered pizza and wings from the place where we usually have his birthday dinner with friends. Of course, we also had Anastasia playing on the television throughout the festivities.

I hid all of the gifts that had been arriving for him from over the past week from family and friends, so he would have a big pile to open on the day.

Of course there were markers, jelly beans, goofy socks (which is now his thing), princess dolls and… the Anastasia and Dimitri dolls.

He was not so impressed with Anastasia because it was “Skating Anastasia” – not in the movie, but it was the best I could do. I did get the squeal for Dimitri, though.

He also received a case of white paper –

because, you know –

this.

I was thrilled that I could make his 30th something to remember for him. He was happy with every single thing, but he still missed his friends, which became more apparent when he blew out his candles.

Normally when DC blows the candles out on his cake and makes a wish, I have to ask him what his wish was (yeah, yeah, I know – you’re not supposed to tell). I usually get an answer that he has just made up at the time of the question because he is usually not really making a wish, he’s just doing theater.

This year, I did not have to ask…

He announced “I wish the sickness would be over” and then blew out the candles.

That was something he said quite often at the beginning of this pandemic and every once in a while over the past year, but I never imagined it would be so front and center in his mind that he would use it as his birthday wish.

That is my wish too, DC.

We’re getting there.

Happy Birthday to this guy! I can’t believe he is 30 today! THIRTY!!! It’s been a hard year and although he is disappointed with having to spend another birthday without his friends; he’s making the best of it! So proud of this guy! Happy Birthday, DC! Love you ‘magly’ – March 22 Facebook