my birthday presents

Monday night at dinner G found out my birthday was yesterday.  Immediately his little face lit up and he could hardly contain his wiggles.  I knew exactly what my gift-giving-is-his-love-language son was thinking: I know just what I want to buy Mommy for her birthday!  While Hubby and I were still chatting at the dinner table, G kept trying to whisper in his Daddy’s ear the wonderful present he had planned for me, but of course Hubby had to put him off because I could hear everything G said in his not-quite whisper.

Wednesday night Hubby took the kids to McDonald’s and then shopping for my present.  When they got home G again was sooo excited to tell his Mommy all about the present, but apparently they’d all agreed in the car that I had to wait until my actual birthday to open my present.  Lots of wiggles and smiles as he tried not to spill the beans.

Yesterday, the actual day of my birthday, G kept asking me to guess my present.  “A football?” 

[giggle giggle] “No, Mommy!  Guess again.”

“Ummm… a soccer ball?”

“No, Mommy!  Nothing like that.”

Then Little Missy broke in: “It’s a rooster!”

And I knew she was right.  I looked at G and he soberly nodded.  “She’s right, Mommy.  She’s really telling the truth.”

You see, a few months ago I bought a really adorable rooster napkin holder from the antique mall here in town, and I really loved that napkin holder.  I was so proud of myself for buying something bright and colorful, and not just bright with one color, but bright with lots of colors.  My whole house is a mix of solid neutral colors.  And when I walked into my kitchen I really liked that thing.  Well then last week, during our Christmas vacation, the four of us were working on a puzzle at the dining table when Little Missy knocked the rooster napkin holder on the floor and broke it.  She felt terrible and I tried to not care about a napkin holder.  But really, I did like that thing a lot.

So last night, after Hubby got home from work and they sang Happy Birthday to me and we ate some delicious pie that Hubby bought, I got to open my presents.  Three presents, all thoughtful gifts that I actually love and will use.  And the final gift I opened was the Rooster.  Not a vintage napkin holder like the old one, but a glass rooster with lots of color, only this time it was bought for me by my beloved family, and it is much better than the one I picked up for $2 or $3 at the antique mall.  And so it sits on a cake stand, under one of those glass dome thingies, on my round table in the kitchen.  So bright and pretty to see when you walk in the front door, and especially when you walk in the kitchen.

Last night I asked Hubby what G had had in mind for my present.  Apparently it was very specific.  He wanted to buy me a green and red and some-other-color vase with a lid on top that did something fancy.  I have noooo idea where G and I have seen something like that, or when I might have mentioned I’d like something like that, but I sure love that his mind gets going on something specific.  Lots of love in that little man.