Days in Isolation – Birthdays are NOT Cancelled
As we practice social distancing in an attempt to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to find new ways to do “normal”. Our first test came on March 20th as our sweet and sassy seven year old turned eight. A birthday cannot be cancelled! It needs to be special. This year special just needed to be contained within our 2000 square foot house and with the 5 members of our immediate family. We made it a day of birthday YESES.
NO SCHOOL Holiday
The first declaration of the Birthday Queen was March 20th is a NO SCHOOL holiday. Much like Christmas, her birthday deserves a break from all things boring. In our new land of homeschooling, I was able to easily comply with her request.
A Morning Surprise
To start off the day, the Birthday Queen received a delivery from our favorite doughnut shop. Thank you Aunt Shannon for adding a surprise into our birthday celebration. Lucky for us, she decided to share her delicious treats with everyone. People in this house are very serious about their doughnuts.
Virtual Friend Time
Though she quickly declared it a no school holiday, she was sad to be missing her walk around the sun with her school friends. Weeks of planning birthday treats that comply with all of her friends likes, dislikes, and allergies wasted. I recently set her up with Messenger Kids and quickly connected her with as many people as I could. Much of the day was spent texting and video chatting with friends and family. I was told there was even virtual Lego play. All you need to do is place your tablet in the area you are playing and it is an instant play date.
All About the Cake
We need a cake even if we are having a party of five. My sweet girl declared she wanted lemon cake with her favorite whip cream frosting. To step up the fun factor, I marbled the layers pink and purple. The cake was beautifully colored when cut. Not to leave the outside behind, I coated the top with pink sugar. Simpler than some of my past designs, but exactly what the birthday girl wanted.
Game Night
When given the choice between movie night and game night, the Birthday Queen chose game night with no hesitation. Having pulled all our board games from the depths of the basement, she chose CLUE. Our version of Clue involves a DVD and is highly interactive. We laughed and schemed and solved the case. It was a magnificent end to the birthday celebration.
Even on a small scale within the confines of home it is possible to make a birthday special. It is easy to go big, bigger, biggest. This birthday serves as a reminder that celebration has more to do with the thoughts and feelings behind it. There can be joy, love, laughter, and fun with any number of people, in any setting. Birthdays are not about the number of people, the size of the gifts, or the food that is served. Birthdays are about celebrating the person we love and creating memories of time spent together.
Some more posts you may enjoy:
Grace for the Resistant (aka Forced) Home Schooler
Balancing Fear and Fun to Live your Fullest Life
