You say it's your birthday???? Have you ever thought about the word, "Birthday"? Let's have a little review session. Birthday is actually the name given to the date of the anniversary of a person's birth. Betcha didn't know that one!

Birthdays are most commonly celebrated more for the children than for the adults, unless it is a milestone birthday such as 21, 30, 40 or 50........or if you are like me and enjoy every single birthday!!!!

At childrens parties (and mine!) balloons and streamers are hung up and lots of friends are invited to the party. There are ALWAYS presents, cakes and ice cream.

As tradition has it, the birthday person usually has a cake topped with candles......one for each year and they must try to blow them out in one breath. If successful their secret wish will come true. Sometimes the person having the birthday chooses to do something really fun like: bowling, going to a movie, going out for sushi, shopping, or even going to chuckeeecheese. Why there, I am not sure, but I heard that you can be really messy and they clean up after you!

So, this big cake is made and set before the guest of honor. The candles are put on top based on how old you are and then everyone sings the "happy birthday" song. At the end of the song, the birthday person is supposed to make a wish and without telling anyone what it is, he or she blows out the candles. If they blow them all out with one blow, their birthday wishes will come true. So where did that birthday song come from? It was written by two American sisters in 1893, and has been translated into several languages around the world.

One more tidbit.........back in the day, some children received birthday "spankings", which were originally based on superstition, but are now more of a birthday prank or a joke. Are you telling me that my five year old birthday spankings were a prank? NO WAY! I won't believe it. I still have the pictures and I believe history when they say that spankings were given for each year of the birthday child's life. Beyond that number, a child received another spanking to grow on, one to live on, one to eat on, one to be happy, and yet another spanking to get married on. I never got that last one!!!

Why all the history? I just want to tell my two friends, Jennifer Becker and Sheri Hofhuis, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Jen's birthday is tomorrow and Sheri's is on September 11. I love you guys and hope you have a super spectacular anniversary birthday shinding full of fun, balloons, streamers, cake, ice cream, friends, family, and lots of spankings to grow on, live on, eat on, get married on, and have precious little babies on!