I woke up to find giant crocodile tears running down my pig-tailed, Maile’s cheeks on the morning of her 3rd birthday, “It’s not my birthday at all…” she sobbed.
This was my fault. I had decorated the house for her party the night before her birthday every year. She knew it was her birthday because she would wake up to streamers stretching across the room and all kinds of hanging things waiting to celebrate her big day.
The birthday she turned 3 I decided to take a break from the decorating and wait until the next day because I was exhausted and I knew I would have plenty of time the next day.
Maile was anticipating a party, but woke up to nothing. It was like waking up to Christmas to find that Santa didn’t come at all.
Of course I knelt down and swallowed that sad girl into my arms. She had a wonderful day and learned real quick that there is more to a birthday than decorations waiting for you first thing in the morning. However, that vision of her at the top of our stairs, looking so sad and disappointed is one of the many sorry mom fails I own.
This year we celebrated Maile’s party a little earlier to accommodate busy schedules and when the eve of her actual birthday came upon us a few days later I went to her room to say goodnight and she was all, “Do you think you might have a gift for me in the morning when I wake up?” And I was all, “aw shucks. I wish I did, but I don’t since we celebrated your birthday on Saturday.”
She sort of blinked and I thought about how I usually ALWAYS have one gift reserved for the actual day, but I was hoping now that she’s older it wouldn’t be missed. I was all, “Is that disappointing to you?” and she shrugged the question off but I spotted that disappointed pig tailed girl blinking away disappointment. I smiled my motherly goodnight smile and kissed her goodnight, but my brain was already in emergency overdrive. I would not disappoint that pig tailed girl again!
So I raced to Target and that’s how I became The Mom Who Shops At Target At 10pm The Night Before Her Daughter’s Birthday. She’s worth it of course…just look at her. My sweet pig-tailed-girl who would never in a million years allow me to put pig-tails in her hair again. I narrowly avoided another sorry mom fail.
The m&ms I bought were also worth it.
Happy 11th Birthday Maile!
For Maile:
Happy Fourth Birthday
Happy Fifth Birthday
Happy Sixth Birthday
Happy Seventh Birthday
Happy Eighth Birthday
Happy Ninth Birthday
Happy Tenth Birthday