Best Birthdays of a New Year’s Eve Baby

My 30th birthday...I'm in the red shirt. One of my best birthdays ever!

If you are wondering, New Year’s Eve is a really sucky day to be born. You’d think that with all the parties and kissing and drinking champagne that it would be the best day to have a birthday. It’s not. I was always jealous of my friend Lori who was born in June. She always had a birthday party at the beach. Kids with birthdays around the holidays know what I am talking about.

Still, I have some pretty darn good birthday memories.

Of course, I have a couple not so great. One birthday, my dad decided that it would be funny to tell me that we didn’t have enough money celebrate my birthday. We drove around and he kept rubbing it in, finally saying that we might just go see a movie. I was so upset that by the time I got home, I was in tears. I ran to my room and flung myself on my bed in a full out tantrum. (I think I was maybe 5, but I am not sure). I didn’t see my stepmom standing in the hallway with a video camera. I didn’t see my whole bedroom lined with toys. I didn’t care. My daddy lied to me about my birthday and I couldn’t get over it.

Lesson to parents: it’s never fun to joke with your kids about not getting presents on their birthday. 

But, my dad made up for it the year I turned 13. I had come home from my mom’s house. With his same sense of humor, he pretended that he forgot my birthday. I walked in the door and he barely said hello. I did notice, however, that the door to the dining room was shut, which it never was. I opened the door and up popped a few of my friends behind the dining room table with a big “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” The fact that I never had friends spend the night at my dad’s and he went to the trouble of inviting them over was the best present ever. We spent the night giggling our heads off and being stupid girls. One of my friends thought it would be funny to cover everyone’s face in red cake gel while we slept. Then, realizing they would be caught, covered their own face in cake gel. So, when I woke up, I thought I broke out in a rash until I realized what happened and of course, my friend couldn’t keep quiet and had to let everyone know it was her.

Another awesome birthday was when I turned 21. All I have to say about that night is: 80′s party. Legal drinking age. And Kristen is not allowed to share any more of the story anywhere on the Internet. I mean it!

Last year, I turned 30. We had a big bowling party and invited tons of friends and family. It was the largest birthday party ever and was completely perfect. Usually, my birthday is spent with a few family members, my mom mostly, or with Ty’s family since they have a big New Year’s Party every year. They usually sing happy birthday to me and Ty’s Uncle Ken who has a birthday on January 1. It’s weird hearing “Happy Birthday to Beth…and Ken.”

This year is no big whoop to me. I am more excited to visit my friend Lori and her new baby, see my cousin Josh who’s just signed up for the Army, console my cousin Kristen’s daughter who turned 4 on December 26, and try to stay up till at least 10pm at Ty’s parents house where we are going to spend the night with our two babies.

The best birthday present I could ask for this year is for everyone in my family to be healthy and safe and be together.