364 Shopping Days Until My Birthday!

Okay, I try to be a good mom. I try to be nice, I try not to yell too much, and yes, whenever it's possible, I try to be accommodating.....but I didn't see this coming! I guess I should have. My oldest child (older than his twin brother by just 2 minutes, he will surely point out that makes him the firstborn!) is Dog Obsessed. This began a few years ago, about the age when every normal red-blooded American boy decides he must have a pet. Patrick's obsession deepened until he could quote facts and statistics about almost any dog breed, recognize any dog you'd see on the streets or in a movie, and even understand and translate for the neighborhood strays---nah, just kidding, but the boy WANTED A DOG! So, in a moment of temporary insanity, we got him a puppy last December as an early Christmas present. He is a toy poodle, named "Samson" by his loving owner. (Samson now lives at Grammy's house, but that's fodder for another post, LOL!). When we got Samson, his papers said he was born on Sept. 25th, just two days before MY birthday. Anyone who has known me any time at all can tell you the Ritual of the Birthday. It is involved, it is ongoing, and it is effective----my friends rarely forget my birthday (it's okay Christine, really!). I started the brainwashing---er, tradition--- way back before I can even remember now; every month on the 27th, I tell everyone how many shopping days they have until My Birthday on September 27th. For example, on April 27th I'll say "Here's your friendly reminder that you now have only five shopping months until my birthday!!". It has become a family joke, and it's really NOT about the presents to me, it's about The Birthday!! We all love to have a day that's all ours, right? :) I had no idea that in 2007 I would be soooo upstaged: when I learned right after Christmas that I was pregnant and due in September, I knew that this year I would be passing on the Birthday Ritual Torch to my new offspring. I resigned myself to it, and I was okay with that. I can step down and let Rachael take the torch.....but this was before the DOG had to have a birthday party! I"m okay with my being overshadowed by my daughter, but the DOG????? When Patrick wanted to have a birthday party for Samson, being the good mommy that I endeavor to be, I grudgingly agreed. Having lots of leftover icing in the fridge from Rachael's birthday cake last week, I even magnanimously volunteered to BAKE THE DOG A CAKE (for his humans to eat, of course!). That was BEFORE I remembered, at 11 p.m. on the 24th, that my oven wasn't working. Fine, I decided to bake the cake at my mom's home first thing in the morning. I took the cake over, baked it, and my mom removed it from her oven when it was done. She left it to cool on the counter while she ran a quick errand, leaving my 84 year old somewhat senile grandmother at home. When my mom returned, Gramma had eaten a three inch wide strip of the cake! She probably ate 20% of the cake! My mom was mad, and Gramma got sick, and it was rather funny....it also made decorating the hacked-up cake quite a challenge! I cut it into the best bone-shaped cake I could, and it turned out quite well, if I do say so myself. Patrick was thrilled, Samson was oblivious to the whole Event, and we all ate cake. Happy Birthday, dear Samson!---but don't expect a party next year. :)