dig in ... birthday feasts!

As we let go of each other’s hands I opened my eyes and saw arms reaching toward the middle of the table. I couldn’t help but smile. Dishes were being picked up, emptied a bit and passed on. We’ve been gathering three times each spring for six years now. Sitting down together for a meal planned by a little kid, which can mean anything from pizza to a grilled turkey breast with French fries. Yet they make the trip and we catch up and it’s good.

Spooning green beans onto my plate I listened to my now-6-year-old chat with his grandmothers about the menu he planned. “I couldn’t help but wonder:” Do they understand what an important part of birthday season they are? I mean, do they reaaaaalllly uNdERsTaND what an important part they are?

Most of my kids’ friends are used to Chuck E. Cheese’s or a bowling ally or a pool or any of the host of kid-friendly places where you can gather 20 or so of their screaming little bodies, run them into the ground, load them up with sugar and send them on their way. Mine have always enjoyed attending such gatherings, but it’s something neither my husband nor I is interested in hosting. Besides, with three birthdays in two months I don’t think we could afford such celebrations for all of them. So these dinners for nine became the tradition, all of us around the table together sharing the birthday child’s favorite foods. And the kids don’t really ask for more. It’s what they look forward to when they think of their birthdays.

Listening to them chat and laugh and make jokes with their grandparents and watching them listen to the exchange of ideas around them I’m thankful we can’t (and don’t really want to) do those big parties. These are meals they’ll remember. Stories they’ll tell their kids one day. Food they’ll learn to make themselves.

And I can’t help but wonder if I reaaaaalllly uNdERsTaND how what we do each day shapes our children.

So The Lady Third Grade will be celebrating next. She’s already requested beef stroganoff for her dinner with the grandparents. This is an easy one to make, but the quantity in cooking it for nine was a challenge last year. (She has only requested two different birthday dinners in her whole life … spaghetti and beef stroganoff. LOL!) With one birthday down and two to go I’m also zeroing in on a special celebration will be having this Spring, about 30 guests. So I’m in need of some tips to stay organized and also some of your favorite recipes for a crowd …especially if you have one with some Asian flare. Hope it’s as Springlike there as it is here. The windows are open. Hooray!