What a lucky mummy I am…

This week was my birthday. I’m writing this as a way of saying thank you to everyone for their lovely cards and messages, and to my mum for a lovely lunch, but also to show of some of my favourite birthday presents, to make you all green with envy.

Belle always makes birthdays special my putting together a ‘hamper’ of goodies. I use the term loosely, as what she actually does is wrap a selection of items that she doesn’t want any more from her bedroom. They say it’s the thought that counts, and this year she went one better, and thought to wrap up things from Bee’s bedroom instead. Unfortunately she didn’t tell Bee first, so I have had to sneak quite a lot of it back, but a birthday really wouldn’t be the same without it.

This year she also hand painted me Jimmy the Jamaican Giraffe, who I’m sure you’ll agree is terribly handsome:

Toy Giraffe

Jimmy stands tall and proud

Bee did extremely well this year, and looked very pleased with herself as she presented me with these earrings. “Look!” she cried. “A Owl!” (Emphasis on the ‘A’ in a Phone Shop styley. Watch it if you haven’t seen it.)

owl earrings

“A owl!” “A owl?” “A owl!”

And if that weren’t enough, definitely-can’t-be-described-as-new-anymore Boyfriend bought me books and jam. Books. And Jam.

Books and jam

All I need now is a spoon

It is genuinely without even a hint of sarcasm that I say what more could a girl* want? Picture me if you will, late in the evening, sitting in bed reading, spoon in hand, face smeared with rhubarb and vanilla.

So there you go, a selection of some of my New Best Things. My question for the day is this – what is the best birthday present you’ve ever been given? Was it a small rubber ball found on the floor by one of your children? Or jam perhaps? Let me know…

*OK, OK, woman in her mid-thirties**

**Sobs quietly into fig chutney

 

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21 Comments

  1. isobelle forde
    28 April, 2012 / 8:04 pm

    I rather love Jimmy the Giraffe, so cool!

    • 29 April, 2012 / 11:09 am

      He IS cool isn’t it? The coolest giraffe I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen LOADS. Well about ten at least.

  2. 28 April, 2012 / 8:08 pm

    I have hated my birthday since I was in my teens. I never tell anyone when it is and refuse to let my parents buy me gifts. Most years the day comes and goes without me noticing. But there was one year…

    I was 21, working for the owner of the local McDonalds. He had six and I would run errands, mow lawns, and do his daughter’s bidding, when they asked. His youngest, 19 at the time was so very delightful. One day, I was told by her father that Jil had something for me to do at the house. She had planned a surprise party for me, with just her and one of her friends. There was McDonalds birthday cake and a bunch of happy meal toys she had collected over the previous few months. She wrapped them all up and though she didn’t spend a penny, it was the best birthday ever.

    I haven’t celebrated one since. You can’t top perfection.

    • 29 April, 2012 / 11:13 am

      I don’t blame you Brian, that sounds like an awesome birthday. I love things like that, where such an effort has been made. There really are some things that money just can’t buy.

  3. 28 April, 2012 / 8:16 pm

    I love Jimmy, he is so cool. I really treasure the hand made cards my son makes for me, I have them in a special box

    • 29 April, 2012 / 11:10 am

      That’s really nice :-)

      I have a box too, and a scrapbook for when I get around to sticking things in, which is about once every three years. Still, it’s the thought that counts right?

  4. 28 April, 2012 / 8:43 pm

    The charm for my Links bracelet last year from The Boy which was his thumb print impression in silver.

    But if you’re talking the ‘best’*? That would be the Damart sample perfume from my now deceased dear grandmother. The witch.

    *as in an entirely crap way.

    • 29 April, 2012 / 11:11 am

      Ahh! Belle MADE me one of those too! A friend of ours has a necklace with her son’s fingerprint and Belle made me one herself, using one of my chains, a piece of clay and a red felt tip. It was very cute.

  5. 29 April, 2012 / 10:39 am

    “Best” birthday present ever? That would be flowers from my (then) fiance, obviously bought as a frantic last minute pick-up from a service station as he drove down the A1/M on his way to visit me for the weekend. He was as surprised as I was to discover they were plastic. Best laugh ever, anyway!

    • 29 April, 2012 / 11:11 am

      Hahaha! Who doesn’t love to receive plastic flowers for a special occassion? At least they would last longer :-)

  6. 29 April, 2012 / 4:10 pm

    I grew up to hate birthdays, as to quote my old moaning grumpy unloving mother “your birthday is to near Christmas to get a present” so every other year 3 weeks and 6 days before Christmas I got nothing. Alternate years I got nothing for Christmas….and cant say as I got more than the others when I did get presents

    • 3 May, 2012 / 8:52 pm

      Oh no Elaine! That sounds like a terrible way to grow up! Do you still hate them now or have you grown to love them a bit more?

  7. 30 April, 2012 / 12:55 pm

    It’s my birthday this week, and I think I got my best present ever yesterday morning, from my extremely teenage daughter. I was reading in bed, heard her going downstairs and assumed she was getting an early start at the Facebook/Tumblr coalface. 40 minutes later she rounded us all up for breakfast. She’d made us blueberry pancakes, set the table and cleared up the mess ‘as an early birthday treat’ for me. So unexpected, so wonderful.

    • 3 May, 2012 / 8:53 pm

      Wow! What a lovely, lovely treat! I did laugh at the ‘facebook/tumblr coalface’ – sounds very familiar indeed…

  8. 30 April, 2012 / 5:03 pm

    Ah that’s so lovely! I love the earrings – did she actually buy them?! x

    • 3 May, 2012 / 8:54 pm

      Yep, with her own money and everything :-)

  9. 2 May, 2012 / 10:34 am

    Loved your story, it really made me laugh. I have a 4 yr old son and can’t wait to find out what he will be getting (borrowing) me for my Birthday. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

    • 3 May, 2012 / 8:55 pm

      It is just adorable, it’s one of my favourite bits of birthdays. She does it with guests too – she loves to wrap up little gifts for them from her room. She is such a sweetie.

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