Five. Five??? Five!!!! How in the world did my baby boy get so big!!!
June is such an emotional time for me as both of my babies turn a year older, coupled this year with the fact that Drake is also graduating from pre-school. Throw in the stress that is their joint birthday party and add some pregnancy hormones in there, and you have a good idea of where I am emotionally.
The past couple years I have started a few traditions for the kids birthdays that I hope I can keep up with somewhat throughout the years. On the eve of their birthday I try to get a photo of my baby (I aim for sleeping but with Juliet it’s too hard since she doesn’t use a night light) before they go to bed or are asleep to capture those last fleeting moments before the dawn makes them one year older.
Still four, a few more hours before he turned five officially
Once they are asleep I place balloons in their room — the same number as they are turning — for them to wake up to. Mr Chocolate and I sometimes write little notes and tie them to the string about our memories of the day they were born, as well as ones from the past year that we read to them in the morning.
Since my kids are little and I’m home, I try to let them pick a fun activity for the day. For Drake’s birthday this year I took them to a local petting zoo that had been open for about a month. Drake was in heaven.
At night we have a small cake complete with singing and candles and give presents. And then before bed I do a little interview session. These were Drake’s answers this year:
My favorite color is: red
My favorite food is: strawberries
My favorite show is: Wonder Pets
My favorite toy is: Go Go Animals
My favorite person is: Juliet (this was the same as last year; as a parent I am so pleased)
What do you want to be when you grow up: Anything! (An artist was also an answer)
My favorite book is: Animal Encyclopedia
My best friend is: Juliet
I really want to: Go to the farm, park, or a zoo
I love: Everybody
I also have Drake write his name on top of the paper each year so we can see his handwriting as it changes.
As the years go on I’m sure it will be harder to continue with all of these traditions, but I’m trying my best to keep up and hope that these will be wonderful memories for them when they are older. I started this when Drake was around 3 and I hope these will be things they look forward to, and maybe even pass on to their own kids one day.
Did you have any birthday traditions growing up? Do you have any birthday traditions for your own kids?
pomegranate / 3503 posts
These are great birthday traditions. It’ll be fun to look back on all the memories.
grapefruit / 4649 posts
What a sweet set of traditions! I love the balloons with notes, I can see that being just as lovely at 15 as at 5. Thank you for sharing!
blogger / pomegranate / 3044 posts
Love those ideas!
My kids have close birthdays as well and will be sharing parties for the forseeable future. We do plan to do extra special activities on their actual birthdays though, last year for K we went to the zoo. This year for D I’d like to also bring food for the NICU workers!
pomelo / 5621 posts
Those are great traditions. I love the interview.
guest
These are all such beautiful ideas!
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
I love love the idea of a interview session. I will have to remember for when my oldest turns 4.
Every year I bake their birthday cake. She’s woken up to balloons the morning of since she was 2. We always go do something as a family; we both take the day off as working parents.
pear / 1632 posts
I love all your ideas!! I’m definitely gonna try a few.
blogger / cherry / 204 posts
I LOVE this so much. I’ve thought about the yearly interview and a picture with a balloon for every year, but the sleeping picture and waking up to the balloons and the handwriting ideas I’ve never thought of and really love. For our sons first birthday we did a video “interview” that he obviously wasn’t actually conversing in but I plan to do the video every year. My husband put together a video compilation for instagram with short clips from throughout the year leading up to the birthday “interview” and I would love to keep that up to compile all together someday. Love this post!
blogger / persimmon / 1225 posts
I love your birthday traditions, such a great idea!
cherry / 110 posts
Ooh! I love these. And I’m a little jealous. I never thought about doing any birthday traditions, but I really likes yours, especially the pictures and interview part.
Now it feels like it’s too late to start for mine.
grapefruit / 4649 posts
@Viola: it’s never too late! One of my favorite books, The Happiness Project, talks about how starting these little traditions can bring so much joy! Go for it!
guest
Loving your ideas! Can’t wait to start some traditions as well. =)