Chris's Birthday 2020

March 26, 2020: Chris with his birthday presents at his birthday party.

Today is my son-in-law Chris's 42nd birthday, and we got together for a little family party at my house on Thursday night to celebrate. With only Chris, Sarah, Dylan, Jake, Mark, and myself in attendance, we were safely within the government's no-gatherings-of-more-than-ten-people order to help slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus. What a strange time we live in!

Chris's birthday cake to celebrate his 42nd birthday.

The party started at 7:00. Sarah brought the cake and ice cream (rocky road and cookies-n-cream). After visiting a while, we started out with the opening of gifts. Sarah gave Chris a shirt and a $50 gift card to purchase the Star Wars-based video game he's been wanting to buy. I gave him another $20 to put toward the game. Dylan and Jake got him a 3-D standing puzzle of Olaf, the snowman from the film Frozen, one of Chris's favorite characters. And Mark gave Chris a model kit of a 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup.

Chris prepares to blow out his sparkler-candles after the Happy Birthday song.

Then it was time for ice cream and cake. I cheated on both, and I paid for it in hours of leg cramps later that night, which usually happens when I consume sugar. Why, oh why, don't I remember the painful consequences before I indulge?

We sang "Happy Birthday to You" in our comically (or tragically) mismatched, off-key voices, as always. When it came time to make a wish and blow out the candles, being mindful of the current coronavirus crisis, Chris tried to put out the candles by waving a napkin over them. Since Sarah had put sparkler-type candles on the cake, that effort was futile, so Chris quickly switched over to the traditional method of blowing out the candles with his own breath. That worked, but a couple of the candles reignited even then. One of them was particularly stubborn, even reigniting under Dylan's fingers as he pulled it off the cake!

In view of the current coronavirus pandemic, Chris tries to blow out his candles

by waving a napkin over them. He soon gave up and did it the old-fashioned way.

The party was fun, as it always is when our family gets together. We enjoyed the time we spent talking and teasing and laughing. And then it was time to call it a night. I waved good-bye from the front porch as my kids drove away to their own homes. Having them around makes me so happy, every time!

Happy Birthday, Chris!