Celebrate Good Times

Today is E's birthday, and if you are anywhere in the vicinity of my town, you would probably already know this.  At the gym today, E told the staff, "It's my birthday!"  At the gas station, E shouted through the window to the man pumping gas next to our car, "Today I am five!"  From our front porch to our neighbor, he shouted, "Did you remember that today is my birthday?"  (And heaven forbid if she didn't!)   He has had a count down going for ten days.  It would have been longer, too, if he could count backward from any number above 10.  Clearly, the kid is pumped about his birthday. 

Clearly, he is driving me crazy.

Yesterday, in honor of his birthday, he was able to bring a treat to his pre school classroom.  He picked brownies (which was fortunate for me, I needed one with my basement woes).  When I picked him up after school, I said, "Hey, bud!  How did it go?  Did you get to hand out your brownies?"  

He grinned and said, "Yep!  I was the snack helper for my celebrate birthday."

I thought that I didn't hear him correctly so I repeated, "Your celebrate birthday?"

And the little turkey rolled his eyes and with exasperation said, "Yeeeeessss!  My celebrate birthday."  As if that was enough explanation for anyone.  I was left a bit perplexed but determined to decipher this new verbal mystery.

While he was a captive audience and strapped in his booster seat, I tried again.  "E?  What's a celebrate birthday?" 

He paused, thinking, and then started. "Well, it's not your birthday.  It's your celebrate."

Again!  As if anyone could comprehend that explanation!

I turned my head, shot him a confused mom look, and he tried again.  "Well, it's when you have cake at school, but it isn't your real birthday."

Eureka!  Your celebrate birthday is when you actually celebrate the day of your birth, not necessarily the day of your birth.  It now made perfect sense.

So, today is E's actual birthday.   At T-Ball, he told his coach, "It's my birthday, but I'm not celebrating!"

When the coach looked at me puzzled, I just shook my head and said, "Don't ask."