Happy Birthday to me!
I found this polaroid at my parents’ house last month. It was my fifth birthday – I know because there was another picture with the cake and candles. I’m at my grandparents’ house – the one at their dairy farm, not the newer one up the road. I remembered the chairs when I saw the picture. My brother Ryan and I used to have milk drinking races with our uncles – we always had milk straight from the barn in those small blue plastic cups. At the time, I didn’t know it, but I was learning important life skills for college survival: I can chug. And speaking of beer, someone was having one here – my dad or grandpa, probably. I’m guessing it was Miller High Life. I don’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t have bangs, but, apparently there was a time. I’m pretty sure that I got a small treasure chest (out of a cereal box,
no doubt) full of pirate’s booty, including a genuine plastic pearl,
on this birthday. Ryan promptly took the pearl and stuck it up his
nose. 32 years later, I still hold it against him. My mom was always good about getting me redheaded dolls and our cakes always had lots of roses on them. In our family, if you talk while you are eating your first piece of birthday cake, you have to finish it under the table. That’s a big piece for a five year old! But I didn’t talk – I know that. I’ve only done that once and I was twenty-five and out at a nice restaurant with my parents’. They still made me go under the table.
I wonder what I will remember when I look back on thirty-seven. Good things, I hope. That I ate the cake Fatty’s making me while sitting at the table and not under it would be a start. Fingers crossed and lips sealed.
My gosh you were a cute kiddo! š
Happy Birthday, E.
My gosh you were a cute kiddo! š
Happy Birthday, E.
Aren’t you a beauty of a redhead! What a sweet smile on your sunny face! May you have a wonderful year birthday girl!!!
~Emily xx
Happy birthday! Hope you’re able to stay above the table!
happy birthday!
Happy 37th Birthday Erin. I hope it’s a year full of good health, oodles of love and good times!
I have to say that picture of you reminds me so much of my sister when she was little. She even had the same hair colour and cute little grin.
Happy Birthday!!
happy birthday ms. erin.
Happy Birthday, Erin! You share the same birthday as my Dad š
Happy Birthday!
a big happy 37. to you! and i love that quirky tradition. if you do talk … enjoy the solitude under the table!
Happy Birthday Erin
Happiest of birthdays to you š
Happy birthday! Hope you got to sit at the table this year!
x
happy birthday!!
xoxo
Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birrrrttthhhdddday dear Erin! Happy Birthday to you!
In our house, my mom would come in at the crack of dawn and wake us by singing the birthday song. To this day, she calls bright and early on “the” morning to sing. For me, the kids, AND the hubby (and he likes it!). I really don’t think it would BE a birthday without that song!
Make a wish!
Happy birthday Erin!
oh, yay! happy birthday, erin! i hope you get a big piece of cake with lots of forsting roses on it today.
my mom always sings to all of us, too, and i love it as well.
xoxo
oh, yay! happy birthday, erin! i hope you get a big piece of cake with lots of forsting roses on it today.
my mom always sings to all of us, too, and i love it as well.
xoxo
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Erin! go ahead and talk-i’m sure you have something good to say!
Happy Birthday! What great birthday memories.
Happy Birthday!
what a fabulous tradition! and so funny. i wonder where it came from…
happiness, erin. today and everyday.
Happy, happy birthday! Could that picture *be* any more 70s?!!! Hope you had a great one.
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday! What a great photo!
Happy Birthday! I am seriously thinking of implementing the no talking during cake eating around here – that’s hilarious! Half my family would be under the table on the first bite. š
Happy Birthday! š
Happy day!
how sweet… happy 37!
Happy Birthday!
Love the cake-tradition! I can’t help thinking how funny it would be to see our whole family eating cake under the table…
How sweet were you!! Happy Birthday!!
How cute!
Warm regards,
Gabriela
Happy Birthday, Erin! I think that cake tradition is great!
The real question is, did you craft anything special for your birthday? I can’t wait to see what you do with the quilts you’ve been working on.
Happy birthday Erin!! You look just as great now as you did back then. Sending big birthday hugs your way.
i love that cake tradition!
happy birthday, and cheers to you miss erin!
So cute. Happy Birthday, chica!
You know what I love about this photo? You still look at the camera like that, kinda sideways-like. š
Happy Birthday, Erin! What a funny tradition!!
Make sure you tell your girls all those memories. Have a wonderful day even if you have to eat your cake under the table.
happy happy birthday, erin!
love the photo – how cute are you?
i wonder who made up that under the table rule – and why. it’s funny!
happy sweet birthday erin! i just love that polaroid. i’m a ’71 {april} baby too. you know, you share the same birthday as chase – he’s 3 today. now go eat cake!
happy birthday sweet friend!
happy birthday, my dear. I hope it is fantabulous.
Hapde Burfday!
happy birthday!
What wonderful memories! Happy birthday Erin!
Happy, happy birthday! :0)
Happy birthday! You’re lucky to have a husband that’s making you cake.
I hope thirty-seven is a good year – I’m sure it will be! Now I’ll always remember how old you are (my husband is 37, too.)
By the way – such a cute picture!! I love how red your hair is, and that you have a doll to match.
Happy birthday from one redhead to another!
Happy birthday! What an awesome post – I love hearing such great childhood memories… even when they involve a pearl up the nose!
happy happy birthday erin! i hope 37 is an excellent year for you.
Happy Birthday, have a lovely day!
Happy birthday, Erin!
Happy Birthday to my daughter. You were beautiful at 5 and still are today, both externally and internally. I wish we could be there for your celebration but I will be sure to toast you tonight.
Love,
Dad
that under the table business is awesome! and the idea of you sitting under one in a restaurant is even better! happy birthday!
Happy Birthday! That is a great shot of you as a kid and a great memory to go along with it.
All the cool kids are 37 this year!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Happy Birthday!!!!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday to you erin!
Happy Birthday!! You know something – you still look a lot like that little girl in the picture. Hope you have a great day filled with crafty presents.
Erin, happy, happy, birthday. I hope you have the best day ever. i loved reading this post. so sweet, and funny.
i’d love to add a few extra birthday wishes to this comments section – already quite filled with happiness. loved ready your birthday memories. have a great day. happy birthday.
Happy Birthday, fellow redhead! I had my own birthday memories wash over me looking at such similar long red hair and great dress. My own b-day is coming up in a couple weeks. I hope we both have fabulous birthdays! Enjoy!
Happy Birthday Erin! Isn’t cake just the very best thing and made even more special with big icing roses. I couldn’t stop looking at that dress and understanding your later appreciation for sewing. I seem to remember my mom sewing me a very similar one in green. Wishing you an amazing and inspiration filled 37th year.
happy birthday cutie! what a great photo and birthday story! have a wonderful day!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday!!
Happy birthday, Erin!
happy day sweet erin!
happy all about you day!!!
Happy Birthday! We’re the same age!
Happy birthday! Mine was two days ago- I’m giving away a cookbook and an unfinished quilt if you’re interested. š My sweetie forgot cake and was so sorry he helped me prime walls for painting…not bad!
Happy Birthday Erin!
Erin! It’s my 37th birthday today, too! Hope yours was a happy one. Mine was pretty low-key, but nice just the same š
Have a wonderful last few hours of your birthday! Eat cake and make wishes!
Happy Birthday Erin – thanks for sharing all the reminiscences. Hope you have a wonderful day!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Happy Birthday! I love that photo!
You would have to be the coolest 5 year old I’ve seen in some time. And that hair!! Titian would have enjoyed painting you.
I hope it’s an amazing year for you, Erin! Happy birthday.
PS If you are still looking for sheets drop me a line.
x
Happy belated birthday Erin!!
Hey, girl. Happy birthday to you! Fantastic-ness. You are so cute in that picture. And it reminds me a LOT of one of me when I was little. Must find that.
And back to the intuition thing … one of my things is pretty accurately guessing people’s birth months, and I have been thinking for a while that you would be in May. (I wasn’t a reader of yours a year ago, so I wouldn’t have known that way!). Anyway…
Hope this year is the best yet. xoxox
Happy belated birthday!
Ohhhh, I’m so behind on blogs! Happy Belated Birthday dear Erin! Hope it was a great, great day! XO
Hapy Birthday! I have never heard of anyone else having that birthday tradition. I have spent way more than my fair share of birthdays under the table. You would think at a certain point the parents would stop making you go under, but no.
What precious memories! Thank you for sharing them and happy Birthday, Erin!
Happy Birthday to both ME and you (except I’m a tad older, you youngster)!
With friendship,
Lisa
Oh my goodness! Happy birthday to BOTH OF US! I turned 33 on the 22nd. :)))
Love that photo and the story. Sorry I missed your Birthday…Hope it was fantastic. xoxo
Having a baby has put me WAY behind on blogging!!
HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY!! I think you are the cat’s p.j’s.
xoxo
Morgan