Half Birthday, Will Travel

This morning, I dropped off two dozen cupcakes at the elementary school on the way to work.  (Nope, Superwoman didn't bake this time; our local Waldbaum's has a fantastic bakery department.  Check it out.)  Today they're celebrating the half birthday of Son #3 in his classroom.   

Half birthday?  What's the world coming to?  Yup, there certainly are a lot of celebrations nowadays, many more than I recall when I was this age, and many do seem gratuitous.  The one redeeming aspect of this is that the kids who have summer birthdays don't get gypped out of a birthday snack at school.  And my second grader is very excited about this.  He gets to have his name announced by the principal during the morning broadcast, and he is entitled to march down to the main office afterwards and collect his special Happy Birthday pencil.  Plus, he's the reason his classmates get to eat cupcakes today.  A real celebrity, just for one day.  I can just see him now, smiling his cheesy grin, but in a coy way.

Contrast this with my own enthusiasm about turning 45 this year.  LOL.  Although I do get lots of attention at work, similar in concept to what my son gets at school.  Birthday cards and greetings, and some wonderful cronies who bake sinfully delicious treats.  My department gathers for a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday (often on key!).  I like having a seven year old at times like this, to remind me that I can always be more enthusiastic and appreciative about my life.