With my birthday approaching in 60 hours, I can’t help but think how awkward everything will be this year. This time any other year, in the pre-Covid normality, my husband and I would be travelling to some beach destinations somewhere aroud the world. Now I realize what it means to have the freedom to get to know the world. To be outside. Sit on a park bench. Drink coffee in a favorite place. Get on a plane with your eyes fixed on the blue sunny horizon. Explore foreign lands. Make memories…
Life is an interesting thing, isn’t it? The little things are the ones that really excite us. For example, to go out without a mask and gloves. My heart thrills in anticipation of these days… And until then? I plan to have a memorable birthday amidst the lockdown 🙂 How? Well, very simple – I will not miss anything from the festivity activities.
#1 “Bar crawl”
What keeps moms especially happy during a pandemic is definitely wine/cocktails. In this line of thought, I give the bar crawl super powers and that is why I think it should have a central place in our home celebrations. We will mix cocktails and scatter them around the rooms at home.
Then, with a dance step, make-up, a fashion show-like dress and my better half arm in arm, we will start bar crawling our home indulging the moment. The stop in each room for a casual cocktail, following the recipes of our dear friend Gunjan Sharma, will manifest the apotheosis of the upcoming celebrations.
#2 Socializing
My friends are my second family. Without them, celebrations are not celebrations. Therefore, they will be an integral part of the fun. I am planning two stages of social gathering. For the friends from the neighborhood there will be a mini car parade around the house at the right time. With some make-up and dressed up as for Miss World contest I will wave regally from our backyard to every favorite face in the cars passing down the street.
For the friends abroad I am planning a ZOOM party. If things get out of hand, it’s is quite probable the “party” to start looking like the ZOOM calls of my 4-year-old with her teachers and classmates. Namely – an anarchy in the jungle where every cheaky monkey have their own opinion that should certainly be expressed over that of the others. Simultaneously. Repeatedly. Sometimes shouting to make sure they hear one another. But after two cocktails who cares?! Afterall, that is what happens in bars after a few cocktails, right? 🙂
#3 THE cake
Both my little one and I have a couple of sweet teeth in our mouths. So a birthday without a cake doesn’t seem realistic. Not a bit! While browsing the net for cake ideas the other day, my husband announced that he and M would make the cake!!!! (Check out some of our fav recipes here!)I’m not sure yet who will help whom. But given our little girl’s ability to mix pancakes, muffins and biscuits, I feel where things will go. Seeing my beloved ones getting messy in the kitchen together will be far more “gourmet” than the most impressive custom cake from the store. Hence, I put a tick on this as well. It is now starting to look as hell of a birthday! Yay!
#4 Decoration
The lockdown, apart from stepping on our freedom, revived something long forgotten that was collecting dust in a “drawer”. Our imagination. I don’t know if you realize how many things could be created using cardboard boxes, colored sheets, glue and glitter. And let’s admit it – creative activities, in addition to unleashing the imagination of our little beasts, consume a large part of their energy. And every mother knows – a happy sleeping child = a very happy NOT sleeping mother.
#5 Board games
One of the people who is most excited about my birthday is my daughter. There is a countdown on the calendar that she started two weeks ago. Every morning she crosses out one day and counts the rest with zeal and loud hurraying. Apart from all the other emotions and mini lockdown surprises, I plan to reward her with some family board games. And not just her, actually! Board games are fun for my husband and me too. We love playing Scrabble, Monopoly, puzzle-solving, memory games…
#6 DJ party & LIVE music
Recently a friend have invited me to a Facebook group where every night someone musically gifted makes live covers of favorite songs. Not only do most of these people have angelic voices but they also encourage “ordering” favorite songs. Sometimes a cappellla, sometimes under the rhythms of a piano or guitar and yet other times just a karaoke. So this is what I plan for – choosing a song and asking one of these lovely people to sing it for me & my family LIVE. That is what I call a memorable birthday in lockdown.
What else could I possibly ask for?! My beloved ones and our shared colorful emotions with which to paint memories deep in the hearts.
ХХХ
The Mermaid
