Birthday Traditions.

             Right now my family is in the middle of our Birthday season. We have 2 in August, 1 in September, and 2 in October. I think traditions are important to any family. I have worked hard to make sure that we have some of our very own. Traditions help kids feel like part of a team. Like they have something special as well as have something to look forward to. Sometimes traditions just happen by accident. 

           Birthday traditions in our home are a little different then others. First, we celebrate for a week instead of just for the day. Meaning if there are choices like, fish or chicken for dinner that person gets the choice. Then on your day you get your special meal and dessert to celebrate. I said dessert because my children will chose all kinds of desserts instead of just a Birthday cake. Last night my oldest chose a Crock-pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup cake.  It was good. He loved it. I would make it bigger next time. It wasn't very big. But, it was funny that I couldn't put 13 candles on it. We had to use the number candles instead. He didn't mind, it was what he chose. I get the recipe from my favorite recipe blog

 A Year of Slow Cooking. If you want the recipe just click there and grab it. 

We have had a variety of desserts. Cheesecake, cookie pizza, pies, banana cake with cream cheese frosting (my favorite), chess pie (a southern favorite), ice cream sundaes, you name it. If I were going to do this crock pot cake again, I would quadruple it and put it in the 6 quart pot instead. This was just barely enough it go around. 

              Another tradition I have done with my kids since they were born is to write them a letter. Nothing huge. Just a recap of the year and some of my thoughts for them. I have done one for each kid for each year. The letter gets the year and age, with the name on the envelope. Then it goes in their box. Each child has a box to hold keepsakes (more on that later).

               My favorite tradition is the table cloth. Each child gets a nice quality, white tablecloth for their first birthday (you could do it when they are born). Each year I paint the child's hand and print it on the cloth. Under the hand print I put the age and year. You could do them in any pattern you chose. I did them around the edge. 

Here you can see his sweet little hand print when he was one. He was wiggly so it was hard to get it straight.

This is a view of the side of the cloth when it is on. I put a clear table cloth on top so it doesn't get spotted or ruined.  I have never washed it although you should be able to. I do use fabric paint. I am just afraid if I was it and some comes off, I couldn't re-do it. 

This is his bigger than mine, hand at 13. My big teenager. Amazing how they grow so fast. He is almost as tall as me too.

These are some of our favorite traditions for Birthdays and thought I would share them. I hope one of them sparks an idea for you and your family.