Battle of Birthday Traditions

Yesterday was Dulhan's birthday. We were all still awake and chatting at midnight, so we all said Happy Birthday to her and then Chachoo went to get his hidden bouquet of flowers and birthday cake. So we enjoyed Boston Cream Pie style cake at 12:15. Dulhan had already begun recieving birthday congratulations phone calls at that point as well. And somehow her family timed it perfectly so that in the middle of the day, DHL delivered a birthday package for her all the way from Karachi with a present (some clothes) and a whole bushel of birthday cards, one from every family member including all the children. They were so cute.

We went out for dinner and ice cream last night to celebrate and M, the baby and I all gave Dulhan gifts. I got her a sweater and the baby got her a small stuffed penguin. She likes penguins. At Target, the baby had first selected a Zebra. But since his name starts with Z, he seems to think that he and zebras are one in the same. When he sees any zebra he says "Look, it's me!" So I knew that letting him get a zebra for Dulhan would end up in some confusion about whose room the zebra should stay in afterwards. So penguin it was. My mian had one and only one idea. Very practical. Some winter gloves. I insisted that HE should pick out his own present for her so when he never thought of anything else, gloves is what she got. Chachoo had bought her a sweater (oh no, too many sweaters) and a mug and a card.

There was a battle of birthday traditions, though. When the cake came out, I tracked down some candles and tried to convince them to put the proper number of candles on the cake - 28. My American childhood tradition of putting the same number of candles on the cake as years you've turned lost out to their tradition of only putting ONE candle. And then cleaning it and saving it afterward for future use because "It's still new!"

I was triumphant for a later battle though - one I've been fighting for a long time - the wrapping paper. I insisted that they tear away with abadon. That's half the fun of opening presents, going crazy on the wrapping paper. M and his family have always been careful tape peelers and used wrapping paper folders, and it seems Dulhan hails from the same stock. But I insisted (and maybe even helped a little) and we tore that wrapping paper all the heck up:

Well, the pink one is torn. I had to do the polka dotted one, but somehow the blue flowery one survived.