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For the last few years, I've shared a short story here on my blog, one piece a day for the week of my birthday. This is I think my fourth year to do this, although my birthday isn't technically until Sunday. It fit my calendar better this week. All the others are still on my blog under the link "Short Stories." Feel free to go back and read the others. And in the meantime, I have a new one this week. Enjoy! Here's part one.  “Mom, is that for my birthday cake?” Ginny paused where she’d been putting the box of mix into the pantry. “Is this the flavor you wanted this year?” No point in reminding her almost-seven-year-old that his birthday came after hers. Or that he wasn’t even supposed to be born in the same month, but he decided to show up three weeks early. No point in suggesting they celebrate her this year instead of him … on her birthday. “Um, I don’t know.” Carter shifted from foot to foot. “Do you think chocolate would go well with a Lego birthday party?” “We can make any flavor work. You just tell me what you want and I’ll make sure we have it.” She pushed the box further back on the top shelf, relinquishing her hopes that it would magically appear baked and decorated for her in a few weeks. Not as long as Carter wanted to party. Part of motherhood—taking back seat to those she gave life to. “Maybe we could do mini cakes and make them look like Lego bricks. And each one could be a different color.” Carter motioned in the air to show multiple hard-to-live-up-to dreams and expectations. “And then we could stack them up like they were real Legos.” “Or maybe I could make a cake that looks like Legos and we could just eat it. I think playing with cake would mostly make a big mess. And you don’t want to ruin it and not get to eat it, do you?” She unloaded the rest of the groceries from the bags on the countertop. “I don’t know. But we’ll figure it out. I mean, all the other birthday cakes you’ve made me have been awesome, so this one will be, too.” “Here’s hoping,” she muttered. “What kind of games can we play?” Carter chattered on, oblivious to Ginny’s growing frustration. “Remember a few years ago when I had the Mickey birthday and we played the game where we had to stick his ears on while blindfolded? We could do something like that this year, maybe. But with … hm.” One moment of pause and then he jumped a bit. “Ooh. What about a Lego dude and we could try to stick his head on or something?” Ginny had already been looking up ideas for games and favors on Pinterest. Once her children decided on their chosen theme of the year, she pinned ideas when she ran across them. She’d even ordered a candy mold to try and make some edible bricks that looked like Carter’s favorite toy. Deep down inside, she knew he wouldn’t always want to party at home with family and friends. She should treasure these years. But this year was a big one for her, and it would be nice to have at least a little recognition. Just a bit? It wasn’t every year a woman turned forty, after all. Stop by tomorrow for the next piece of the story. Do you think Carter and Ginny will both have good birthdays?
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