(By Rosemarie) For birthdays my husband makes birthday videos for each kid, starting with leading up to birth, up to present day. He tries to add more to each video every year. The kids really look forward to it .
(By Bethany) Birthday Parties - We have a family birthday party for each child inviting all family that live relatively close by to celebrate with us. In addition to the yearly birthday celebrations with family, we also have "Rites of Passage" birthday parties for when one of our children turn 8 and again at 12 where they also get a friend birthday party (8 being a themed party with lots of games and activities and at 12 having a movie party, providing pizza, popcorn and drinks). Yearly friend birthday parties was too much for me to consider for each child so we try to make the friend parties extra special.
(By Erica) In my family birthdays are always a big deal. I try to make a special breakfast for that person and then they get to choose either their favorite dinner or where they'd like to eat out. My parents always give birthday cards with a note written inside and my MIL makes beautiful handmade cards and gifts. I think I'll incorporate Carleen's idea of a birthday tablecloth.
(By Rebecca) I do a theme birthday party when they turn 9. Because that is when my first child complained he didn't have any friends. I invited all his friends. So I let them pick a theme. Since then, We have had princess, pirate, minecraft, luau so far. It is a good time because it doesn't infringe on the gospel birthdays of 8 and 12. My 12 yr old threw himself a Lego theme birthday this year and I used it as leadership to pass off things in boyscouts.
(By Stacey) A birthday tradition that we enjoy is putting up a poster with the birthday child's most current picture and a list of their favorite things. We add to the list every year. We love to look back and see how our favorites have changed, or which ones have remained the same. On their 8th birthday, we put pictures up from every year of their life so they can see how much they've grown from year to year.
(By Anonymous)...For each persons birthday in our family I hold a special family home evening prior to there birthday and we wrap up the child and then we open them up and talk about how they were a gift from heaven to us and we all talk about how special the child is and things we like about them. The kids and daddy love getting in a big box wraped up or if you don't have a box just wrap them in wrapping paper! Then we look at there baby books or watch them when they were a baby on home video's. Also on there birthday we decorate and pull out there main photo that displayed for the years, (age1, age 2 and so on) They love to see how much they have changed. Friends also think its cool to see when they come over for a party.
(By Bethany) Birthday Parties - We have a family birthday party for each child inviting all family that live relatively close by to celebrate with us. In addition to the yearly birthday celebrations with family, we also have "Rites of Passage" birthday parties for when one of our children turn 8 and again at 12 where they also get a friend birthday party (8 being a themed party with lots of games and activities and at 12 having a movie party, providing pizza, popcorn and drinks). Yearly friend birthday parties was too much for me to consider for each child so we try to make the friend parties extra special.
(By Erica) In my family birthdays are always a big deal. I try to make a special breakfast for that person and then they get to choose either their favorite dinner or where they'd like to eat out. My parents always give birthday cards with a note written inside and my MIL makes beautiful handmade cards and gifts. I think I'll incorporate Carleen's idea of a birthday tablecloth.
(By Rebecca) I do a theme birthday party when they turn 9. Because that is when my first child complained he didn't have any friends. I invited all his friends. So I let them pick a theme. Since then, We have had princess, pirate, minecraft, luau so far. It is a good time because it doesn't infringe on the gospel birthdays of 8 and 12. My 12 yr old threw himself a Lego theme birthday this year and I used it as leadership to pass off things in boyscouts.
(By Stacey) A birthday tradition that we enjoy is putting up a poster with the birthday child's most current picture and a list of their favorite things. We add to the list every year. We love to look back and see how our favorites have changed, or which ones have remained the same. On their 8th birthday, we put pictures up from every year of their life so they can see how much they've grown from year to year.
(By Anonymous)...For each persons birthday in our family I hold a special family home evening prior to there birthday and we wrap up the child and then we open them up and talk about how they were a gift from heaven to us and we all talk about how special the child is and things we like about them. The kids and daddy love getting in a big box wraped up or if you don't have a box just wrap them in wrapping paper! Then we look at there baby books or watch them when they were a baby on home video's. Also on there birthday we decorate and pull out there main photo that displayed for the years, (age1, age 2 and so on) They love to see how much they have changed. Friends also think its cool to see when they come over for a party.
(By Suzanne)
just started this year ~ just a few weeks ago actually!! Inspired by THIS blog (see http://mixmingleglow.com/blog/?p=1358), I decided instead of anyone spending money on me for my birthday... I decided to do a Random Act of Kindness (RAOK). We went out to my favorite restaurant for a nice dinner on the night of my birthday (hence, another family tradition). While there having dinner, we secretly spied on another couple with their newborn baby having dinner nearby us. We decided to pay for their dinner ANONYMOUSLY.
Unfortunately for my husband and I, we were not facing them so we couldn't really see their reaction when the waiter talked to them about it (we didn't want to act suspiciously of course). But the kids were trying to contain their enthusiasm (hard for them to do), watching them randomly (trying not to act suspicious either) and giving us the "play by play" actions (i.e., "They're looking around here, don't look!") Haha! It was absolutely PRICELESS just watching the kids participation! It was the BEST birthday gift EVER!!!! This will be our new tradition and I will also request to everyone I know for that same "gift" on my birthday every year (to perform a RAOK).
The RAOK does NOT have to be expensive or even cost ANYTHING!! It can be as simple as opening a door for someone, a big smile to someone who's sad, or helping someone load their groceries in their car! Anything to help another works just fine! =) Take a little time to read this lady's blog and see the pictures ~ it is MORE than INSPIRING ~ it will also give you lots of ideas of Random Acts of Kindness! LOVE THIS!!! =)
just started this year ~ just a few weeks ago actually!! Inspired by THIS blog (see http://mixmingleglow.com/blog/?p=1358), I decided instead of anyone spending money on me for my birthday... I decided to do a Random Act of Kindness (RAOK). We went out to my favorite restaurant for a nice dinner on the night of my birthday (hence, another family tradition). While there having dinner, we secretly spied on another couple with their newborn baby having dinner nearby us. We decided to pay for their dinner ANONYMOUSLY.
Unfortunately for my husband and I, we were not facing them so we couldn't really see their reaction when the waiter talked to them about it (we didn't want to act suspiciously of course). But the kids were trying to contain their enthusiasm (hard for them to do), watching them randomly (trying not to act suspicious either) and giving us the "play by play" actions (i.e., "They're looking around here, don't look!") Haha! It was absolutely PRICELESS just watching the kids participation! It was the BEST birthday gift EVER!!!! This will be our new tradition and I will also request to everyone I know for that same "gift" on my birthday every year (to perform a RAOK).
The RAOK does NOT have to be expensive or even cost ANYTHING!! It can be as simple as opening a door for someone, a big smile to someone who's sad, or helping someone load their groceries in their car! Anything to help another works just fine! =) Take a little time to read this lady's blog and see the pictures ~ it is MORE than INSPIRING ~ it will also give you lots of ideas of Random Acts of Kindness! LOVE THIS!!! =)
(By Angie)
Another tradition we have is to not only make birthday dinners special by having everything the birthday girl/boy want on the menu but to have it in candle light! We also have Christmas Eve dinner this way. It makes it VERY special and the kids LOVE it!
Another tradition we have is to not only make birthday dinners special by having everything the birthday girl/boy want on the menu but to have it in candle light! We also have Christmas Eve dinner this way. It makes it VERY special and the kids LOVE it!
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Fill out this birthday interview form each year for you children.
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(By Stacey) For every family members birthday we display a picture from their previous birthday (or pictures from every year) as well as a list of all their favorites from years past.They love seeing how their favorites have changed over the years, and making a list of their new favorites.
(By Adria) The birthday person gets to choose their favorite meals for their birthday, and everyone helps decorate (usually above and around the table) with balloons and streamers. We usually leave it up for the whole week.
(By Adria) We have children's birthdays in March, June, and the end of November. We measure and weigh ALL of the kids on those birthdays, and the first day of school, and record it on our 'growing board' that hangs in our hallway. This way they are weighed and measured quarterly, and they love to see how much they've grown since last time they were measured (and younger siblings like to see how they measure up to older siblings at their age).
