My Birthday Tradition

I love parties. I love cake. I love finding the perfect gift that makes the recipient hold their breath when they open it. So why do I hate, loathe, sob a little when it comes to my children's birthdays? Is it because I can't stop them from growing up? Or is it more selfish and I can't stop getting older & their birthdays make me realize that? Either way, I get a little sad every time one of their birthdays comes around. This is a tradition that I started when my first was about 3. A birthday letter. It's pretty simple. I write them a letter each year on their birthday going over the funny things they do or events that transpired over the last year and their extravagant party that I sacrificed hours for. (They probably won't remember 90% of all the crap I do for them so I like to document it for them- you know, just to have proof in those ugly teenage years that my girls swear they will never go thru!) The plan is that if they're, oh say....... 30 when they get married, I will give them one of their letters each day for 30 days before their wedding. Cute right? Sentimental right? Ultra cheesy? Um, yeah, it's me remember! My sista Renee and I made these cute boxes and I'm dying to make one for each of my kids to put their birthday letters in. We found unfinished wooden boxes at some Hobby stores and unscrewed the sure-to-eventually-fall-off cheap clasp and E6000 glued on a cute fleur de lis. (sp?) We painted the inside and outside of the box black and sanded the edges. Then we printed a picture larger than the outside of the box and cut it to size. Next step, mod podge the picture to the top of the box. TIP: You must have the picture printed at a store if you mod podge. Home printers and mod podge don't mix- trust me! Another tip: use a light coat of mod podge on the box itself, and a very light coat on the back of the picture. Make sure it dries completely before mod podging the top of the picture or you'll get wrinkles! Let it dry for a few hours and you end up having a super cute jewelry, treasure or letter box! So will I still be sad this week when my baby turns 2? Totally. Will I gorge on cake to dull the pain? Totally. And will his 2nd birthday letter be soaked in tears? Um.... maybe, but more likely it will have chocolate smears on it. I'm pathetic that way.