Happy birthday to me! I can’t believe I’m 27…that’s almost my late 20s (*shudders*). I wasn’t totally sure what I should write about today, but I figured it might be nice to try and relive all of my previous birthdays. I added pictures when it was easy enough to find them. For photo evidence of my more recent birthdays, just follow me on Instagram.
My Actual Date of Birth
I obviously don’t remember this day, but I’ve seen plenty of video footage! My dad had just gotten a brand new video camera…and couldn’t help but boast about it to all the hospital personnel who were helping me. Yes, I was briefly in the NICU—born too quickly, needed oxygen. 9 pounds, 1 ounce, 21 inches long (and somehow my parents’ smallest baby!). It was a Wednesday AND a full moon: two things that are allegedly unlucky. But truthfully, it was the beginning of a very charmed life.
My 1st Birthday
Yep, still no memories. Pictures and videos suggest it was pretty lowkey. My siblings might’ve had some friends over for cake or cupcakes? There was definitely none of the Pinterest-inspired pomp and circumstance you see at first birthday parties these days. I’m sure I was perfectly happy, though.
My 2nd Birthday
…still nothing. This one I know my siblings had their friends over. To be fair, I don’t think I had any of my own! Up to this point, I spent all day every day with my mom, not at daycare or anything, so the only other toddlers I knew were my cousins who all lived in other states. It was another lowkey celebration, and I’m not sad that there aren’t professional photos of it.
My 3rd Birthday
I can’t tell if I actually have vague memories of this birthday party or not, but it was my first time celebrating with friends of my own. I think some of the neighborhood playgroup kids came over for cake and ice cream in my kitchen (including Kayla and her sister!). Still lowkey, but probably exactly what I wanted. I had a cute Pooh Bear cake.
My 4th Birthday
Once again, little Kayla was in attendance at this party! And boy, did we upgrade. Mickey Mouse himself attended, and he gave me my own sorcerer’s apprentice costume to run around in. (Believe it or not, I was a HUGE Fantasia fan at the time). We held the party in the garage with lots of kids from playgroup and Mother’s Day Out (my non-preschool preschool) in attendance. I remember really believing Mickey Mouse was there, and it was incredible.
My 5th Birthday
This time, we had Minnie Mouse! But I could see her human legs and feet through her costume, kind of ruining the illusion. I think my friends and I found that funny, though. Otherwise, everything was pretty much the same as my 4th birthday, as far as I know. Same “venue,” most of the same kids, and probably the same activities (coloring, games, eating, etc.).
My 6th Birthday
Was this the first time I had a spacewalk (aka moonbounce aka bouncy castle aka whatever the hell you want to call it)? I should check pictures, but I’m a little short on time. What I do know is that I now had friends from actual school coming to my party, which definitely made it both more fun and more awkward. Fun because my really good friends were there, and awkward because I had to invite all the girls in my class. My mom is too good a person.
My 7th Birthday
If I didn’t have one at my 6th birthday, I definitely had a spacewalk at my 7th birthday. Right on the driveway! Just a bunch of sweaty kids having the time of their lives. I distinctly remember blowing up on a girl for giving me a Polly Pocket set I already had…and learning an important lesson about being kind and gracious.
My 8th Birthday
I kid you not—that SAME girl gave me ANOTHER repeat Polly Pocket set at my 8th birthday…but this time, I was ready. I was super sweet and appreciative when I opened the gift. It sounds corny, but I learned that life is honestly much easier when you’re just nice/cordial to other people. No need to cause drama, especially when the other person was just trying to do a good thing. I’m pretty sure we went to a jewelry-making place for this party. I threw a hissy fit when my brother and my dad tried to film me at the party because I had seen my friend Alyssa do the same at her birthday party a couple months before. Kids…so much for learning not to cause drama.
My 9th Birthday
I wanna say this was the time I had more of a “select group” of friends over for Chick-fil-A and games (and such). It was an evening party—so edgy! I remember Vidha being the life of the party, as expected.
My 10th Birthday
This party went hard, y’all. We took a group of my friends to Dewberry Farm for a corn maze, livestock petting, cupcakes, and more. If that sounds painfully “Texas” to you, I can assure you—it was. It was cold, too! You never know what weather you’re gonna get in November in Houston, but that year was a cold one.
My 11th Birthday
For one reason or another, this party wasn’t quite as meticulously planned as some of the others. We saw Chicken Little, a cinematic masterpiece. Probably had Chick-fil-A, too.
My 12th Birthday
This was another fun one! We did a scrapbook-making class (and had Chick-fil-A). I should really get that scrapbook from my parents’ house. It was genuinely cute! Heck, I wouldn’t hate doing another one of those as an adult.
My 13th Birthday
Another lackluster movie party…and this time, it was Bee Movie. I…have no words. Except that yes, we had Chick-fil-A as well.
My 14th Birthday
Remember what I said about Texas weather? My 14th birthday was a pool party! It definitely wasn’t super warm out, but we heated the pool. I think I mainly just wanted to be iRoNIc or something by having a pool party in the fall. Ugh…I remember getting SO mad at my friends for all sneaking inside to sign a big card for me. In my defense, I don’t like secrets, and I don’t care for surprises. On my birthday, I want what I want, and what I wanted was for my friends to spend time with me, not run off and hide from me a few at a time. The card was really cute, but I hate that I got so riled up before receiving it.
My 15th Birthday
High school birthdays…what a time. I probably did a few things over the course of my “birthweek” that year, but I know for sure that my friend Carly spent the weekend with me. I’m sure we played all our usual videogames, but we also painted ceramic Pokémon (as one does). We had a lovely dinner at California Pizza Kitchen with my parents.
My 16th Birthday
Ugh. This is when I had a bunch of people that I’m no longer friends with over to play Just Dance and watch YouTube videos. I mean, I had a lot of my real/lasting friends there as well, but unfortunately I mainly remember the presence of…the others. I had fun, but in retrospect, I wish I had done something more intimate with just the people that really mattered to me.
My 17th Birthday
A certain (awful) someone comes to mind when I recall aspects of my 17th birthday, so I’ll avoid those memories. One nice thing I did was see the Beatles tribute show Rain with my parents (aaaaaand with someone I don’t speak to anymore). Perhaps an odd choice for a 17th birthday, but I absolutely loved it.
My 18th Birthday
Keeping with that theme, a couple days before my 18th birthday, I got to see THE Paul McCartney in concert at Minute Maid Park. Words can’t describe how magical of a concert that was—and so long! In the best way, of course. Then, on my actual birthday, I got to leave school early to fly to Disney World for a week! It was our family Thanksgiving break trip, but the fact that it coincidentally began on my birthday certainly made it all the more sweeter for me.
My 19th Birthday
Another birthday spent with people I stopped talking to shortly thereafter…but also two of my best friends! For my first New York birthday, we went to Bryant Park to figure skate and check out the holiday shops. I could not skate to save my life, but I had a wonderful time nonetheless.
My 20th Birthday
To commemorate the end of my teen years, my friends and I went out to dinner and saw The Book of Mormon on Broadway. I wore a skirt that said “1994” on the butt, because I guess I thought that was cute. The show was AMAZING. We spent the night at my aunt and uncle’s in the city and had brunch at Max Brenner the next day. It was perfect!
My 21st Birthday
My 21st birthday was almost ruined by ISIS (not even kidding). I was in Paris studying abroad, and the city had been attacked just three days prior. But we made the most of it! My friends and I went to a fondue restaurant where everything was delicious (no surprise there). I wore a pink sequin dress that, tbh, I would wear every day of my life if I could. It was weird turning 21 in a place where I had been drinking legally for months, but it was still very special.
My 22nd Birthday
This was my first birthday after meeting Mike! I did a lot of things that week—went to not one, but two St. John’s basketball games, saw Oh, Hello on Broadway, had a small house party with some friends, had Chick-fil-A AND tacos in the city with other friends, and ate at the Cheesecake Factory with Mike. Looking back, I just love the way I looked when I was 22/23. This birthday was the beginning of a magical time in my life.
My 23rd Birthday
Again, I’m sure I did multiple things to celebrate this birthday, but on that exact day, I did two key things. First, I painted ceramics with my friend Julia, and second, I had dinner at Havana Central with Mike. I’m not really sure why I was free the whole day? Maybe I just didn’t have classes on Thursdays (grad school perks). ‘Twas fun, though!
My 24th Birthday
This year, I had a small, organized party: a girls night! We went to Bareburger and then did private karaoke in Bayside. I’m sure I sang stuff no one wanted to hear, but I had the time of my life. Never forget me jumping on the furniture while performing “Bet On It” (something I’ve been doing for over a decade)!
My 25th Birthday
I decided to throw a legit party for my 25th birthday. It was (loosely) 70s/disco themed: 25 and stayin’ alive! (I had that on a sash). I wore a purple sequin dress that I also still adore. A lot of people bailed, but a lot of people showed out as well. I had six friends come from out of state plus my sister and her boyfriend, which was ridiculously kind of all of them. We drank, we danced, we tipped the go-go dancers too much…it was great.
My 26th Birthday
Last year, what with Covid and all, we kept it somewhat lowkey. Mike and I went to my favorite restaurant, Waterzooi, and sat in a cool outdoor bubble thing. I was soooo nervous he was going to propose, but luckily he saved that for our anniversary. I don’t know—I think a birthday proposal is just too much! Everyone already had to text you happy birthday; do you really want them texting you AGAIN that night/the next day?! Just sayin’.
Today
And here we are again! Fun fact: this is technically the 28th birthday I’ve had. (Don’t believe me? Go back and count each of these little blurbs). But don’t get it twisted—I’m 27, not 28. Still in my mid-20s! Mike and I are going to another nice dinner tonight (got a gift card in the mail, lol), and I have a suspicion some of my students are going to be giving me some goodies today. It feels weird to be this old, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving my birthday. Call me self-centered if you want. But I think we all deserve to have at least one day where we just celebrate ourselves.
Shit We’re Loving: WATCH
Aimée’s Pick: Dexter and Dexter: New Blood
Okay, so I haven’t actually watched Dexter: New Blood, and I’m only on Season 2 of OG Dexter. But IT’S SO GOOD. Yes, I know it ended very poorly, but I’m optimistic about the revival. Like it’s title killer, it’s a disturbing yet—charming?—show that I simply can’t stop watching. Mike tried to get me to do a re-watch with him for years, but now that it’s all I ever talk about, I think he almost regrets it. You won’t regret it, though! (Well, maybe…let’s see how bad the ending really is).
You can stream Dexter on Amazon Prime, and you can watch Dexter: New Blood on Showtime.
Show Your Support: Donors Choose
Donors Choose as a platform makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need. Their mission is to move us as a nation closer to the point where every student’s needs are met and great education is being had. Donors Choose is committed to leading with empathy to combat systemic racism and socioeconomic inequity in our school system. Since 2000, Donors Choose has supported over 5 million people and over 2 million classroom project requests that range from butterfly cocoons, to robotics kits, to books with diverse characters, and classroom basics like tables and chairs.
Donors Choose works simply: Find a classroom project that inspires you and give as little as $1—since Donors Choose is a public charity, all donations are tax-deductible! When the project is fully funded, Donors Choose purchases all the requested items and ships them directly to the teacher. Every donor gets a thank-you from the teacher, photos of the project in action, and a detailed report of how each dollar was spent.
For all the devil’s advocates out there (like myself) this totally does not take away from the horrible fact that our education system needs some serious reform and our teachers should not have to set up a donations page to get supplies. The system is wrong. But until it changes, we have the power to help those who can’t wait. And if you’re a teacher (like Aimée!), you and your classroom have the opportunity to get funded. Check out the teacher process here.
Daily Intention:
Today I will…
Have a glass of prosecco.
Here’s some nifty buttons for you to press, enjoy: