Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Random Birthday Thoughts on This Random Tuesday
I guess you could say it's Birthday Week in the Wray household. My birthday's Thursday, but we've already started some of the celebrating. And it seems like everywhere I go--the grocery store, church, school, the gas station--I run into someone who has a million August birthdays among their friends and family. I guess it's just a good month to have a birthday!
So for our Random Tuesday fun this morning, I thought I'd throw out a few questions about birthdays to you. Maybe they will put a little smile on your face, and will help you remember happy times. I know that all of your posts on Tuesdays always bring a smile to my face!!
Here you go . . .
* What is your favorite cake?
This is a VERY hard question for me, because all of you who know me well (or don't even know me very well, LOL!) know that I am a Sweet Freak. And cake is one of my very favorite sweets of all--I love the really great homemade ones, the cheap frozen ones, the ones at restaurants, wedding cakes, heck I even enjoy a good snack cake! But if I had to choose, it would be a tie between two of my Mom's creations--her chocolate cake with seven-minute icing (the BEST icing in the world) and her Italian cream cheese cake. Man, I'm sitting her drooling just thinking about it! Someone get me some cake, quick!!!
*What is your favorite birthday memory?
As I said yesterday, we celebrate BIG in our family so I actually have a lot of really great memories. But probably the one I remember best would be the birthday party my parents let me have when I was 12. I was just going into 7th grade, which was the start of junior high back in my day, so there were lots of changes going on as I was getting older. It was the perfect year for a party with all my friends! Mom and Dad let me pitch the tent in the backyard and I invited six or seven friends for a sleepover! I still remember the Doritos and Dr. Pepper we piled into the tent, and how silly we were telling ghost stories and imagining there was a bear right outside. I still remember it very vividly!
* If someone were to throw you a theme party TODAY, what would it be?
I've actually been thinking that I would love to have a huge 80s Birthday Bash. I'd invite tons of friends and we'd all wear our big 80s hair, dress in our best 80s clothes (leggings, Flashdance shirts, and pumps!), and listen to 80s music all night. How fun would that be??!! (In fact, I'm already putting it on my calendar for my 40th birthday in 2 years. So be warned--all of you are invited to that one!!)
So give me your--
Favorite Cake, Best Birthday Memory, and Dream Theme Party
Can't wait to hear all of your answers and re-live your memories with you!!!
As I leave this Tuesday with you, thought I'd share two scrapbook layouts I just finished. I really like both of these!
I shared these two pictures of McKenna and Delaney on my blog two weeks ago when school started. I wanted to go ahead and get them in my scrapbooks, before my memories of that day faded away. I tried to create a "school" feel to this, using notebook paper and paper clips, and wrote about how I felt as they headed off to their first day of fifth grade (the last year in elementary school) and ninth grade (the first year of high school).
And then here's one I did of Sydney--our Silly Scout. She always says the funniest things; I could seriously write a book just of her sayings! So, this is a page that just captures some of the things she says these days. Things like, "I not sleepy. I just tired," "It's cheetah-licious," "Take a picture me," and "I do it myself." Gotta remember those things by writing them down! She'll be all grown-up before I know it!
Have a great day! Cheryl's outta here!

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy early birthday! Isn't it strange how birthdays seem to all happen in just certain months of the year? For me it is February, September and the first 5 days of October!

Anonymous said...

Happy Early B'day!!! Enjoy your day!!!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday in advance!

Anonymous said...

Favorite cake: i like a plain cake. My favorite would probably be a very light homemade angel food with layers of strawberries and whipped cream. Also, I love a blueberry cheesecake (recipe from Southern Living that I got years ago.) It is the best cheesecake I have ever eaten. It has blueberries in it and a blueberry glaze. It takes a while to make, but it is worth it.

Favorite birthday memory: I have so many. Two come to mind. On my 50th birthday we were in Orange County, Cal., for a convention. David asked me where I w anted to go. I said Hollywood!! We went on a tour which took about an hour or more to get there and went down Sunset Blvd. (It looked old.), to Graumann’s (sp) Theatre where all the Stars have their Stars. That was fun finding Stars of famous actors. We went to eat at Planet Hollywood which had great food. My favorite part was going to Beverly Hills and seeing homes (or gates) of B. Streisand, Rod Stewart, the late Johnny Weismuller (the first Tarzan and his gigantic empty pool; house was for sale) etc. Everything in Beverly Hills was lush and green, and everyone had gardeners. Outside of Beverly Hills everything was so dry.
I don’t know how old I was but it was the only birthday party I can remember where I got to invite a lot of friends. (We just had a family cake, etc., for our birthdays.) My sister Vicki who was only 14 months younger and I had the party together, so she invited her friends and I invited mine. I remember how much we all played. I had a crush on a boy in my class and he was there!! I was probably around 9. I remember we got a broom that had a horse’s head that we pretended to ride around. Strange gift but I guess it was hot in the 50’s!!

Theme Party: Maybe it will be Scottish if I get to go to Scotland next summer!! My dream!! We may have to all wear a kilt. HA!
Another would be a tea party. I am planning to have one some day where everyone has to wear a hat and be sure to put their little finger in the air when they drink tea.HA! It would have to be in cooler weather than August when I have a birthday.

Cheryl Wray said...

Mom--I love that memory from your childhood birthday. It's so cool to hear about those things!
And, yep, you're gonna have to do that tea party. You've talked about it for years!

Anonymous said...

Favorite Cake - My favorite cake is a pound cake with cream sauce. If you've never had it Cheryl, you'd love it. You take a cup of the batter in your smallest saucepan, add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and add enough milk to fill the pan about 3/4. Heat it up til it starts getting thick, then pour it over your slice of cake. It's wonderful!!!

Best Birthday Memory - From childhood, I guess my favorite birthday memory is when I was 13. My mom let me invite 13 or 14 girls for a spend the night party. (What was she thinking?!?!?!?!) We froze each others bras and stayed up all night in the den in our sleeping bags, telling stories and listening to all our 45's. Now I'm telling my age, huh? hehe
From adulthood - every birthday has been good since I've been with Ryan. He knows that since my birthday is December 29, that most of the time it just came and went after Christmas and not very many people remember it. (including my grandparents when I was a kid!) Anyway, he always makes a point to do whatever I want on that day, be it shopping, going out to eat, or just hanging out with him and the kids. He makes sure that whatever gift he gives me, it's NOT wrapped in Christmas paper!!

Dream Theme Party - I would love a country music party. To rent a dance floor and have my friends there and play all my favorite country (or pop/rock) songs and do all the line dances I know. But...I would have to play a few slow songs, so Ryan would actually get out there and dance with me. The only kind of dancing he does, is to what he calls "belt buckle polishing" music! (that's slow dancing to all you who didn't know what that meant). I would want it so everyone's kids could come too. So...like you Cheryl, in 2 more years that would be a great 40th birthday party!

Cheryl Wray said...

Jenn--that cake sauce sounds SO good! I'm going to have to try it!
And I definitely think we should start making plans for some 40 birthday bashes!!

Anonymous said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you Cheryl! Like you've read in my blog, mostly everyone I know has birthdays this month! It's a great month for birthdays indeed.
And hey, I love your questions -again! You always come up with the best...

Fav cake: Strawberry and cream...yum! Or New York style Cheescake with strawberries on top.

Fav birthdate: My fifth year old birthday bash thrown by my dad...he took me shopping (yes, my dad) and I got three outfits to wear in one day! I think just the fact that he took me shopping made my day!

Theme party. I dream of having a big party one day when everyone dresses up as if they were going to a high school prom...I never had a prom in Mexico (they don't usually do them there) so I've always dreamed of a make believe prom.

Anonymous said...

* What is your favorite cake?

Chocolate cake with seven-minute frosting was my Dad's favorite too. Personally, I like yellow cake with seven-minute frosting. I also love Italian cream cheese cake (anything with cream cheese)!

What is your favorite birthday memory?

On my 40th birthday, some of the girls in the office got together after I left and decorated the office with black balloons. When I came in the next morning everything on my desk was gone, just a poem riddle taped in the middle of the desk. I had to solve the riddle to find an item for my desk. When I found an item, there would be another riddle. The least riddle led me to the break room, where everything was decorated in black balloons and streamers and there was a black and white cake with a skeleton and tomb stone on top. The tombstone said "Lordy, Lordy, Clara's 40". I had to wear a black tee shirt that said I was 40 and just about everyone in the office gave me a crazy gift. I had a lot of fun all day long.


* If someone were to throw you a theme party TODAY, what would it be?

Maybe a "roaring twenties" party, with the "flapper" dresses, and dancing the charleston. I think that would be lots of fun.

Anonymous said...

Favorite Cake, I AM A PICKY PERSON WHEN IT COMES TO CAKE. I LIKE A
GOOD PEANUT BUTTER CAKE THE BEST, BUT I LIKE POUND CAKE, CHOCOLATE, LEMON,
WEDDING, BUNT, AND A FEW OTHERS, COURSE I'M NOT REALLY SUPPOSED TO EAT ANY
OF IT.


Best Birthday Memory, and THAT'S A TOUGH ONE. MOST PEOPLE WILL FIND
THIS STRANGE, BUT THE BEST MEMORY I HAVE IS OF MY RECENT BIRTHDAY. WE
BURIED MY GRANDMOTHER ON MY BIRTHDAY. IT SEEMS SAD BUT IT IS JOYFUL BECAUSE
I KNOW SHE IS NOW WITH THE 2 SHE LOVED THE MOST, MY GRANDFATHER AND GOD.
SHE NO LONGER SUFFERS IN ANY WAY. BECAUSE SHE WAS BURIED ON MY B'DAY I WILL
ALWAYS REMEMBER HER AND THE WONDERFUL THINGS SHE DID DURING HER LIFE.

Dream Theme Party I REALLY DON'T DO THEME PARTIES. JUST HOPE PEOPLE SHOW
UP AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. LOTS OF CAKE AND ICE CREAM.. THE 80'S THEME
DOES SOUND GOOD, BUT I CAN'T DO BIG HAIR ANYMORE.


BOB BOB

Anonymous said...

My oldest son, Brennan, just turned 18 on August 18 (8/18/88 is his birth date)!!! And I think of you every August 31. Thirty-eight!!! Where did the time go?? Mine's not till October but it is coming up fast. Aaaand, my bridesmaid Tabitha turned 39 on Aug. 17. November must be a really...cold? snuggly?...month. :-)

Favorite Cake My mom's homemade chocolate cake with yummy icing. Also a huge fan of this cake that I first had at work; my friend made it for my birthday...we call it the Better Than Sex Cake. I don't know if that's exactly accurate, but it is one awesome cake!!!! Chocolate cake, caramel, hot fudge and cool whip. (drool, drool)

Best Birthday Memory This is sad...the only birthday memories that are coming to me are ones that stood out because of how much my birthday sucked! I know I've had happy birthdays! One fun memory is a couple years ago, the birthday with the aforementioned cake...my friends also gave me a set of hardcover (Books 1-5, then the only ones out) Harry Potter books, a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans jelly bellies, and, this was hilarious, a collage with pictures of John Cusack. And we all went out to lunch at my favorite downtown restaurant, Brass Grille, where I had my favorite chicken fettucine alfredo. Harry Potter, John Cusack, great friends and great food...that was definitely a good birthday.

Dream Theme Party I was going to steal your 80's idea...because that would be so much fun!...but that last paragraph made me think...hmm, how many of my thirty- and forty-something friends would dress up like Hermione or Professor McGonagall or Hagrid? Probably not many, but that would be a fun theme!! I could be Tonks...my friends had a Hat Party for me last year when I lost my hair and one of my future sisters-in-law gave me a bright pink wig.
:-D

Anonymous said...

My favorite cake is cheesecake(yum)and icecream cake,so good!

My favorite birthday celebration is on my 9th birthday party,I had a big sleepover where 6 girls spent the night.We had a tacky fasion show,it was so funny.We wore bathing suits over layers of clothes,clothes inside out,shoes on her hands,and so much more funny stuff.We were dying out laughing.


If I had a birthday party right now it would be a murder party,where there would be a murder acted out and you would have to figure out who did it.And people would have to come dressed up as a certain person.

Cinderella said...

Those pictures are beautiful!! Such beautiful children!!

Happy Birthday week!! I hope it's awesome for you.

An 80's birthday theme would kick azz, I wanna go!! I will tease my hair and everything!! =)

Cheryl Wray said...

Margie--That cake sounds SO good!! I need to make one soon!
Clara--love the flapper party idea!
Delaney--so cool that you are reading and posting to my blog. You're on cool daughter!
Cinderella--come on over with your big hair self!!

the not so "new" mom on the blog said...

My Fav Cake - Has to be choc (black forest)

My Fav Birthday Mem - My 21st

Theme Party - I love theme parties - any theme will do for me!

Enjoy all the celebrations and I will be round to say Happy B Day!

She-Ra said...

Happy Birthday! You are one scrapping fool... I say this because I am jealous! Haven't done a page of my own in months. But school days are coming... less than a week now! (Stupid VA law that makes school start after labor day and go halfway through June!)

I am a summer birthday.

Favorite Birthday:
Several, in fact! For my 13th I was begging my mom for a sleepover that night with my friends but she just wouldn't let me. So we went shopping for new clothes and when we got home all my friends were there - a surprise party! Other memories, from high school/college birthdays: going white-water rafting and going horseback riding (on the Air Force Academy where they let you take the horses out by yourself and go WHEREVER you want instead of following head-to-tail on a guided trail ride. Way cool!).

Favorite cake: chocolate or spice cake with cream cheese frosting. But NO raisins!

Theme: Don't have any ideas for this one for myself but I am planning a Rainbow Fairies (based on the books by Daisy Meadows) for my (soon to be) 5 year old next month and I'm getting very excited about it!

Anonymous said...

Cheryl.. First of all Happy Birthday!! If I were close we could do lunch and then hit up the local LSS!! Wouldn't that be fun.

Favorite Cake,
That is so easy for me.. My Nana always made me a German Chocolate cake for every birthday that I was with her.. I wish I could make one just the way she did. I sure miss her.

Best Birthday Memory,
I think my 30th, we were stationed in Hawaii and what a blast I had. Hit all the local pubs in downtown Honolulu, walked on the beach and had breakfast at my favorite place.

Dream Theme Party
I think that I would love to have a 50's party. I have always loved the poodle skirts, tight sweaters and penny loafers. The music then was great, have a chocolate malt, cheese fries and a greasy cheeseburger which I cannot eat right now!

Happy Birthday Cheryl!!LOL

Roxy