A very merry un-birthday!

It's not anyone's birthday, but I put presents in gift bags for my kids anyway. I had gone shopping at Target last night and they had an unusally good selection of items in the dollar section. So tonight I told them we could have an un-birthday party after they'd showered.

There were no arguments about showering.

We got out the treat bucket (which I had also filled with candy from my foray to Target) and a short movie about Easter week called The Lamb of God. It is a really well-made movie from the LDS church that is suitable for all ages with no really outright scary or gross parts, but my boys couldn't look when they showed the hammer and nails, nor could they listen. As soon as the movie concluded, my middle son doled out the gift bags that had 4-5 items each for his brothers and we sang the "Very Merry Un-birthday" song from Alice in Wonderland. No one complained that he had a piece of pink tissue paper mixed in with the silver, yellow, and blue. No one thought his brothers presents were better than his own. There was considerable harmony and goodwill in our home tonight, until I went into the basement to move laundry around and when I came back upstairs I heard my youngest crying. Apparently he had decided he would start a swordfight with his older brother. I am not sure what the whole story is, but as I said to my middle son, "he's crying, you're not, I think what you did to him probably matters a heck of a lot more than what he did to you." I made them apologize to each other and by the end of it all, my middle son was taking orders for breakfast tomorrow from his brothers.

"You'll come downstairs with me mom while I make breakfast, won't you?"

"Of course I will, honey!"

Tomorrow's trash day so there's always considerable hustle and bustle in the morning. Plus someone usually complains about school and Monday, and things could go downhill: If I am not careful to interject a few comments, everyone will be walking around with a dark cloud over his head before 8:00 a.m.

I watched Joel Osteen today and the main message was about looking on the bright side (which is often the gist of his messages) and at one point he suggested we look at every day and thank God (not just on Fridays). "This is the day the Lord has made," not "Friday's the day the Lord has made." Every day can be as good as Friday. "I have to work today" could be "I get to work today." "I have to drive in traffic" could be "I have a car to drive." "I have to clean this house" could be "I'm lucky to have a house to clean."

Along those lines, any day (except your birthday) can be your un-birthday!