The Sixth Birthday – a True Short Story From Precious Memories by Lynn Stannard
“I haven’t had a birthday party since I was five years old,” my husband would sometimes complain, while I would be preparing for just that for one of our daughters. A birthday party: he was just teasing me, but it was true. Actually, I don’t remember having one myself.
As his thirty-sixth birthday approached, our dear friend Rachael suggested that we invite some friends over for a “Sixth Birthday Party” for him. We started laughing as the ideas began to flow. Let’s see. Come dressed as six-year-olds. Bring presents for a six-year-old. A menu that would please six-year-olds: hotdogs, potato chips, Kool-Aid, candy, and of course birthday cake and ice cream. Maybe we would add a few healthy dishes on the side. We could play games such as “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”, have a piñata, and play duck-duck-goose.
Since we planned it as a surprise, we had to come up with a strategy to get Dick out of the house. Then he would need something to wear when he returned, so he would fit in. Somebody made him a T-shirt with a yellow duck on the front. Tony took him bowling. Later, when they returned home, the conspirators whisked him upstairs to change into his ducky shirt. His eyebrows went way up, but he went along with the gag.
Some of our friends joined the fun with creative ideas of their own. A couple came dressed in bib overalls and sneakers. One of the women wore a short dress with a petticoat, and in her hair a big red ribbon. She even carried a huge red lollipop. I remember a man wearing a beanie with a propeller. I still regret that we didn’t take any pictures of this fun party.
We had a hilarious time. We played games and broke the piñata set up in the backyard. Dick blew out candles and opened his presents.
The highlight of the party happened while people were just standing around in the family room talking with each other. Pat and John secretly reached into the pockets of their bib overalls and pulled out a frog and a toad. They quietly set their hoppers down on the floor of the family room and then yelled, “Hey! Don’t step on Freddie, my frog.” “What happened to Timmy Toad?”
The last straw was when someone asked, “Where’s Michael? I can’t find my mouse!”
At these words, one of the women absolutely freaked out and tried to climb the built-in bookcases next to the fireplace. It took quite a long time to settle her down, while all the critters were being collected and returned to their respective pockets.
All too soon it was time to go home. It was a hilarious and unforgettable experience.
Precious Memories is a collection of over 50 true short stories by my wife, Lynn. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry and some will inspire you.
If you are interested, you can find out more about the book at its Amazon Page at the link below: