Quarantine and chill and kindness chatty clubhouse: Jump in and join the conversation! All is welcome!

[Meriweather]

QOTD for today, 7/23: Have you ever been given or helped to throw a surprise birthday party? Would you like to be part of either?

I gave my husband a surprise 40th.....Barney themed
I also planned a cruise for our 30th and didn't tell him until the day before we left.

I like planning for others, but I HATE being surprised!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

LOL that is so funny, Meriweather! ITA with you that it is so much fun to plan a party either surprise or mostly surprise for someone who you know would enjoy that. I would not for myself! I would want a heads up and a little info at least ahead of time.

 

[Meriweather]

LOL that is so funny, Meriweather! ITA with you that it is so much fun to plan a party either surprise or mostly surprise for someone who you know would enjoy that. I would not for myself! I would want a heads up and a little info at least ahead of time.

I'm a control freak and hate things being out of my hands.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I can understand that! I just don't like big surprises especially that involve a crowd!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I've never been involved in a surprise birthday party, giving or receiving. I did attend one as a child or teenager for our across the street neighbor who was older than my parents. She was so surprised people were afraid she was going to have a stroke or heart attack.

I have been involved in surprise showers. Way back when I was pregnant I had two surprise baby showers thrown for me. I had an inkling about one but the one the church folk gave me was a total surprise.

DD always wanted a surprise party given for her and her bridesmaids were able to pull off a surprise for her bridal shower. We all knew she'd get emotional and want to wear something nicer than what she had on so her husband-to-be had given one of the bridesmaids a dress for her so DD was able to go compose herself and change. DD is in the doorway being surprised.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I was a guest at a surprise party for my Dad's 70th birthday. I live about 7 hours away, and we were already coming for two visits that spring - Easter and my Goddaughter's Christening, so it wasn't hard to keep the secret. - He definitely didn't expect us a third time between those two trips!
We hid out at my aunt's house the night before, and the party was a big success. Dad had a great time, and I really enjoyed seeing people I wouldn't normally get to see in a quick weekend visit.

(I still wouldn't want to be the "surprisee" though.)

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Aww, that is wonderful you got to make your Dad's party even more special, PollyannaMom

 

[bobbiwoz]

QOTD for today, 7/23: Have you ever been given or helped to throw a surprise birthday party? Would you like to be part of either?

My sister and a friend worked together to surprise me for my 50th birthday! We had dinner and a show in New Brunswick! Friends from many different times of my life came. I had no idea at all!! I am lucky and blessed to have these people in my life!!!

I would be happy to help, but have not been part of planning a surprise party.

 

[sparkle78]

I need to go back and read the last three pages, but birthdays. I love my birthday, it’s the end of summer, beginning of the school year. 2 years ago when I hit a milestone birthday I had ice cream 3 times ! First at lunch (1 pm)out with two close girlfriends and the waitress brought me a sundae. Then an hour later (2 pm) when I invited several moms club friends for ice cream at a local place , before kids got out of school. Then around 8 pm, after my kids sports practice. It was a great day !

Surprise party - my husbands milestone birthday (4 years before mine☺)
We told him we were going bowling as a family, but invited his relatives and 4 couples and their kids too. Lots of laughs

 

[AuntieMe3]

Thanks for the early birthday wishes and welcome Heidi....

I ignore my birthday (and Mother's day too, for the same reason). |

I used to ask for two things : someone else make dinner and clean up (or that we go out for anything, even McD's); and that there is no BS (kids fighting, DH being a PITA, things like that). I'll let you guess how many times either of those happened. In fact, it seems like the BS was worse on my bday and on Mother's Day, and I usually ended up cooking because I'd get (at 5pm) 'so what's for dinner' from DH. Um, did you not plan something? No? Fine, I'll make hot dogs (or whatever I had had the forethought to pull out of the freezer.)

I got so fed up, that a couple years ago, DH asked on my bday, what I wanted for my bday, and I laid it all out for him. "not a thing, because y'all haven't listened to me the last 20+ years, you aren't going to start now". I grabbed a glass of wine, my good emergency chocolate (y'all...if you empty a jolly green giant box marked "brussel sprouts" and wrap your good emergency chocolate in a ziplock and hide it in the box in the freezer, no one will look for it there) and my favorite "I need to leave the world behind" book, and took a nice hot bath (with Dr Teal's epsom salt soak). Came out to "so what's for dinner"

DD#2 still does something, usually a card from them, and whatever little trinket DGS#2 wants to send his favorite Mimi (he has a favorite Yay (other grandmother) too, and a favorite Pops (DH) too). DD#1 might remember to say HB a day later. DS...well, he's a teenager and he might walk by and pat me on my shoulder, but that's about it.

This is kinda what happens every year at our house. No one said a word on Mother's Day until later in the evening when they could probably tell I was really annoyed. LOL Since then anytime anyone does anything for me they say Happy Mother's Day... That's why I said my friends make a bigger deal of my birthday than my family does...my two BFF's always plan a dinner or evening out for me and our really good couple friends(they are more like our 2nd family at this point...LOL) usually does a dinner for me too. I don't really mind the lowkey birthdays because that's how it was growing up. We have a very large extended family and did monthly birthday parties for everyone, so it wasn't really a birthday party but more of just a family gathering with cake. LOL I do remember one party I had, we had a pool party. My mom forgot to get a cake...LOL I was 7 so she put 7 candles in a watermelon and everyone sang happy birthday to me.

I also have hidden chocolates too....LOL

Related from yesterday QOTD for today, 7/23: Have you ever been given or helped to throw a surprise birthday party? Would you like to be part of either?

We've never thrown a surprise party and I've never been given one...thank goodness. LOL I think I've been to one or two but they were super small with just a couple people. One of them, a pizza guy came the same time as the guest of honor....LOL It was hilarious.

 

[violina]

QOTD for today, 7/23: Have you ever been given or helped to throw a surprise birthday party? Would you like to be part of either?

I've never been given a surprise birthday party, though I do dislike surprises. I did plan one for my husband, who I was not dating at the time. Although he knew me so well that apparently, I gave it away.

 

[Caseheidi]

I am really enjoying this thread and the QOTD. It is a Great way to shut off my busy, stressed brain to go to sleep at the end of the day.

As for surprise parties, twice my mother has tried to throw them for me, and twice I figured it out before the event. I appreciated that she tried, but I have never liked being the center of attention, so not my choice of celebration. However I have great memories of a surprise anniversary party for my aunt. It was their 50th, and her church organized it. During the service, my uncle and all us family snuck into the back of the chapel. At the end of the. Service, he asked the congregation who had been married for 30 years or more to please stand. He kept raising the years until 50 and my aunt and uncle were the only ones standing. He asked my aunt to turn around, and that is when she saw my uncle and the rest of her family there. It was really very lovely. Best surprise party I have attended.

Today was a good day. DD asked if we could go for a drive (one of the ways we have been getting away from feeling shut in). We ended up doing a little clothes shopping, getting Chick Fil A and taking a walk at the park. For dinner I made Asian Beef Noodles which is a favorite of DH and DD, and we rented Spies In Disguise on Amazon and watched as a family. Good to cuddle and laugh together.

good night my friends. Hope you all are sleeping well.
Heidi

 

[flyingdumbo127]

What a lovely story, Heidi! God Bless your Aunt and Uncle! I also love that it was held at a church

You are so welcome anytime to ask the QOTD!

Good Morning to All!

 

[apirateslifeforme]

So glad it's Friday! Although DH isn't *quite* as helpful as he could be on the weekends, it is nice to have another person around so I can at least go to the bathroom in peace

It finally rained a little last night. Not the thunderstorms that were predicted, of course, but something. We finally have 4 tomatoes that are a lovely yellowy orange, so I expect them to be ripe for picking soon. I put fresh mozzarella on my shopping list so we can have Caprese salads soon!

Our local library put up a town-wide scavenger hunt on their website. I thought maybe with the lower humidity predicted this weekend, it would be fun to drive around and see if we can find all the fairy-tale characters they've hidden around town. I've lived in this town for most of the past 44 years and there are still some clues I can't figure out Josh says he'll enjoy it...we'll have to see.

Today we pulled Kentucky for our state project - Yay, we managed to do one state every day this week! - and we found so many cool things to do there, that Kentucky is VERY far up on my bucket list now! So glad it's relatively within driving distance, as we might need 2 weeks to do everything there! This is another trip I am very much looking forward to taking! Can't wait to get our visitor's guide now!

Related from yesterday QOTD for today, 7/23: Have you ever been given or helped to throw a surprise birthday party? Would you like to be part of either?

I want to say that when I was MUCH younger and my mother often hosted bridal and baby showers for coworkers at our house, I was always told to "keep my mouth shut" if I happened to run into the honoree. When I was in high school, I tried to have a surprise party for my best friend's Sweet 16 but it didn't really work out. The restaurant that we wanted to go to (Ruby Tuesday) wouldn't let us in, even though we'd made a reservation because there were about 12 of us. It was at the mall, so I convinced my friend to spend an afternoon "shopping," then at a particular time we went around the corner to the wing where the restaurant was, only to find all of our friends standing there with balloons and presents. My friend said, "Um...what's going on?" and I didn't know what to say. When we caught up to everyone else, there was a kind of half-hearted monotone "Surprise..." from them, and someone said that the restaurant wouldn't let us in without an adult present. We ended up going across the street to Pizza Hut, who gladly shoved a couple of tables together and let us in.

The only other one that stands out was my in-laws' 40th Anniversary in 2009, but I wasn't part of the planning for it. DH and I had only been dating for a year at that point...I was there for the party, of course, because after a year it was clear that we were serious, but I wasn't *that close* yet. That was a very large party...I remember my MIL walking in and looking confused as to why they were being led into the banquet hall, and why were there so many people there, then when everyone yelled Surprise, she jumped about a mile and looked very startled. And then she started crying. Dad just kind of shuffled in behind her like, what's going on? (Now I know where DH gets his obliviousness from ) and stared at everyone for a minute.

I have made it known that I don't EVER want a surprise party for me. If someone did, I'd probably turn around and run right back out. I hate being the center of attention as it is.

 

[AuntieMe3]

Hey everyone not trying to bring us down but would you all mind sending some good thoughts and prayers for a friend of mine? Her 12yo daughter ran away with a friend(16yo) Wednesday morning and there hasn't been any word since. The friend took a family members car so they could be anywhere by now. No cell phone to track for either of them. I just can't imagine what my friend is going through.

 

[lynxstch]

@AuntieMe3 Oh my goodness Sending prayers and good thoughts that your friends daughter is found soon and that she is safe and unharmed. A 12 year old missing since Wednesday --that is alarming. The 'friend' doesn't sound like much of a friend. Was an Amber Alert issued for her? Please keep us updated on the search for them!

 

[easyas123]

AuntieMe3 -
Keeping your friend & her daughter in my thoughts.
If it helps, I knew someone in a similar situation, the "friend" was a boy. Once the parents got ahold of them and used the phrase "statutory rape and jail" that boy hightailed it back with that young lady and never darkened her parents doorstep again.
I wish peace for your friend and the safe homecoming of her daughter.

 

[Meriweather]

Hey everyone not trying to bring us down but would you all mind sending some good thoughts and prayers for a friend of mine? Her 12yo daughter ran away with a friend(16yo) Wednesday morning and there hasn't been any word since. The friend took a family members car so they could be anywhere by now. No cell phone to track for either of them. I just can't imagine what my friend is going through.

That's horrible.
Hope they are found soon
Amber alert for sure!!

 

[gwynne]

@AuntieMe3
I will be praying for your friend's family. Very much hoping their daughter is home soon.

 

[Snowysmom]

@AuntieMe3 I hope your friend's daughter is found soon. How scary.

I have never had or given a surprise party. I have given a surprise birthday gift on a milestone birthday. DH has always wanted a bass guitar. On DH's last milestone birthday the kids and I surprised him with one. He was truly surprised. Another milestone birthday this time for my Dad when he was in the nursing home. For 6 months he kept saying he was going to be turning 90 and he would do a countdown almost every time I saw him.. I reserved the party room at the home for a small family get together. He knew there would be cake and was looking forward to it. On the day of his birthday I went to get him in his room and he said he would rather take a nap. That was my surprise! However, I talked him into coming to the party for a little while and then he could nap. My family has been told no surprises for me. I am the one who plans things.