Birthday Award Button

Yesterday was my sister's birthday.  We all went out to dinner and then came back here and I made brownies for dessert. It was fun.  

I had put together a The Night Circus themed gift (remember this?) for her, but I wanted to make her something that she could wear to dinner, to let everyone know it was her birthday.  I also wanted to make her something that she would be happy to wear during her birthday festivities...

I've been playing around with the idea of doing a county-fair-style award ribbon, which seemed like a good place to start for my birthday button.  Of course, she would get the blue ribbon, but I wasn't exactly sure what to put in the center.  A miniature birthday cake?  Spell out Happy Birthday?  Her age?!  That got me to thinking about a story from a couple of weeks ago, one that has been cracking me up every time I think of it:

My sister is a teacher, and at her school they have a big birthday party at the beginning of each month for all of the teachers at the school that have birthdays that month.  So, 2 weeks ago, my sister walked in my back door with her arms full of birthday presents, and flowers, and balloons.  My dad asked her what all the stuff was for. She replied,  "It's my birthday presents!"

He looked at her quizzically.  "Is today your birthday?" he asked.

She put her presents down and narrowed her eyes.  "No," she replied.  "Dad? Do you know when my birthday is?"

He paused for a few moments.  "Your sister's is March, so you're May.  It's not the 15th, it's the 18th. May 18th." he said.

She gave him a smile. "You got it right.  But, do you know how old I am?" she teased.

This time he didn't hesitate at all. "You're twenty-seven!" he declared.

My sister, who is now well into her thirties, delightedly replied, "Yep, Dad, you got it right again."

So, when I handed her the present at the restaurant, she delightedly put her birthday award button on.  

"You knew just the right age for it!" she told me.

"Well, of course!  I asked Dad." I replied.

xoxo