Before I go on, you need to know that my birthday is round the corner. And nobody is ever as excited about it as H and N -- not my friends, not my parents, definitely not the Husband (who once made the cardinal error of forgetting it, and is not likely to forget it in a hurry ever again) and most definitely not I. I mean of course I like it when someone remembers it but that's where it should end. The hoo-haa is kind of embarrassing but then when have the kids ever worried about what embarrasses me? They start planning months in advance and they make up for everyone else ... they create enough of a hoo-haa to satisfy the most hoo-haa craving person.
Every year they scrimp and scrounge to get me a small gift. This year they decided to enlist the help of Mr Moneybags - the Husband. I've overheard secret phone calls which they think I have no clue about and eavesdropped on whispered arguments which they think I cannot hear.
They first convinced him to order a book from Amazon. The rather proactive Husband, did so right away and I received my birthday gift in November - more than a month in advance.