Birthday Rituals

Henry celebrated his 8th birthday last week, so our birthday rituals are in full force around here!

The first thing I do is select ten or so photos from the past year and send them to Walgreens for printing using their online functionality. I order 4×6 for all the photos, except I order a 5×7 of my favorite.

Then I hang the Happy Birthday banner that I made when I was pregnant with Henry. I use painters’ tape to hang the ten or so photos around the banner.

Then I hang a piece of twine with push pins across our dining room window and hang one photo from each year of his life. I add the most recent 5×7 that I printed. I store all of this in a plastic baggie, so it’s easy to keep everything together and pull it out when it’s time. I had been storing this in our “attic” space above my closet, but it’s starting to become a pain. I’m going to switch it to our bathroom storage area, since we need access to this stuff more than once a year. (We are a garage-less house and generally don’t have much storage space!)

Finally, I write a letter to capture the year. We light a candle for each year (using this candle holder). I read the letter and then Henry blows out the candles.

At the end, I use double-sided tape to attach the 10 or so photos to cardstock, slip them into sheet protectors, and clip them into Henry’s easy-peasy scrapbook. Aside from class photos, these are really the only photos I add throughout the year.

I monitor this kind of stuff very closely to make sure it feels fun and meaningful rather than pressure-filled or stressful. I’m conscious of how crazy modern motherhood can be and the kinds of unnecessary expectations we put on ourselves. For me, making time for these kinds of rituals helps me slow down and reminisce about the past while reminding myself to savor the present.