Each year, for as long as I can remember, I wake up my birthday child with a candle in something to sing Happy Birthday and I usually get a picture. I have used to pretty creative things too. I have used cupcakes, oreo cookies, Ring Dings, pancakes, toast and a list of other things. This year was no different. Here is the picture of Larissa's birthday awakening.
It is not a great picture, as most are not but they are memories. Memories that I will cherish forever. Tradition that I have already heard Nathan and Larissa speak of to friends. A tradition that I will try to uphold as long as I can.
I wanted to get her something special and something that wouldn't end up in the garbage in future years. I have been a decluttering bug and the last I want is to bring more unnecessary things into the house. So, I had the perfect plan. Larissa's friend Cassandra lives in NY. Larissa and Cassandra met in NC. They went to high school together at Robinson. Cassandra moved back to NY with her mom and shortly after, we moved back to RI. I made plans with Cassandra's mom to have her come spend the weekend with Larissa...as a surprise. Then I tormented Larissa a little. I told her that her surprise started with the letter "C" and that it was something she had in NC and she was really sad when she didn't have it anymore. She had everyone trying to guess what it was. I tried to get her off any idea that it might be a person.
That was the easy part. Larissa, of course, wanted to make plans because it was her birthday. That put some stress on me to continue to keep her secret but not mess things up. I paid for Cassandra to come in on the train after discussing it with her mother. Today, it all went downhill...lol. The kiosk's were down at Penn Station so everyone missed their trains. If that wasn't bad enough, they realized once they got to Penn Station that Cassandra had left her ID at home. Poor Susan (Cassandra's mom), was trying to make it all work. I got a call at work at 1pm saying that she was going to drive Cassandra here. I couldn't allow her to waste all that time and gas because for her, it was going to be a round trip. I thought about meeting her half way and then it hit me...the bus. Larissa and I used to take the bus into NY all the time. So for $25 we got Cassandra on the 4pm bus to Providence. But it's NY and it was Friday so the bus didn't actually leave until 4:45. And with traffic, it actually did not arrive in Providence until almost 9:30. I am sure that Larissa was totally aggravated at this point about her surprise, wondering what on earth it might be. It was worth all the aggravation though because the moment when she opened her eyes and saw Cassandra was priceless. I could have made the commercial myself...lol.
$145 Round trip Train fair from NY to Providence and back
$25 One way trip from NY to Providence after the train was missed
Seeing my daughter scream and cry when she saw Cassandra....PRICELESS !
Larissa, I love you more than you will ever know. It has been an adventurous 17 years. You have been anything but boring...lol. We have definately had our ups and downs. There are times when I wonder if we will kill each other with our stubborn ways but at the end of it all, I couldn't ask for a better daughter. I love your bright personality and the incredible heart that you have. It has been amazing watching you grow from a tiny little baby, to an active toddler, to a bubbly young girl, to a creative teen and now into a beautiful and amazing young lady. I love you always!
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