September 2018

I grew up in a family that took birthdays pretty seriously. It wasn’t about buying extravagant gifts or throwing over-the-top parties, but if it was your birthday you always got to choose the direction of the day. As opposed to other holidays, which were special in their own right, birthdays were the day that was just about people letting you know that they were happy that you were born. It was just as simple as that. Ice cream for breakfast? Sure! Pancakes for dinner? Of course! Movie marathon? Yes!

The one exception to this rule was during my birthdays that were spent on the Long Beach Peninsula. My grandpa fished during the month of August and he and his buddies rented out an old hotel for that month. As I was born in late August, my earliest birthday memories are from that old hotel. The kids would explore the dunes and the beach during the day and then try to listen in on the adult conversations at night. Birthdays in Long Beach meant that breakfast included Polish sausage and dinner included salmon. Birthday cake? Well, that was easy. My grandma Mary’s favorite pie was lemon meringue and nobody made a lemon meringue pie like My Mom’s Pie in Long Beach, Washington. Marsh’s Free Museum (famous for Jake the Alligator Man) sold “Surprise Packages,” which were newspaper-wrapped boxes full of shells and knickknacks and postcards and, one year, a commemorative ashtray. Just what every 5-year-old needs! Were Polish sausage, salmon and lemon meringue pie my favorite foods? No. But I would not trade those early birthday memories for all of the French toast and pizza and chocolate cake in the world!

That old hotel was torn down in the 1980’s, but my family still stays on the same property, in the condominiums that were built shortly before my grandpa passed away. As I write this, I’m preparing to celebrate my 43rd birthday there with my mom and with my own kids, who have also spent many birthdays making memories there.

Does your family have special birthday party traditions? Do they change from year to year or are they set in stone? Regardless of how you celebrate birthdays, we hope that you’ll find something to add to the celebration in our 2018-2019 Birthday Party Guide. Maybe a new venue, or a new bakery to create your child’s favorite cake or treat? Tell us what you find and what your cherished traditions are! (And don’t worry, my grandma went in to personally complain about that ashtray in my Surprise Package…) .

Mary