Phantom birthday decorator

So, for the past, at least 10 plus years, I have put a cheap, plastic Happy Birthday banner on my girls' bedroom door for their birthday. I always waited until they were asleep and tape it up. Sometimes I would fall asleep when they did and wake up at 2-3 am or set my alarm for 5 am so that when they woke up on their SPECIAL day, they would be surprised with banner. I always want them to feel like their birthday is the best day of the year and go out of my way to make them feel special.

It's the same banner that has 10 years worth of tape - scotch (good stuff and cheapie stuff), masking tape, painters tape, garage sale dots, whatever I could find to stick that thing up there. You'd think that I would plan better, right? I know when their birthdays are. Same day. Every year. But NOOOOOOOO, that would be too easy and not nearly as fun.

Some years I would add streamers to the door frame just to be a little different. And really, who am I kidding, I only do it if I have any leftover streamers laying around.

Then we leave it there for a few weeks after the special day. I want to say because they loved it so much and it was so awesome that their mom went to all the trouble. But honestly we forget its there. Then one day I will think to myself - hmmm what day is it? How many days since the kids birthday? Oh crap 21??? Take it down! I fold it all away in the hall closet until the next birthday.

My youngest turned 13 on the first. And although it was a "school night" my oldest was still up after 11 with her door open. As I walked down the hall to the hall closet where I stash the birthday decorations, I see my daughter standing in her room. I think to myself, dang, the kids are getting older - why am I still doing this? I took the stuff to the bathroom and started unfolding it. This is no easy feat - I must do it slowly because all that tape sticks together and I certainly don't want to rip my banner! So as I'm fighting with it and slowly peeling apart the ends, I am standing in the hallway where she can see me.

She stops, turns to look then stares at me. Then says, real slowly, "woooooow, mom, I've never SEEEEEEN it happen before. It's like I know you do it, but It just magically appears on the door on birthday morning!" I laughed out loud. Then feared that I might awaken the birthday girl. Then she said, "it's like Santa!!" Then I really laughed out loud.

Luckily I didn't wake the birthday girl and she got to wake up the next morning and the banner magically appeared.

I think I'm gonna keep it up until they graduate from high school. Why stop now, right?

K

PS if you are wondering if its still up, the answer is YES!