Happy Birthday

On Saturday, my family in Chicago ate some cupcakes.  It was my mom's idea for celebrating presidents' day, two days early. 

There were eleven cupcakes total.  (There would have been twelve cupcakes, but someone had eaten a cupcake already.) 

We had to choose which presidents to honor.  Everyone had one veto.  My brother-in-law vetoed JFK at the outset.  I vetoed Andrew Jackson.  Then we actually got started.

The first two candles went to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. They are, after all, the presidents whose birthdays are the original reason for the holiday. 

That left nine cupcakes.

Someone said Bill Clinton. I said that if we have a candle for Clinton, then we should have a candle for one of the Bushes.  My brother-in-law said, "H.W."  That seemed to work for everyone.

Next we chose Thomas Jefferson.  Then my sister said, "John Adams" (and we clarified - not Quincy).  My mom said, "Teddy Roosevelt."  We all really liked that choice.  I suggested FDR.  He was elected four times!  My brother-in-law acknowledged that he had no veto left, so FDR got a candle. Next, my six-year-old nephew said, "Barack Obama." That was sweet. Then we gave candles to Truman (the haberdasher) and Eisenhower (who appeared to receive unanimous support).

And then we were out of cupcakes.

We lit the candles, sang happy birthday, blew out the candles, and ate the cupcakes.

They were good.