My favorite childhood memory consists of the birthday parties my parents gave me when I was about eight or nine years old. My school class had about twenty children. When it came time to send the invitations, my mother said, "Just invite them all. They won't all come." Right? Wrong.

When the appointed day and time came, the doorbell didn't stop ringing. My mother hurriedly sent my father to the store to buy more hot dogs and buns.

My mother was a baker, so naturally, I had the best birthday cakes in town. The cakes were decorated with a fairy tale theme such as Cinderella, The Old Woman Who lived In the Shoe and Mary Had a Little Lamb. The old woman's shoe and Cinderella's pumpkin coach were made from cake with lots of whip cream and butter cream frosting.

Yum yum!

The children ate and drank with gusto. Happy Birthday was sung with much laughter and glee. Presents were opened with much fanfare.

Next the children proceeded to the games. The games consisted of musical chairs, Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Drop the clothes pin in the Bottle.