Zipping Through Birthdays

This is Gabriel, (aka Basketball Jones).  

One of my 44 nieces and nephews.  And apparently my favorite...  Years ago, a sister had given all of us a poster that contained everyone's birthdays, anniversaries, etc on it so everyone would know all the birthdays if we cared.  I plugged them all into bluemountain.com where I had an account at the time.  It's great!  I get an email two weeks ahead of the date, then a week ahead, then even on the day so if I never got a card in the mail, I could call!

So it's two weeks before his birthday and I got an email reminder. WOOHOO!  I was sending each niece and nephew a $5 check at that time.  That habit has long since gone by the way side as I never have stamps on hand and got bombarded some months due to very loving months nine months before.  

So I got the reminder and sent him a card with a check.  

A week later, I got the "week before" reminder and as a creature of habit for that year, I dropped another card and check in the mail.

On the day OF his birthday, I called my sister to wish him a Happy Birthday because I hadn't gotten a card off to him.  She seemed surprised!  She asked, "Ummmm... I was going to call and see if the second check was a mistake or if he could cash it..."  

Yikes!!!  If she'd never told me he'd be a rich rich boy!!!  Well, I let him cash it and the habit of sending birthday greetings kind of went away.  

Most of them are on FB anyway, so I can post an embarrassing photo of them as a young child and wish them Happy Birthday in my own "crazy aunt"ish way.

Oh, you're probably wondering why he has a broken arm.  

Yeah, he obeyed his shirt while on a zip line in Wisconsin...

EEEWWWEEEEE!!!!!!

I can't even look....