A few years ago, I started the tradition of "birthday week" with Shad. I've mentioned how much he loves it here. Last year, I got really sick during his birthday week so this year I knew I needed to make it up to him.
For one week, and only one week, I am an amazing wife. See, I'm not the world's greatest juggler. I can only focus on one thing at a time. If my house looks clean and great, well, I we are probably going out to eat that night. If I am decorating and making some pretty project, the laundry is probably stacked high. I try my best, but I really can't do it all. Birthday week goes a long way with Shad. For one week, he is the center of my attention and gets absolutely spoiled.
Before the week begins. I sat down and listed out the surprises he would get every day. I tried to think of the five love languages and cover each one with a different surprise. Here are the surprises for this Birthday Week.
On Monday, I made his coffee station. This surprise covered acts of service.
Tuesday was 60 cent wing night so he had hot wings for supper. Because Shad thinks that food should be the sixth love language, he was a happy camper.
For Wednesday, I made a Pioneer Woman recipe. Now, the man will probably never admit this if you ask him, but he loOoOoves the Pioneer Woman. It all started when she came out with her cooking show. Because I loved the Pioneer Woman long before her show, I faithfully watch her show every Saturday afternoon during lunch on our DVR.
It's my special little time for myself, and I thought it was strange Shad never complained when I watched this cooking show. Then Shad started to commentate. "That looks really good. I would eat that. Stephanie, she made him a great lunch AND supper." I've tried to explain to him that cooking is her job, and that's why her husband gets lunch and supper. Last night, he said, "When she calls her husband whose name is Lad, I think she is saying Shad." On Wednesday, of birthday week, I made him this sandwich and called him Lad.
I would be mad at him, but I understand. He had to suffer through comments like that when I watched the Nate Berkus show. (Why did they cancel it? Whyyyyyy?)
Anyway, on Thursday, he got a massage from me. That covered the love language of physical touch, and that's all I'll say about that.
Friday, I surprised him with a date to Longhorns. This surprise covered quality time.
Saturday, I put an organizer in his closet for all these fabric boxes he had. I also got chalkboard labels to label each bin. That surprise was also an act of service surprise, and that's his primary love language so I wanted to do that one the most.
Sunday was his actual birthday, and I made him no bake cookies. Because he's not a big fan of cake, I always try to make him a "birthday cake" out of something different. We just piled the cookies up, and put a candle in the one on top, and sand happy birthday to him.
All throughout birthday week, I watch how I speak to him, and try to encourage him to cover the love language of words of affirmation.
One thing I learned early on in giving birthday weeks is to give without expecting anything back. The first year I did his birthday week, I really held it over his head when my birthday rolled around. My expectations were so high, he could not do anything right. What's the joy in having a birthday week when you have to pay for it in six months? So now, I give birthday weeks just for the sake of loving him without expecting anything in return. That kind of giving and loving is very powerful. At the end of the week, not only was Shad happy and feeling loved, but I was happy and feeling loved because he told me so many times how much he was enjoying birthday week and how much he loved me.
This years birthday week was a huge success, and I'm glad. Shad deserved it!
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