Introducing The Festivus.

In our family come birthday time, we like to celebrate the "Festivus".

The Festivus is a period of time, usually approximately 2-3 days on either side of your birthday, during which you are celebrated, feted and indulged more than usual.

Because we decided some time ago, that one day was simply not enough celebration.

For example, Mike's birthday was on Saturday.  We've been celebrating since Friday.  We've eaten, drunk, drunk, eaten, laughed, sung, drunk, eaten, nearly been blown off Manly Wharf and entertained 24 people on a Sunday afternoon. (13 were kids, the playroom took quite a beating).

It's been wild.

We made a cake.

It was a double heart shaped cake, because we love him.  

We licked the spoon.

Some of us didn't help as much as others.

But he won Man of the Match at rugby so we forgive him.

Joshie with medal, and photobombing sister with cats ear headband.

Friday night consisted of cocktails and delicious dinner in Neutral Bay with friends.  Mike's team  at work won an award that day, and he was pretty chuffed.  We chuffed along with him.

Saturday night (his actual birthday night) the birthday bloke fancied Hugos (pizza, but a little bit fancy).  We got out of the car down at Manly near the harbour beach and were nearly blown away by enormous cyclonic winds.  We hung onto the kids so they didn't fly off, and fought our way down to Hugos, which is perched right on the edge of the wharf, and tonight it was taking a battering.

It's a harbour beach, but not as we know it. 

Psycho weather.  Shame it's not video so you could hear the terrified screams of the children.

Except...when we got inside, it was serene and completely quiet apart from the delightful clink of glasses and pleasant hum of conversation.  Whatever weather protecting window thingies they have, they are fantastic.  We were warm, comfortable and together we ate an unnecessary amount of carbohydrates.

After dinner we were blown back to our car, went home, sang, ate cake, said goodbye to my sister and nephew, who had come along for the family part of the Festivus.

Mike proceeded to set up his new "bike thing that you put your bike on so you can ride it in the living room" and bike computer, ready for his inside bike ride the next morning.

He was in heaven.

But really, 24 hours is much too short to really get the most out of a birthday.  Which is why the Festivus comes in so handy.  So to properly fete the marvellous man that is my husband, we invited some of our besties over for lunch.  Our guests are incredibly excellent people, and to spend a few hours in their company provides extreme levels of pleasure and enjoyment.

Laugh? Thanks, we will.

The Festivus is not just about quantity, but quality.  And these guys are one classy bunch.

I have no photos to prove it, but the afternoon was excellent.  As Festivus' go it was probably a bit short (the kids often milk a full week out of it), especially compared to his 40th last year when we did carry on a bit.

He's a happy, internal bike riding, rocky road eating 41 year old with a new fancy shirt.  And that's the main thing.