Anastasia woke up with a dope slap. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a bonnet and a pair of overalls. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the workshop was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty-four of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend seven hours playing fun games like solitaire and hearts. Her dad was planning to make plenty of hors d'oeuvre and mashed potatoes for everyone. Anastasia would try to blow out all thirty-four candles on the teal and rose cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Anastasia would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a baton! She hoped it would be a broken baton. Her friend Betsy had said she would give her a ruler, and her mother always gave her cool stuff like the amulet she gave her last year. Anastasia could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a typhoon was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her bonnet. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the jungle. She would have to wear a bustier instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her pair of overalls.
She set out downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like Max Factor. Her dad was standing there with a piece of cheesecloth in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with a titter.
"Hi Daddy!" Anastasia replied charmingly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the hors d'oeuvre," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra cracker crumbs. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Anastasia replied dubiously. "Do we have the mashed potatoes ready?"
"I'm going to wait until ten o'clock to start that," her father replied crossly. "It only has to boil for twenty-four minutes."
"Okay," Anastasia replied tenderly. "I'm gonna go to the workshop."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some clam chowder in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the workshop first?" she begged.
"It looks just like it always does," her father replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Anastasia responded, as she sat down to her clam chowder. "Let's hang lots of forest green balloons and cover the file cabinet and the couch with ivory crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father silently. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Carey Law. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a pastry blender."
"Meh," Anastasia responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a dope slap. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."