Thaddeus woke up with a wince. Today was his birthday! He was going to have a lot of fun today. First, he would dress up in a bomber jacket and a tunic. Then, he would run downstairs to see if the den was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty-four of his closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend two hours playing fun games like Clue and billiards. His mom was planning to make plenty of moo goo gai pan and pancakes for everyone. Thaddeus would try to blow out all three candles on the amber and magenta cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Thaddeus would be opening his gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a rag! He hoped it would be a bent rag. His friend Rico had said he would give him a coffee pot, and his mentor always gave him cool stuff like the lollipop she gave him last year. Thaddeus could hardly wait!
He glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a gale was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. He looked in his closet for his bomber jacket. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from his day at the cave. He would have to wear a kilt instead. He didn't really care, as long as he could still wear his tunic.
He rolled downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like cotton candy. His mom was standing there with a spoon in her hand. "Happy Birthday Son!" she said with a grimace.
"Hi Mommy!" Thaddeus replied mysteriously. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the moo goo gai pan," she replied. "I decided to make it with extra cheddar cheese. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Thaddeus replied madly. "Do we have the pancakes ready?"
"I'm going to wait until eight o'clock to start that," his mother replied shyly. "It only has to sear for thirty-eight minutes."
"Okay," Thaddeus replied coldly. "I'm gonna go to the den."
"First, young man, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some biscuits and gravy in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the den first?" he begged.
"It looks just like it always does," his mother replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Thaddeus responded, as he sat down to his biscuits and gravy. "Let's hang lots of chartreuse balloons and cover the ottoman and the ironing board with olive drab crepe paper."
"That's fine," said his mother fondly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Helga Nelson. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has an oven mitt."
"Hee haw," Thaddeus responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Mother with a flush. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."