Midge woke up with a flush. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a bicycle helmet and a black belt. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the solarium was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty-two of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend five hours playing fun games like doctor and croquet. Her dad was planning to make plenty of crab rangoon and Swiss cheese for everyone. Midge would try to blow out all thirty-three candles on the fuchsia and pink cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Midge would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a coconut! She hoped it would be a bronze coconut. Her friend Mary Lou had said she would give her a cookie, and her grandpa always gave her cool stuff like the pipe she gave her last year. Midge could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a thunderstorm was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her bicycle helmet. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the valley. She would have to wear a headband instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her black belt.
She trotted downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like baked beans. Her dad was standing there with a melon baller in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with a raspberry.
"Hi Daddy!" Midge replied haughtily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the crab rangoon," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra maple syrup. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Midge replied cunningly. "Do we have the Swiss cheese ready?"
"I'm going to wait until one o'clock to start that," her father replied flightily. "It only has to press for twenty-one minutes."
"Okay," Midge replied daintily. "I'm gonna go to the solarium."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some moo goo gai pan in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the solarium 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," Midge responded, as she sat down to her moo goo gai pan. "Let's hang lots of scarlet balloons and cover the umbrella stand and the catbird seat with olive drab crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father urgently. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Luann Pence. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a ladle."
"Teehee," Midge responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a belly laugh. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."