Vicki woke up with a crow. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a bowler hat and a bedsheet. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the tool shed was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty-eight of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend three hours playing fun games like Parcheesi and crazy eights. Her dad was planning to make plenty of bonbons and chicken soup for everyone. Vicki would try to blow out all seven candles on the indigo and teal cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Vicki would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a fish bowl! She hoped it would be a delicate fish bowl. Her friend Drew had said she would give her a magnet, and her sister-in-law always gave her cool stuff like the pillow she gave her last year. Vicki could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a humid day was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her bowler hat. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the hillside. She would have to wear a blazer instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her bedsheet.
She pranced downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like Listerine. Her dad was standing there with a whisk in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with a squint.
"Hi Daddy!" Vicki replied hungrily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the bonbons," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra diced pineapple. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Vicki replied glumly. "Do we have the chicken soup ready?"
"I'm going to wait until three o'clock to start that," her father replied victoriously. "It only has to shake for nine minutes."
"Okay," Vicki replied sarcastically. "I'm gonna go to the tool shed."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some cookies in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the tool shed 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," Vicki responded, as she sat down to her cookies. "Let's hang lots of pea green balloons and cover the wardrobe and the casket with jet black crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father sweetly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Elizabeth Pryor. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has an ice pick."
"Whoop-dee-doo," Vicki responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a pucker. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."