Bobbie woke up with a power fist. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a pair of suspenders and an earring. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the lounge was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty-four of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend five hours playing fun games like Mother May I and Snakes and Ladders. Her mom was planning to make plenty of dirty rice and enchiladas for everyone. Bobbie would try to blow out all thirty candles on the maroon and teal cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Bobbie would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a sponge! She hoped it would be a colossal sponge. Her friend Reginald had said he would give her a diamond, and her main squeeze always gave her cool stuff like the diary she gave her last year. Bobbie could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a driving rain was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her pair of suspenders. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the forest. She would have to wear a stethoscope instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her earring.
She waltzed downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like chicken soup. Her mom was standing there with a blender in her hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" she said with a wince.
"Hi Mommy!" Bobbie replied daintily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the dirty rice," she replied. "I decided to make it with extra mincemeat. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Bobbie replied wearily. "Do we have the enchiladas ready?"
"I'm going to wait until two o'clock to start that," her mother replied noisily. "It only has to refrigerate overnight for twenty minutes."
"Okay," Bobbie replied arrogantly. "I'm gonna go to the lounge."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some oyster on the half-shell in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the lounge first?" she begged.
"It looks just like it always does," her mother replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Bobbie responded, as she sat down to her oyster on the half-shell. "Let's hang lots of silver balloons and cover the dining table and the dining table with metallic red crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her mother strictly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Veronica Esser. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a piece of cheesecloth."
"Ho ho," Bobbie responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Mother with a beam. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."