Kim woke up with a smile. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in an Eton jacket and a skeleton costume. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the master bathroom was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited fifteen of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend five hours playing fun games like tennis and Cootie. Her dad was planning to make plenty of beef bouillon and strawberry shortcake for everyone. Kim would try to blow out all twenty-four candles on the lime-green and yellow cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Kim would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a crutch! She hoped it would be a bent crutch. Her friend Esther had said she would give her a cell phone, and her aunt always gave her cool stuff like the knitting needle she gave her last year. Kim could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a drizzle was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her Eton jacket. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the peninsula. She would have to wear a bridal gown instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her skeleton costume.
She sashayed downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like Chinese food. Her dad was standing there with a paring knife in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with a giggle.
"Hi Daddy!" Kim replied rapidly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the beef bouillon," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra pitted cherries. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Kim replied speedily. "Do we have the strawberry shortcake ready?"
"I'm going to wait until one o'clock to start that," her father replied gratefully. "It only has to allow to rise in warm place for several hours for forty-four minutes."
"Okay," Kim replied excitedly. "I'm gonna go to the master bathroom."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some lobster bisque in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the master bathroom 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," Kim responded, as she sat down to her lobster bisque. "Let's hang lots of brilliant orange balloons and cover the workbench and the stairway with purple crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father wearily. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Patricia Hamm. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a spatula."
"As if," Kim responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a flutter. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."