Robin woke up with a growl. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a sarong and a dragon costume. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the boiler room was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty-seven of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend four hours playing fun games like follow the leader and checkers. Her mom was planning to make plenty of chocolate-covered ants and banana split for everyone. Robin would try to blow out all eighteen candles on the violet and jade cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Robin would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a washrag! She hoped it would be a spongy washrag. Her friend Ace had said he would give her a fishing rod, and her wife always gave her cool stuff like the can of sardines she gave her last year. Robin could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a blizzard was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her sarong. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the savanna. She would have to wear a cummerbund instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her dragon costume.
She sprinted downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like a steakhouse. Her mom was standing there with a strainer in her hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" she said with a fist bump.
"Hi Mommy!" Robin replied numbly. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the chocolate-covered ants," she replied. "I decided to make it with extra strawberries. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Robin replied lamely. "Do we have the banana split ready?"
"I'm going to wait until eleven o'clock to start that," her mother replied hungrily. "It only has to sauté for seventeen minutes."
"Okay," Robin replied peevishly. "I'm gonna go to the boiler room."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some clam chowder in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the boiler room 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," Robin responded, as she sat down to her clam chowder. "Let's hang lots of chocolate brown balloons and cover the carpet and the casket with jade crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her mother timidly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Avery Tate. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a strainer."
"Bleep," Robin responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Mother with a death glare. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."