Birthday Waffles

In honor of my birthday I thought I would share a family birthday tradition. I never really thought of my family as having a lot of traditions. We for the most part do our own thing. And try new things every year.

Although one tradition that stuck was birthday waffles. Every morning of my sister and I's birthdays we would wake up to the smell of our dad making waffles and usually frying bacon. It was something to look forward to, since my dad rarely made waffles. Although he does love making breakfast.

So before we were hurried off to school we would receive a pile of waffles with various toppings including a birthday candle stuck in the top. We would top the waffles with anything we could including but not limited to: strawberries (but no blueberries... gross), melted butter, whipped cream, nuts (which were sometimes cooked inside too), chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and of course syrup.

They had to be over the top and sweet! (I would have taken a photo of this year's waffles but I ate them too fast... oops.)

It was nice to wake up and immediately have your birthday acknowledged in such a special way. It was always a great start to your birthday.

A bonus sweet story attached to the birthday waffles happened 4 years ago.

I was always home for my birthday, even in college it would come after finals. But the year I graduated college was different. I had to stay in Boone because the day after my birthday was graduation and everyone was coming up to see me. I told, my boyfriend at the time now husband, Paul that I was very disappointed that I wasn't going to wake up at home on my birthday. He politely asked why? I explained the birthday waffle tradition with emotion in my voice. Of course they were other more obvious reasons that I was miss being home. But at least my parents would be with my later that day. He smiled and consoled me. Telling me that my dad would surely make me waffles when I got home. To me it was a bigger issue. I couldn't wake up at my parent's house every birthday forever to get my birthday waffles... that would be odd. I got continually more bummed about it.

The night before my birthday my friends took me out to dinner. I made a big deal about going to a local restaurant that served breakfast all day. Although I didn't tell anyone why till I got there. I announced to the table that I was going to order a waffle to go and eat it when I woke up! It was genius!! I would have my birthday waffle after all!

The whole table of people stared at me with a blank look. I tried to explain the tradition but they didn't seem to understand. They just argued that it was going to be soggy and cold and it was a silly tradition. I was on the verge of tears, when finally I shrugged and said I was doing it anyway.

The next morning my roommate let Paul in while I was sleeping and he woke me up with a present in hand. I joyfully opened it. It was a waffle maker! And he had brought all the supplies to make me birthday waffles! I couldn't believe it. I was blown away. Then he proceeded to tell me that everyone at dinner already knew of his plans and that's why they were trying to discourage my waffle purchase the night before. We laughed and he made me waffles...

So the tradition continues... Maybe one day my dad will share his special waffle recipe with us for we can continue the tradition in style with our future children.