Not Having Fun

026

It's my birthday tomorrow! I'll be turning six.  I'm the second-youngest in my class but at least now I'll be the same age as some of the other kids. I feel bad for Jemima, she only just turned five. She was the youngest in the whole school when we started! Mum and I are at the shop, picking up food for tomorrow.

She starts putting bread and cheese in the trolley for sandwiches while I pick what I want to drink. "There's mini Yazoo for a pound,"

"What kind?"

"Oh," Mum wrinkles her nose. "Banana,"

"Yuck!" We both hate banana.

We get some strawberry ones instead and a big share bag of sweets. For the dinner we get pizza and turkey dinosaurs!

"Okay, that seems to be everything,"

"What about my cake?!"

"Oh, Dad's getting you a surprise cake," 

"Okay!" I'm excited now! Dad's the best with surprises.

Chris' birthday is two weeks after mine. He's turning twelve. Dad said he'll be a teenager soon, and he isn't looking forward to that. 

I wait in the queue with Mum at the tills. The woman waiting behind us smile. "D'you mind if I go first?"

Mum sees that she only has three items in her basket. "Sorry, I should've offered. Go ahead,"

No! I want to get home! "Do we have to let her go first?" I ask once we're already behind her.

"No, but it's a nice thing to do Max," 

"Will we get in trouble if we don't?"

"No, silly. We do nice things to be nice, not because we'll get in trouble if we don't,"

I really only do nice things so I don't get in trouble. I didn't realise you could just do them. Maybe I'll just be nice all the time then.

We get home and Dad is setting up the decorations. But he's saving the best ones for a surprise when I wake up tomorrow morning. "I phoned the school and said you've got a stomach ache,"

"Thanks Dad!" I always get my birthday off school. So does Chris. My parents say it doesn't really matter how much you go to school, as long as you can do the work and learn things. "Sooooo what am I getting/"

"You'll need to wait until tomorrow!" he ruffles my hair while putting up a string of balloons.

The next day, I wake up super early! I run downstairs to find a big dinosaur balloon. He's wearing a party hat!

"Morning Max," Dad rubs his eyes. Roxie is cradled in his arms. He bounces her a bit. "Say 'Happy Birthday Max'!"

She squeals and says 'Ma'. She can say 'Da' and 'Mu' and 'Ma', but can't say Chris' name yet. I heard Mum and Dad say she should be saying more by now since she's eight months, but that it doesn't really matter.

"Can I have pancakes an' butter?"

"Of course," he puts her in her walking chair. Dad looks down at me, who is now 6!

"Happy birthday Max, I'm really proud of you," "

"Thanks Dad,"

He goes to start breakfast and I look at my presents. There's so many, they cover the whole couch! And there's a really big square one which I'm saving till last. I think it's a football goal!

I start opening my presents, the first one is a pirate ship Lego set! Then a book called The Danger Gang, which seems really hard to read when I open it and look at the words. Maybe it's for Mum or Dad to read to me. The next present is a dinosaur blanket for over my bed! Then some Matchbox cars (including an ambulance and a taxi!) and some DVDs.