Dear Jake,
I don’t know why I always try to surprise you on your birthday. I’m not the sneakiest person ever, considering my poker face is basically as readable as that website with all the Chuck Norris jokes. But when I hid your present under my sink in the bathroom, I thought it was the perfect hiding place. You never look under there, and my plan was to set it out right before bed so you’d find it waiting by your sink in the morning.
Naturally, the one night I need you not to look, is the one night you do look. (Although I’ll admit, I think it’s awesome that you knew using a hair dryer would work so well to bend that plastic car piece back into shape. Your resourcefulness never ceases to amaze me.) When you went for the hair dryer I tried to stop you, to keep you from looking… but you saw it. I know you did. Even though you kindly pretended that you didn’t. We both knew.
Still, I set out the gift bag after you were in bed, and in the morning I scurried down the stairs to start your birthday blueberry muffins, smiling excitedly to myself as I thought of you making your way into the bathroom and finding your, um, semi-surprise present. But you came down the stairs and gave me a big hug and a kiss and told me you were surprised. Of course you did. Which made my whole day, in case you didn’t know. But I’m pretty sure you knew that, too.
So yes, I will continue to attempt to surprise you on your birthday. And maybe one of these years I’ll actually do it. But until then, I’m sure glad you’re the one I’m trying to surprise. And I’m thankful that I got to be a part of another year of your life. Each one just gets better and better. Love you so very much. Happy birthday, handsome. XO
