Today is my B-Day

In honor of my birthday today, Beloved and MiniMe are going to make me a cake. Not just any cake, my favorite cake. Pineapple upside down cake. I am grateful and I am micro-managing. Here's why.

I caught a glimpse of the website Beloved was visiting this morning and it stopped me in my tracks. It was a Betty Crocker website. 

NativeMom: What are you doing.

Beloved: Looking for something.

NativeMom: What are you looking for on a recipe website?

Beloved: It's a surprise, you're not supposed to ask questions.

NativeMom (with delight and a little concern): Are you planning to cook dinner for me as a surprise tonight? 

Beloved: Maybe. 

NativeMom: What are you going to make? It doesn't have to be fancy. I like spaghetti. 

Beloved: MiniMe and I are going to make dinner and a cake. 

NativeMom: A cake? Can you get one of those yummy Publix cakes since it's my birthday. I know the kids like ice cream cake, but I prefer the real kind of cake. 

Beloved: No, we're making you a cake.

Now I was confused and a little nervous. 

NativeMom: Why? I like the Publix cake. 

Beloved: MiniMe and I are going to make your favorite cake. Pineapple upside down cake. 

Now, I know it may be a little strange, but my favorite cake is pineapple upside down cake. Not just any pineapple upside down cake, the kind my mom makes. She's made it for my birthday, special, just for me, for years. No one else's pineapple upside down cake compares. And here's Beloved looking for a recipe for pineapple upside down cake online, when SuperMimi is just a phone call away and she holds THE only recipe for my favorite cake.

NativeMom: Why don't you just call Mimi, she can give you a recipe. 

Beloved: Well, I checked the Paula Deen cookbook you have, but her recipe was too complicated. It was for a cake made from . . .sigh . . .scratch. But Betty Crocker has recipes online using their box mixes.

NativeMom: But Mimi's recipe uses a box mix. Why don't you call her. She'll give you the recipe. 

Beloved: That's ok, I've got one here on the website that seems pretty simple.

Simple, maybe, but it's not gonna be MY favorite cake. Might as well buy a cake. So, do I push or do I just let it go?

NativeMom: You know, I bet MiniMe would get a kick out of calling Mimi and asking for her recipe. MiniMe could write it down and everything. That way, MiniMe can show off that she's doing something special for her mom today and Mimi can show off that she has the best recipe. A win-win.

Beloved: Sigh. 

OK. Maybe I just need to nudge a little harder. 

NativeMom: Mimi uses crushed pineapple for her cake. That's what makes all the difference. It's much better than recipes with pineapple rings. 

Beloved is now printing the recipe he found online. I'm getting a bad feeling about this.

NativeMom: I think it's great that you're going to all this trouble to make me a cake for my birthday. You don't have to do this you know. 

Beloved: Hey MiniMe, I need you to make a phone call . . . 

NativeMom: Thanks!

Beloved: This was supposed to be a surprise, you know.

NativeMom: Well, just because I asked, you didn't have to tell me you were planning to make a cake.

Beloved: Sigh.