Geoff's Birthday, with a capital B

Geoff's mother (a mother of eight!) made each of their birthdays spectacular every year. This made for a magical childhood but I've always felt the pressure to live up to the annual expectation of an amazing day. I've gathered groups of friends for unique restaurant experiences, and plays, and one year I even rented him a convertable Porche for the day. This year I didn't plan anything, and Geoff's only hope was to "swim in the Mediterranean on my birthday". Whew! I could pull that off! The girls and I woke up early and hung up some balloons and made signs to hang on the wall, each one saying something we loved about him. We had pastries for breakfast, and then we sent Geoff to the beach while the sea was calm and the sun warm (the afternoons have been breezy the past few days). He swam out a ways in the sea and said he could see at least 15 feet down, perfectly clear! He lay on the beach for an hour; fulfilling his one birthday wish to be at the beach. He rode the scooter to the next town over, Roquebrune Cap-Martin, and explored the coast and small roads. He came back rosy and alive, and feeling completely fulfilled. We swam in the pool this afternoon, relaxed, and then set out for dinner. We discovered that French restaurants don't open until 7:30PM so we hung out on a rocky beach looking for sea glass and shells, and other sea treasures. We ate at a restaurant right on the beach, and we were alone on the patio. The table was set like a fancy wedding party with sparkling glasses, a bouquet of flowers, a basket of wholesome bread, and white linens. As the sun went down Old Town Menton lit up and the air warmed a bit. We took our time eating, although the girls were tired. We just got them to bed at 10:00. Geoff said it was his best birthday ever. That is hard to acheive...and I didn't have to do anything!