Works For Me: Half Birthday Dates

I have a date tonight with a blond-haired, brown-eyed cutie with a great laugh and an obsession with Anakin Skywalker.

It's my eight-(and-a-half!)-year-old son, Stephen.

Inspired by a similar tradition in my family growing up, we do a little half-birthday celebration in the Dryer house.  On each of the kids' half birthdays, they get to go on a real live "date" with the opposite gender parent.  I take the boys, and Hubs will take Corrie, when she's a little older. 

In our noisy, busy family, it's so special to set aside an evening like this, where the half-birthday-boy (or girl!) gets to choose the restaurant/movie/etc for an entire evening, with one-on-one time with a parent.   

So tonight Stephen and I are eating at a local restaurant that throws (actually throws!) the dinner rolls at you.  Thankfully, Stephen's a better catcher than I am.  Afterwards, we'll be yo-ho-ho-ing with Captain Jack Sparrow at the new Pirates of the Caribbean flick. 

This fun little tradition works for all of us around here.  Have a clever idea you'd like to share?  Blog about it at your place and leave a link below.  WFMW guidelines can be found here.

1. The Pumkin Patch 2. Org Junkie (lego storage) 3. Beth F. (fresh lavender scent) 4. Mandy Houk (Help With the Dishes!) 5. An Ordinary Mom (America\'s Test Kitchen Cookbook) 6. OW (free steak spices/marinade) 7. A Juggling Mum (Drink Bottles) 8. Michelle at Scribbit (summer crafts for kids, dollhouses) 9. Chrystal (Free Whiteboard!) 10. Amy\'s Wandering (cheap snack bowls) 11. Tammy\'s Recipes (perfectly sliced deli meats) 12. Rebecca Mielke (baby doll tops w/o looking pg) 13. Joyful Days (vacation at home) 14. The Preacher\'s Wife 15. Jen (Mess-Less Kids Paint) 16. The Preacher\'s Wife (Email Orgainization) 17. Owlhaven (helping sibs appreciate each other) 18. KD (Cooking Bacon) 19. MrsX (Library Day) 20. Liza\'s Eyeview (Best Barbecue Sauce) 21. Lori - Queen of Dirty Laundry (frugal groceries) 22. Alexandra(gardening/frugal insecticide) 23. Barbara H. (Messies Anonymous) 24. Carla (cleaning tip) 25. Rae (Uses for steel wool) 26. Jennifer (honor your mother-in-law) 27. Stuck In North Idaho (beach day) 28. Jenny (snack holders, wearing rubber gloves) 29. Kate (gardening, safety) 30. Marcia (easy baking) 31. ABC 32. Beth (Toddler Size Memories) 33. Kel (Kids extra money) 34. Mary Ann(trash cans) 35. Trixie @ Farm Home Life (Dirt) 36. Elizabeth (kids eating salad) 37. Jada (Bulletin Board) 38. Scaling Back (fun birthday party activity) 39. Heather L. (Cut and sore healer) 40. Amy Jane (dealing with kid questions) 41. Stephanie (library trips) 42. At Home with Kris (Best Deal Magazines - cheap subs!) 43. Jennifer, Snapshot (Easy Scrapbook Tip) 44. Jeana (Encourage Kids to De-Clutter) 45. Elizabeth (Buffalo Meat) 46. Sue G. (Discount Beauty Primer)

47. Pass Torch (SELL HOMESCHOOL BOOKS) 48. Jen (ALWAYS READY BEACH BAG) 49. Lorie(90 calorie packs) 50. Elena The Firm upper Body 51. Amy (Donating Freebies) 52. Amblin(Electronics free summer) 53. Christy (creative harvest table) 54. GiBee (new use for disposable diapers) 55. Tons of Sons (stress-free cleaning list) 56. Amy (baby wearing) 57. Sarah (Potty Pal) 58. stephanie (Bringing Home Baby 59. Candace (dishes) 60. Girl Gone Wild (tick removal) 61. Heather (free movies) 62. Ellen B. hospitality to children 63. The Cheerio Queen (kids and music and stories) 64. Lynnae 65. Kathleen Marie (Save the used books!) 66. Lynnae (Toy Storage) 67. Many Little Blessings (Making Cereal Last Longer) 68. Devildogwife (sweet tea) 69. Cindy (trying new recipes) 70. Abby (Free $20 Target giftcard 71. Sam(antha) (Umbrell 72. mistihollrah (Remembering Milestones) 73. singinole (iced coffee for pennies!) 74. MommaBlogger (Fruity Cubes 75. Juggling Frogs (Table setting mnemonic) 76. Crystal @ Biblical Womanhood (potty-training) 77. Christine (Labor Comforts) 78. MCMilker (tasting garden) 79. Coralie (7 uses for baking soda) 80. Michelle (children\'s art portfolios) 81. Kathy (motivating toddlers) 82. Mama Says (Newspaper online/real estate tip) 83. The Wooden Porch (POOP STAINS) 84. Song of the Sagebrush (Storing Birthday Candles)O 85. Our Side ("Recycling" china) 86. The Normal Waites (10lb chicken) 87. Jennifer (color wonder) 88. Karen (toy storage) 89. Lana G! (Forks & Carpet) 90. Jessica (crochet hook plumbing) 91. Conversations with my Hairdryer (veg garden) 92. GP in Montana

93. Joo (five minute makeup) 94. Emily (blitz pick-ups) 95. Ashley (Free books) 96. My Twenty Cents Keeps Moving(summer fun) 97. Amy (budgeting by paycheck) 98. Lisa@Everyday Adventures (National Zoo Webcams) 99. ThoughtfulMom 100. ThoughtfulMom (creating office space) 101. SeaBird (Organizing CDs) 102. Mrs. Pear (Bible Help) 103. Dee (Relaxing Day at the Lake) 104. I Corinthians 10:31 (portion control for chips) 105. Jessica (Target deal on Bertolli meals) 106. Amy W (bottle- boot support) 107. Amy (toddler water fun) 108. Jordan @ MamaBlogga (get more blog readers) 109. Life with Littles(Kitchen Help) 110. Sincerely Anna (Preschool Game) 111. Rebecca (Saving Trips Upstairs) 112. Just in case(Homekeeping notebook) 113. Proverbs 31 (Water Conservation Tips) 114. Emily (Cheap Movie Rental) 115. JavaMama (keeping the toys and books safe from visiters) 116. Mari 117. Baleboosteh (Ice-Cream) 118. Amy (Wet Ones) 119. Gretchen (scheduling) 120. Dawn (Camera Ready) 121. jen (painting behind the toilet) 122. allhisblessings 123. Carrie (cutting energy costs) 124. Frugal Homemaker Plus (Grocery Store Fliers Online) 125. Shokufeh is... home (bathtub toy storage) 126. kel (salad calories) 127. Ann Kroeker (21st Century Calling Cards) 128. Kim - Finding the Right Bra Size 129. Frugal Disney Mom (Yard Work) 130. Totallyscrappy (Unwanted Ants?) 131. Ogle4 (teach letters/numbers) 132. All Ahead Full - Navy Wife 133. Robin (fast face washing) 134. Liza\'s Eyeview (Reducing Stress) 135. Kali (Chopsticks) 136. Mummymac (free sermons) 137. corporate comedy magician

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Comments

[Laura]

What a fantastic and special idea!

[Melanie]

I have been to that very restaurant! I hope you catch some rolls. :>) YUM!

[An Ordinary Mom]

What an awesome tradition! I might have to steal this one :) !!

[Mandy]

Brilliant idea, Shannon. It's hard to remember to set aside one-on-one time with each child. This is a perfect way to never forget, because they always remember their half birthday!

[Overwhelmed With Joy!]

Oh, what a great idea! Snuggle Bug's half birthday is coming up this next month. I'll have to start this.

[Michelle]

Rolls flinging, pirates singing, sounds like an evening made in heaven :)

What a fun idea.

[Tammy L]

Oooh, we lived about an hour from a Lambert's when we lived in Missouri. Their food was fabulous, especially those fresh, hot rolls! :)

[Rebecca]

Great idea!

I use half birthdays to celebrate the birthdays of the Awana kids who have birthdays during the summer.

[Joyful Days]

Very special and sweet!

[Jen]

Great idea! Jack Sparrow is big at our house too!

[The Preacher's Wife]

I'm guessing Lambert's? Went in Gulf Shores...Heavenly...

Sounds like a great date!:)

You might want to delete my extra link...I flubbed..:(

[Barbara H.]

Sounds like a lot of fun!

[Alexandra]

Sounds like fun. :) We do the same instead of a party.

[Alexandra]

Okay, not the same...we do birthdays like this, not half birthdays. Goodness, I need to get to bed! Ignore my previous comment.

[Lori - Queen of Dirty Laundry]

OH, I love this idea, and it will come in handy especially for my DH, whose birthday is 12/25, of all days!

And for my January girl, who gets a little envious when her two sisters both have b-days in May.

Great idea!

[jen]

sounds good hope you both have a good time

[Kate]

This is such a sweet idea! I love the idea of celebrating a half birthday!

[ABC]

That is such a great idea and so different from the regular (full) birthdays when you spend time with the whole family.
I can't wait to use it when Love Bug is older!

[Kelli]

We went to a Flyin Roll resteraunt in Tulsa recently and my kids LOVED it, so we definetly have to go back next time we are in town.

[Kelli]

We went to a Flyin Roll resteraunt in Tulsa recently and my kids LOVED it, so we definetly have to go back next time we are in town.

[Jada]

You're the second family I know of that does this! Our associate pastor and his family celebrate half-birthdays!

I did my first WFMW post today! Weeeeee!

[Cat]

I took my daughters out on "dates with mom" a long time ago, and now you've reminded me that I should do it again. Thanks.

[Heather L.]

What a sweet tradition! My friends and I used to celebrate our half birthdays in school, but I never thought about it after graduation.
I think I saw that restaurant on TV. a couple of weeks ago. It was some Travel Channel show. FUN!
Thanks for hosting each week!

[Amy Jane]

I like the idea of a specific time for the parent/child date-night.

[Jana]

I love the idea of parent child dates! I can't wait until mine is old enough to enjoy that kind of special time with her daddy.

Enjoy your date!

[Jennifer, Snapshot]

This is a good idea. Amanda and I had a special little overnight trip for her 7th bday, because of some special circumstances, and she really loved it (and so did I).

[Stephanie]

What a great tradition!

[Amblin]

That's a really neat idea!

[stephanie]

That's a great idea. I'm chalking that one down for the future!

[Ellen B.]

Sweet date idea! Blessings!

[Kathleen Marie]

What a fabulous idea! Thanks!

[Cindy]

After a long layoff I am participating again on Works for Me Wednesdays.

Loved the idea about the half birthdays. However, I have a 3 year old who thinks everyday is his birthday. Not sure I could convince him that we should only celebrate 2 days out of the year. LOL

[Devildogwife]

That's a great tradition. Have fun!!

[Lynnae]

That's a great idea! Thank you!

[clkl]

Oy! I'm so behind on the *real* birthday parties this year, that we may be doing both the full and half birthdays on the same day!

This is a very cute idea!

[Lani]

Oh! Are you going to Lambert's? If so, we've been there and it's so much fun! :-)

[hogphan]

Not to mention that you'll have a chance to teach those boys how a young lady should be treated on a date. Believe me, when Hubs takes Corrie on her "dates" and he teaches her how a boy ought to treat her, you're going to love knowing that she'll be critiqing (sp?) her date based on how she knows it ought to be!

[Tammy]

What a super idea! I hate to rain on the parade as a buzzkill, but I saw the Pirates movie over the weekend as a "scout" for my 8 year old nephew. There's nothing really horrible in it (it IS a Disney flick after all) but there are a couple of things that might require some explanation beforehand to make the whole thing more enjoyable. If you (or anyone else) wants to know more, you can visit my blog: http://lemonscraps.blogspot.com

[Melissa]

Sounds like a great date!

[bee]

That would be a great idea... except half birthdays around our house would be called Christmas!

Maybe we could do quarter-birthdays?!

[Lana G!]

Precious memories for you and your boys! Great idea!

[Jessica Snell]

I remember the times my mom or dad took just me out for dessert. I bet your kids will always remember their one-on-one time too.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

[Emily]

I love this idea. Especially for families with lots of kids - this would be a great way to have each kid feel super-special.

[Michelle]

We always celebrated half-birthdays growing up, too...but a little differently :-)...my mom would make us half a cake and give us half a present...sometimes we had to buy the other half :-) (i.e. one sock, a dollar cut in half...yes she did that :-))...very memorable :-). Hap Birth!!!

[Amy]

So, um,what if you can't catch them? The rolls I mean, not the kids or the half birthdays. ;)

[Sincerely Anna]

I've always celebrated my half birthday especially since my real birthday falls around Christmas. I was always jealous of my friends who had summer birthdays so I guess it was one way to fit in! :)

[proverbs31]

I have a good friend who celebrates half birthdays, too. I've been thinking about doing that myself, I just haven't started the tradition yet. Have a good time on your date tonight!

[Mari]

Great idea! It's a tradition I'm sure they will remember.

[Mari]

Great idea! It's a tradition I'm sure they will remember.

[Baleboosteh]

What a lovely idea. My 4yr old was really taken with the idea that Paddington Bear gets two birthdays a year, so I think he will definitely go for this one!

[Gretchen Hanna]

This is my virgin trial. :) I did scheduling in 15 minute increments of time.

Have a great week!

[jen]

What a great 1/2 bday idea! Certainly less stress than regular birthdays!

[allhisblessings]

Hi, this is my first time participating in WFMW. I love all the terrific things I've been reading so far! :)

[shokufeh]

I'm a fan of the half-birthday celebration, and anticipate putting it to use with my son. Since his birthday falls close to Thanksgiving, I don't want him to feel overlooked as he becomes more aware of birthdays.

[Liz]

I celebrate my half birthday too! :)

[Wendy]

Some of my favorite blogs feature WFMW. I just loved the idea! There are some creative Mom's out there!!! I'm glad to be "in the loop". Thanks for such a great site / idea.

[Loni]

We have been to that kind of place in AL on vacation and all the kids loved it! I hope you had a great time. And, thank you for having WFMW. It's so great. :)

[Kali]

We love half birthdays at our house. I once received 1/2 of a birthday card!

[Karen]

I wouldn't mind doing half birthdays, except I have trouble enough remembering my kids' actual birthdays. :)