Special birthdays in lockdown

Re my last poster, I am paying for him and his partner to have a break (not " partners" as I typed) !!!!!

I was 70 in April last year. We had planned to visit my daughter and her family in Italy, taking my son, daughter in law and their 3 girls with us. Of course this couldn't happen and we all glibly said that we'd go next year instead, never dreaming we'd still be in same situation. On the day, the local family arrived with cake that we ate together over the garden fence, and then my husband cooked a lovely meal for himself and me. Not the celebration I'd been hoping for but the best we could do given the circumstances.

My 70th will be in lockdown. I will be alone. I will buy a pizza and bottle of prosecco

Last year my son got married but was reluctant to tell me when, it got to the point where I thought I wasn't even going to be invited, it turns out it was the day after my Birthday so that we could clebrate oth ( he lives abroad so it is expensive for me to visit), I got back the day before the lockdown started. This year I believe my daughter is arranging a surprise (she keeps telling me it's my birthday soon, whch obviously I know so I think she's telling me that because there is something else she wants to tell me but can't or it would spoil the surprise). My grand children are amazing at arranging lock down celebrations, the last was a murder mystery evening they arranged at home for my daughter and son in law to celebrate thier anniversary. I have to say that I feel like one of the luckiest Mum/Nans allive and not even lockdown can break our bonds :0)

My mother was 100 last July. Her family are all around the world and no one could travel. We all did a video segment and a techie minded grandson stitched all together with some nice linking features ( eg google earth zooming to various places) and also put up photos of her for each decade. I put together a 'photobook' (suggestion from gransnet person) with pictures of some favourite places, memorable occasions and of course as many of her descendants as I could get photos of. All worked out on the day and postal tributes arrived in good time including one from Betty at the Palace!

Of course lots of flowers and cards and some thoughtful presents.

On my birthday, to make up for not being able to meet with family and friends, my daughter arranged for a special personal video message to be sent to me by Mike Bushell. He spoke very warmly and used my name. It was a lovely surprise as he talked as if he knew me! He charges a very reasonable amount for the service and donates the money to Children in Need. There are a number of celebrities offering the same thing but some of them charge huge fees!

I was 70 in January had flowers, balloons, Rick Steins vouchers, champagne and various other lovely gifts but the highlight of the day was when my DD and DGD’s turned up at the door all with masks on to wish me a happy birthday. Obviously they couldn’t come in and like another poster on here I cried loads when they left. So much was planned for a big get together with all the family originally ?. DH gave me some gorgeous Tiffany jewellery and made a lovely evening meal. We toasted the occasion with champagne while FaceTiming other family. Not the day I was hoping for but ‘worse things happen at sea’ as my DM used to say! Eldest DS is 50 today and DSIL 50 in two weeks. Big celebrations planned for us all when this is over.

It was my son's 30th last year, (he still lives with us) and our Ruby anniversary recently. All we could do was a takeaway for each occasion and gifts bought online, rather than browsing local shops.
And I think one of the saddest things is, in talking to my neighbour, her Mum died this time last year, they have still not been able to have a wake and actually feel it's now gone too far past the date to do so.

I won’t forget when the first lockdown started last year as it was my 70th birthday and looks like I will be spending this year’s birthday the same way. DD’s turned up with my presies the previous day. One was a very posh handbag which I have yet to use!! Dh and I celebrated on the day with a meal of lobster and a bottle of champagne. It was quite nice but we had no idea it would be the same a year later.

We held a birthday party for my mother who was 100 on zoom. We were able to be with her and we had afternoon tea delivered to us and to our son and his family. Friends and family round the world also joined us.

We have had a whole raft of 'special' birthdays - my sister was 80 just after the first lockdown, a surprise afternoon tea party had been planned for a huge crowd, her DH and DD had to tell her what they had planned and there were tears, but she did have a lovely day - we all made a video for her with our greetings, her DD who lives nearby decorated her garden before she woke up and provided her with gourmet meals, and we all chatted to her during the day. Next was my niece who had planned a big 50th party, that has been re-scheduled for same date this year - hopefully will go ahead as it is in August. Then in January my DH was 70 - we had a great day - our 'kids' put together a video of all our friends singing his team's song and adding greetings which we all watched together courtesy of Zoom. Loads of friends delivered gifts/cards and I made a cake and we had a little Zoom party with a few friends to blow his candles out, I then delivered them some cake and posted some to DD and DS. DH said in a way his birthday was more special as people made an effort to get in touch- we would have had a party at the golf club in normal times. Last was DS's 40th - we made a compilation of photos of him set to music, interspersed with greetings from old uni mates and the like, he also had a Virtual Beer Tasting with his drinking buddies, and we had a 40 themed family quiz too. We are promising a family trip somewhere once we are allowed! But the saddest was DD2 who was supposed to get married in December - deferred to this coming December, which hopefully will work out, but don't think family from Australia will be able to come over, which will be very sad. There is another family 50th and another 80th before we will be allowed to freely celebrate, but we have lots of ideas now!!

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I had my 79 birthday last week. I live alone and am housebound. My family and friends posted cards and gifts to me plus I received 3 lots of flowers ? via post on the day, so even though I was alone I wasn't forgotten.

I arranged for a breakfast box from a well known Chef’s company in Cornwall- to be delivered for my OH’s birthday. Not cheap. Arrived at 11,30! Okay we had brunch but I complained and they wouldn’t agree the time was unacceptable. Mr RS making more money!

DH had his 70th in November. We threw caution to the wind .
I mentioned we are having a small get together to the nearest neighbors they didn’t report us.
Our AC stayed in their family groups social distancing.
Presents were put into a large lucky dip.
Luckily our lounge is a good size.
We had a home delivery of food. Plenty of ventilation in the room .But no hugs.
It wasn’t the same.

We have had 2 special birthdays during lockdown!! My DD’s 40th was last June and my DH had his 80th last October!! For my DD we had a surprise Zoom get together. We invited her close friends & family. We had a selection of photos, taken throughout her life set to music. We had a few games and quizzes and her DH had a cake made. We all wore plain white T-Shirts with a slogan related to DD and all the children made an appearance to sing happy birthday. It was actually a lot more fun than I’ve made it sound. It was far removed from the trips away and get together she had planned but it was better than not celebrating at all!! She received lots of cards, gifts and flowers too.
My DH & I had planned a trip away but spent the day at home with lots of FaceTime calls & cards & gifts being delivered. We had a takeaway of his choice for dinner and he thoroughly enjoyed his day. Lots of companies are catering to the personalised card & gift delivery market now. Also some boxed flower bouquets are available online.

In the past year I was 80, DS was 40 and DD 50. My little GD was 4, and we had a new baby GS arrive last May, whom we have yet to meet ‘in the flesh.’
I’m not really bothered about parties, but once we are free to mingle again it will be wonderful to catch up with everyone.

I was 70 last September and the planned cruise obviously didn’t happen, however I had a brilliant day out on the Solent with my DH, DD SiL and GDs. we enjoyed beautiful weather, sunny but cold, stopped at a restaurant for a meal managed to see a seal basking near the IOW and went home for the lovely birthday cake my DH had arranged to be made. I felt very loved and lucky. Once this pandemic is all over and it’s safe to travel again, I’m sure we’ll have another celebration ?

I have had 2 birthdays lockdown, both my 59th and 60th. I don't have a close family, so I just carried on as normal. It's also our 25th wedding anniversary in September, I don't like fuss, as previous days of what should've been happy, are spoilt by my daughters. You see I have mental health issues, which I have on going support for, my sons are lovely towards me, but I can't do anything right for my daughters, I've tried so hard apologising for my past mistakes, I've been told I've over compensated for being unwell, by giving them all they wanted. I can't keep it up, and now they're using abuse as a weapon against me. This makes me so unhappy that I have tried ending it, especially when they use my grandchildren to punish me, I love them dearly, and I did have a great relationship with my grandchildren. I've tried so hard, to be what they want me to be, but they just up their game all the time. It's just that I can't tolerate the abuse, so I don't like to celebrate occasions, it just leads me to remember what a failure I am.

I turned 70 at end of January myDH 67 and my DD 40 both mid February. We had planned a joint holiday in Madeira. Instead we had a home celebration with DD SIL and DGS as we are in a bubble and had all had our first jabs. Did a Greek meze for our meal with plenty of champagne, balloons and party poppers. Good time had by all.

Cousins celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary last week. Their son worked very hard getting as many family and friends from across the globe to send him a short video or message and photo and collaborated them all into a video that the couple watched on the day. It was lovely. Not sure, but I think the link he used was share.vidday.com.

In the road where we live, we have a Whats App group in case anybody needs anything. It was DH 70th birthday on the 2nd January and I put a message on Whats App to ask if anybody would be up for singing Happy Birthday on the doorstep at an agreed time. Nearly everyone agreed and at 8pm they all came out on the doorstep waving torches and singing Happy Birthday. One couple had crept up in advance and put 2 cocktails on the roof of my car and when I opened the door, another neighbour was just outside playing Happy Birthday on his clarinet. We don't know all of them very well, but they ceratinly got into the spirit and gave DH a wonderful surprise!

I’ll be having a big birthday after the April 12th relaxations but before the next phase in June. I’m so lucky to have a kind, generous and loving family but I hate any fuss. I really have to put on a big act when it happens. Of course I want the lockdown to end but selfishly wish it could be after my birthday!

It was my 70th birthday last summer. A family day at the seaside with all our children and grandchildren was planned. Cancelled. As both daughters live locally and there is a park 5 minutes walk from our house we had two mini celebrations, one with each D, SIL and 2 GC as the "rule of six" meeting in the park was allowed, inbetween lockdowns. We were unable to see our son and his family as they live 200 miles away. We still haven't met our 6 month old GD, very sad.

DH was 80 last September, our DDs (who were in our bubble) took us to Scarborough to pick up SiL, then took us to the farm where DH and Sil had been brought up. The current farmer showed us round. DH was thrilled. We then went to chippie and ate them outside, wonderful! We were then driven home. Had our evening meal at DD1s then took SiL back to our house where she stayed overnight. Next day we drove her back to Scarborough, stopping at the beautiful Thornton Dale for lunch and on the way back Helmsley for afternoon tea - He was thrilled with his celebration!

Weve had an 80th a 60th a 30th and our grandson was 10 I think it was hardest for him not seeing his friends or having a party etc all the grown ups have just deferred theirs until we can all get together and have one massive party