AN UNUSUAL BIRTHDAY GIFT

Once there was a boy named Randy. He was seven years old and had been the youngest member of his family for seven years. His mom called him her baby! He didn't mind most of the time, but sometimes, now that he was seven, he really didn't like being called "The Baby".

Randy had two older brothers, David and Keith, and an older sister, Jamie. Randy and Keith shared a room together. Sometimes the older boys teased Randy, and called him a baby. That is when he didn't like being called "the baby".

One day Randy's Mom told the children that they were going to get a baby brother or sister in a few months. Randy and his sister and brothers were very excited. Randy could hardly wait for this new baby.now he won't be 'the baby' any more.

On Randy's birthday, his Mom gave him a birthday party with all of his friends invited. Randy and his friends played games, ate cake and ice cream, and he opened his gifts. He had a very fun day.

The next afternoon, Mom said it was time for the baby to be born. Randy's Daddy was away at work and wouldn't be home until late that evening. So, Mom called the ambulance and it came and took her to the hospital. Later that evening, Randy's little baby sister, Elaine was born. Mom said that Elaine was Randy's birthday present. When they came home from the hospital, Mom gave Elaine to Randy. Mom told him that she would have to help him take care of Elaine, but she was his baby. He thought that was a very good birthday present.

When Elaine was about two months old the family went on vacation. They went to Yosemite Valley. They had a baby-back-pack to carry Elaine in. As they hiked around the Valley they all took turns carrying her around in the back-pack. One day while it was Randy's turn to carry Elaine, he was walking around in the store. Two women in the store looked at him and then looked into the back-pack. The one of them said to the other, "There is a REAL baby in there!" Randy was very proud of HIS baby.

Daddy bought a baby swing for Elaine. It had a wind-up motor that kept it swinging. It would swing for quite awhile, then it needed to be wound up again. Randy liked to wind up the swing for Elaine. She liked the swing and was happy in it while it was swinging, but she didn't like to sit there if it was still.

Soon Elaine learned to crawl. Randy liked to crawl along the floor with her. He liked to make faces at her and make her laugh. He liked to hold her up and help her try to walk. With her older sister and brothers helping, Elaine learned to walk when she was only 9 months old.

When it was time for their birthday, Randy's eighth birthday, and Elaine's first birthday, Mom got one big cake and decorated it to say, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RANDY AND ELAINE" For several years they celebrated their birthdays' together. Elaine never minded celebrating a day early!

In the summer-time Randy's family went down to the river to swim. They took a picnic lunch and several friends and Randy's cousins. His cousin, Bruce was just Randy's age and they had a lot of fun playing together on the beach and in the water.

While they were at the river, Randy's older sister, Jamie and her friend, Charla, were watching Elaine. They watched her as she started walking toward the water.Jamie thought Elaine would stop when the water got up to her knees...Elaine just kept walking. They watched her as she kept walking into the water until it was over her head. Jamie was walking right behind Elaine now. She picked Elaine up out of the water and asked her, "Did you go, 'glub, glub, glub'?" and laughed at her. Elaine sputtered a little and then laughed back at Jamie. For several months after that, every time they drove by the swimming hole, Elaine would point and say, "That's where I went glub, glub, glub".

Soon after their birthday that year, Randy's family moved into a brand-new house. It was a two-story house, and although he still shared his room with his brother, it was a nice big room. It was almost big enough to be two rooms. They had a nice big back yard, and a big front yard. At the end of the street there was a good trail to ride their bikes. Randy had a friend who lived close by. They would take their bikes and have races up and down the hill. There was also a field behind his house where they could go exploring.

Shortly after they moved into their new home, Randy's family got a new baby brother. Although it wasn't her birthday, Mom gave this new baby boy to Elaine. Her new little brother's name was Gregory. Elaine's Mom told her that she would have to help Elaine take care of Gregory, but he was her baby. Elaine liked that, and she was willing to share her new little baby with her older brothers and sister. And they liked that!

Baby Elaine 

 Baby Greg

THE END

Neona Owen 

Friday, February 11, 2000