Surprise...
"Surprise!" They all yelled in unison.
And the victim, my lovely wife, stood there. No jump. Just a look of shock on her face emphasized by her bugged-out eyes. Any less self control and it's possible her jaw would have hit the floor.
That's right. I threw Katie a surprise party for her 30th birthday this past Saturday. I know it was two weeks after the fact, but it was the only weekend I could bring just about everybody I wanted together to celebrate without it being too far gone from her actual birthday that it would have lost all effect.
19 people were in attendance in all, including our parents and siblings, some neighbors, and our gamenight friends save for one couple that were snowed in up in el Campo de Queso (that would be Wisconsin).
Two weeks late has an advantage, too, in that she didn't suspect a thing. That's right, I kept it a surprise, baby! The fact that I managed to keep from acting freaked out all day is a shock even to me. That I didn't slip and eke out word of the affair in the weeks leading up to it is also noteworthy. That not a single one of the 19 other attendees slipped in the slightest is nothing short of a miracle.
I wish I had photos, but I forgot that I changed jackets and left my camera in my other one that day. Some people took photos, but I have yet to see them. Maybe someone will take pity and e-mail them to me. Please?
I'm impressed anytime someone can keep a surprise party a secret. (Especially from a woman.) Kudos!
Posted by: Rabbit | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 07:13 AM
Thats a great idea. Although I would have to do it 2 weeks the other way. Better early than late where my lovely wife is concerned. :)
Posted by: g-man | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 07:40 AM
Ooh! Happy birthday to Katie again!
Did you give her all new presents? :-)
Posted by: Dave2 | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 07:41 AM
I love surprises. I've only had one surprise party in my life and it was the best.
Posted by: Karl | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 07:42 AM
How awesome. I love surprise parties.
Posted by: suze | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 07:49 AM
Haha! Surprise Parties are the only trick worth doing! :) We threw one for my dad a week and a half before his birthday, and told him it was a party for his grandson (whose birthday was the day before). THe expression is always priceless! I bet Katie had a blast :)
Posted by: kilax | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 08:58 AM
I'm impressed! I can never pull off surprise parties because I always spill the beans. I planned one for a friend once and then accidentally sent her an evite to her own party. What an idiot!!
Posted by: Elaine | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 09:01 AM
you are a gem.
Posted by: ms. sizzle | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 09:46 AM
Rock! That sounds so awesome! I always wanted a surprise party, but I'm too much of a planner in general, so no one ever took away the reins :)
Posted by: Bre | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 10:22 AM
Rabbit, it is certainly not easy to keep a secret from a woman. I was literally patting myself on the back. Until it felt like I was on the verge of throwing out my shoulder.
g-man, for Katie, early would have been obvious. Better late. But not too late.
Dave, no! No more presents.
Karl, strange thing is I'm not much of a surprise person. Katie wanted to give me a surprise party for my 30th, but I didn't want one.
Suze, when they work out, they're great. I was so worried this wouldn't work out.
kilax, she did have a blast.
Elaine, you sent her an evite to her own party?? That's classic.
Sizzle, thanks!
Bre, I think it probably helped that I'm not the planner in our couple. So that threw her off a bit, I'm sure.
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 12:23 PM
I am so horrible at keeping secrets that when I am invited to one, I have to stop talking to the person until the party. One of my best friends thought I was mad because I wouldn't return her calls. She forgave me when she found out why I had been avoiding her.
Posted by: tori | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 12:50 PM
No joke, surprise parties are impossible to keep secret. I will admit though, done right they are the coolest thing ever (a la my 18th surprise birthday party complete with my 5th period English Teacher).
Kudos to you, Kevin.
Posted by: Dustin | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 01:36 PM
How awesome of you and I am glad she was truly surprised. Can I just say that you two are the cutest couple ever?
Posted by: Hilly | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 01:50 PM
I say 3 way tie for cutest couple - You and Katie, Hil and Shawn and yes, Dan and I are also in the running...gotta love happily married people. The surprise party puts you in the leed, clever, hmmm...what's next for the remaining 2 couples?
Posted by: Foo | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 02:46 PM
That would be "lead" :o)
Posted by: Foo | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 02:46 PM
Adorable!! Nobody's ever planned me a surprise party, but probably because I start planning my own birthday a month in advance and have everything all filled up long before the actual day arrives, so nobody would be able to squeeze in the time to surprise me, regardless of how hard they tried. ;)
Posted by: diane | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 03:00 PM
tori, some of Katie's friends did that to her. She thought they were all just horrible people for not returning calls. Now she knows better.
Dustin, did you get a surprise Sweet 18th? Nice.
Hilly, you can keep saying it. ;-)
Foo, and soon we will have Alissa and Evan to worry about. Too cute. But only engaged for now. What's in store for you other two? I dunno. But you'd better act quick or you'll be voted off the island!
diane, that's why it's so great to do it after the fact. No collision of party ideas.
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 05 March 2007 at 05:16 PM