Shopping For Birthday Presents
It was now Thursday, May 10th 1979, the very day before Alan & Anne's birthday.
Everyone had gotten out of class and all of the Chan children had done their homework in study hall so they would have plenty of time to go shopping.
Before supper and before Anne took her shower the previous night, she & Suzie fixed up an old tool chest that their father got in a yard sale by repainting it like a kaleidoscope's bright insides when you look through it to give to Alan the next evening.
Henry found a couple of safes for Alan & Anne to keep the money they save in.
Stanley got a some cookbooks for Anne with the hopes she would give up her health nut ways as well as a very funny travel mug for Alan.
Suzie got Anne a white dress with a pink sash that tied in the back as well as a denim jacket and a lily pin and she got Alan a new watch.
Alan & Anne parted ways to shop for one another.
Alan bought a gold colored necklace with cheetah shaped beads and a full sun charm in vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange in its center for Anne.
While Anne got Alan a new video camera.
Tom got a few books of foreign languages for Anne and a few books on lesser known inventions & inventors for Alan.
Flip got Alan a new wrench set and he got Anne the next book in her favorite ghost story series.
Nancy had done one painting of Alan hugging Anne from a photograph for Alan at their 14th birthday and painted another portrait exactly like it for Anne, all she needed was to buy a couple of picture frames for the paintings before she wrapped them.
Mimi & Scooter combined their allowances and got Alan a cool tie-dyed case for his sunglasses and Anne a new blue baseball cap because they learned from Alan that Anne was into the color blue these days.
Even Layla got into the act, she got Anne a personalized canteen and she got Alan a book of sheet music for the oboe.
Tom romantically kissed Layla on the lips.
As soon as they got home, everyone had gone their separate ways to wrap a birthday gift or two.
The next morning was Friday May 11th as Alan went into the girls' bedroom to wake Anne.
After they got themselves ready for their school day, the Chan twins raced down the stairs to find Suzie had made their favorite kind of breakfast, a delicious and nutritious breakfast, much to Stanley's disappointment.
Suzie had made vanilla bean yogurt with blueberries, bananas, and granola in it, multi grain bagels with low fat cream cheese, fruit salad, and fresh squeezed orange juice.
"Oh yuck," Stanley said in a disappointed not to mention disgusted manner. "why should I have to eat this garbage?"
"Now, Stanley," Anne said firmly. "when it's your birthday, I will make you whatever you want for breakfast! Even if it does have a ton of fat & salt in it!"