Poor Ashley’s birthday falls just after Christmas. Every birthday, her friends were busy with their families or away on vacation. One year, Mom took pity on her and let her have a birthday party in the summer. Ashley got to invite some friends over to camp in the yard.
Oh, that’s just terrible!! But funny.
Ashley has always had pretty terrible luck, I think.
Wow, I’ll feed my kids anything that makes them go to sleep early! How bad would I be if I fed it to them everyday?………….Skunks are the worst!
Well, I think that depends on your local serving laws :P That skunk smell hung around for days.
creative and funny – a good combo
Thank you!
I got sprayed by a skunk once! What an adventure that was. They were in my grandma’s basement and we herded all 6 of them into a box.
Yikes! Ashley had a childhood friend with a pet skunk who was “de-skunked,” as Ashley put it. I was always incredibly jealous that I never got to meet it. AND my parents refused to even consider getting one for our household.
I love the picture of the girls singing and dancing before the skunk struck. Such a happy, carefree scene; such a contrast to the terribly sad end.
:) You can be sure that the rest of the girls were looking dolefully out the window, hurting as only children uninvited to the party can hurt. Am I saying Ashley deserved it? Noo….
Ashley singing in the backyard in her pj’s…I want a t-shirt with that screen on it.
Hahaha! I’ll see if I can make that happen.
Awwww! Poor thing! I bet grasshopper pie could make her forget all her troubles.
Squish and I both have birthdays in the December dead zone. I feel Ashley’s pain. But I must say, we never experienced the skunk thing. She must be a Capricorn.
Grasshopper pie is so delicious and wonderful. It could make anyone forget their troubles…. especially if they ate the whole pie! Chrissy’s birthday is also in December. There are a couple weeks in December when Ashley and Chrissy are the “same” age. Chrissy would crow about it and make Ashley so mad… I’ll have to do a comic about that this December! :D
Great idea to celebrate a Christmas birthday in the summer!
I grew up with dogs who got skunked at least once every summer. The smell of tomato juice and skunk never truly leaves. Great post!
Yeah, I don’t remember tomato juice working very well… I just remember that lingering smell.
So funny. Why on earth would it spray them if they were in the tent? Stinking skunk. My son’s birthday is in early February and even then we always deal with winter weather or sickness. One year he’s going to need a summer birthday party.
Who knows? Those skunks have some attitude. I’m hope your son will have a more successful summer party :)
oh no!!! poor baby! how long did it take for the stench to go away?
Days. We lived near a large patch of woods and had many animal visitors. The skunks, unfortunately, were frequent callers.
oh, yuck! As a post-Christmas December baby, I love the idea of a birthday party in July. But overall, December birthday were pretty fun, too (and usually skunk-free). :)
Ashley’s December birthdays got better in time, so I think she’d agree with you :)
I love the dance party in the second scene… are those little tiny skunk eyes behind the stone wall in scene 3?? These stories are absolutely awesome!!
Carol, what sharp eyes you have!
Good catch :) Thank you!
This is why I never stray from tradition anymore. Also, I think I love mom and dad the best in cut-paper. You nail mom’s haircut.
Mom’s haircut was very important to me. I still have to tell the story of the time mom got a pixie cut and dyed her hair red…
Oh no!!! I feel so bad for Ashley! But it still is pretty funny!
:) It was an unforgettable birthday, at least!
Seriously, very funny!
Thanks! :)
I’m just glad it wasn’t a badger ;)
They are also lucky it wasn’t the neighbor’s ram! He often escaped from his pen. Dad would leave the house for work only to find that damn ram standing on top his car. It was wonderful!
What a great childhood memory!
Really? One skunk incident, and no more summer parties? Summer is MADE for fun, cheap birthday parties–at the park, at the beach, in someone’s backyard pool, or just a simple barbecue/picnic type setup with outdoor games. It’s not as if camping is the only option. Please say that Ashley didn’t get cheated out of friend parties forever just because of that one little mishap.
Where we grew up, there weren’t too many people with backyard pools. Unless you count the plastic kiddie pool kind. We were more of a lake-going people. :) I liked my December birthdays, don’t worry! Plenty of rollerskating/tea party/sweater parties!
Oh, okay. By the way, I forgot the most obvious alternative–indoor sleepovers. Did you and your sisters and friends ever do that?
Of course! We liked to build “forts” that took over the living room!
At December parties you always have to worry about getting sprayed with penguin pee.
LOL Peg! Dang. I can’t think of anything clever to respond with (which kills me on Nikki’s blog because her posts are so intricately fabulous). Case in point, my current thought: “Well, that party stinks.”
I’m sorry, Nikki. You deserve better. Luckily you have Peg.
Nicki! Gah. Two k’s is a habit from another Nicki/Nikki I know.
That’s okay, I can’t always think of comments for blogs, either, even if I loved them and reread them!
Ha!
:D :D :D :D …..
Oh dear, I just noticed the titles of the images when I hovered my mouse over them. It’s like inception, a story within a story. Amazing.
:D Not always, though. Sometimes, they are just terrible puns.
Love it! Great how the parents are holding their coffee cups.
Thanks :) When I think of my mother, I think of her holding a coffee mug. I think having 5 children really drove her caffeine habit.
I can imagine.
Can we get the recipe for grasshopper pie some day?
I’ll have to ask my mom…
Tell your sister to holiday in the southern hemisphere over Christmas. New Zealand’s nice, and we have a summer Christmas. Sucks to be Santa but it’s ok for the rest of us.
Oh, that sounds very nice!
Oh dear, I can’t imagine what that must feel like!
Poor little Ashley.
Haha oh no that’s awful! There are skunks in our neighbourhood sometimes and I’m always so terrified of getting sprayed on my way home.
They do seem to be a little jumpy and spray-happy.
Hahahat that’s terribly unfortunate! But I can absolutely relate because my birthday is actually on Christmas. Everyone’s busy. I did the same thing once. My mom let me have a summer swim party with a magician and it was the greatest. There had to be a reason we only did that once though…
Everyone I know who did a summer party for their December birthday only did it once. Maybe it’s just not the same?
I’m thinking the Grasshopper pie recipe needs to become known. I’ve never heard of it but if it can knock out some rambunctious tweens I’m all for it. If it works on husbands…even better.
Hehehe… It’s pretty great. I’ve found recipes similar to my mom’s online, but hers is so pitch-perfect, I’ve never tried the others.
oh my, that’s terrible. I love the drawing.
Thanks! :D
Now I want some grasshopper pie…
As someone whose birthday falls mid-January, I can quite happily boast that I have never been plagued by a skunk in the middle of my birthday party. That is why January birthdays are great. (PS. The picture of the girl munching away in the tent is literally genius.) :)
Where I live, we have a skink problem too. Especially in the summer. Imagine living in a non-air conditioned house, having to rely on opening every door/window to let what little summer night breeze to cool off, and then having some random punk skunk decide to take a leisurely night stroll. Next imagine me and hubby frantically running to each and every door/window and slamming it in attempt to keep the skunk smell out–and then sweating our butts off in the heat of our now breezeless home….
Skunks=Jerks!!!!
:)
wow! i just stumbled across your blog. i love it! good work!
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde and commented:
This one has to go out to my little sister E., whose birthday is also just after Christmas. Poor thing, every year she had to celebrate her birthday before Christmas with her big sister (me – my birthday is Dec. 18). This post is just too funny!
Yet another reason that I don’t do camping.
Oh my!
There is an order to things and it just doesn’t pay to disrupt it.
Hey! I’ve nominated you for a Lovely Blog award, clearly means that I love your blog! Do visit here http://lifeofmee.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/lovely-blog-award/ to check it out
LOVED the dancing girls panel – especially of the sis in the footies pjs. Yes, I’m sitting here with a cup of coffee as I’m reading this! :) Hope you are having an awesome summer Nicki. :)
hahah oh my God! LOL
I’m glad we don’t have skunks in England, at least I’ve never seen any.
Um, I realize I’m months late to this party, but i don’t know how I missed this one.
Grasshopper Pie sounds amazing. I need to force my kids to eat some. Right now.
The Middlest Sister 
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