A pretty nice birthday

It was predicted that the cicadas might come out just in time for my birthday. It's the big year for this brood. They only come out every 17 years, and when they come they come in force. I've never experienced it before (having come from west of the Mississippi), but I've heard stories of people needing to sweep their sidewalks and not being able to sleep from the noise. I'm very excited! The one thing I still need to do is cover a few of my baby trees. They look for "pencil sized" limbs to slit open with their ovipositors and leave eggs behind. I planned to make my birthday cicada day at school. I wore a new cicada t-shirt. We watched a short video, read some cicada books and made cicada origami. I also played for them the sounds of the three different types that will emerge. Here are the cicada cupcakes I made:
Those are actually gummy spiders. It was the closest I could get to making it look like cicada nymphs coming out of the soil.
Here are some origami cicadas:
Here's what I found on my desk when I went in to school this morning. We have birthday buddies at school, so we don't have to take treats on our own birthday. My buddy left a bajillion mini candybars and banners across my desk and the white board at the front of the room. He also brought a cake for the lounge. I may have had two pieces of cake. I pretty much abstained from the candy, though....so far.
After school Mary stopped by for a bit (she's feeling much better, thanks to all who inquired) and brought a Crate and Barrel gift! Bamboo plates for barbecues and Ravinia! Then Pete, Henry and I went out for dinner at Oliverii's. Henry loves to watch the trains there.
At home I got this great NeverKink hose among other assorted nifty gifts.
Henry helped decorate my cake. Please pay extra close attention to the candle placement, especially the two yellow ones on the left.
Pete was brave enough to light almost all of them.
And they almost burned the house down....
Thanks, everyone, for the extra special birthday!!!