He’s been Carmody-ized!

The Carmody’s have a tradition. It’s silly and perhaps even a bit childish, but it’s ours, and we love it. Every year, when we were still living at home, my brother and I would wake up on our birthdays to a bedroom door that had been ballooned and cray-papered. And of course, waiting gleefully on the other side, were Ma and Pa Carmody with the cameras ready. It’s hard to describe the excitement that would rush through me each year when I saw that door. When I was little, I’d throw off the covers and bust through the decorations as fast I could. When I got older, I became progressively aware of the camera and did my best to at least tame my hair, and in later years I’d even put on different clothes–efforts to lessen the inevitable embarrassment when the family later gathered to look at the photos.

My mom was always the one to do the decorating. Even though Drew and I knew that it would happen—it happened every year—it always still felt like a surprise. She would wait until we were asleep—even if that meant waiting until the early morning hours. Breaking through the door was meant to symbolize our start in the new year, but I never really thought about that. Much more important to me was the love that I felt from my family.

This year, Frank turned 30, and I decided it was the perfect occasion to include him in the tradition that had been so important to me over the years. The results are below. The boy’s been Carmody-ized!