Husband Plans Birthday Surprise for Wife: A PARADE

It was a romantic idea.  A charming gesture.  Sweet.

"It was insane," declared Kelly Shapiro emphatically. 

"I may be sleeping on the couch tonight," said her husband Adam sheepishly.

But both Kelly and Adam suppressed grins, talking about Adam's surprise for Kelly's 40^th birthday.  Not content to plan a simple party, Adam secretly arranged an entire parade in her honor.

Thus, at exactly 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 21, about twenty of the Shapiro's family members, friends and neighbors gathered excitedly at the designated meeting place on Summit Avenue.  Brandishing kazoos, musical instruments and a gigantic homemade banner, they were ready for Kelly when she arrived.

Kelly and Adam, driving back home after having breakfast with friends, pulled up to the waiting crowd.  As Kelly slowly emerged from the car, she greeted the well-wishers with open-mouthed surprise.   Her face was a mixture of wonder and joy.  Then she turned to Adam with an expression familiar to many husbands.  It said: "I'm going to kill you."

"I told him, 'just don't make a big deal of my birthday'," Kelly remarked afterward, standing on her front lawn surrounded by the parade-marchers.  "When I asked what he was planning and he said, 'Trust me.'  That's when I knew he was up to no good."

But a parade?  Kelly was flabbergasted.  As she stood there in shock, she was serenaded ("Happy Birthday dear Kelly!") and given a special commemoration t-shirt.  She refused to wear the t-shirt but somehow consented to wear the festive feather boa someone draped on her shoulders.   The next thing she knew she was traveling down the street in a white convertible festooned in bright blue bunting.

Trying to be a good sport, she waved weakly to passers-by.

"I thought it was such a fun thing to do," giggled her neighbor, Maureen Ohlmuller, who, along with her daughter Jane, 8, marched in the parade.  "She was about to kill him."

In fact, as the motorcade-of-one cruised down Summit Avenue, Kelly began to see the humor in the situation.  By the time she and Adam emerged from the car (on Summit and Grove) she was laughing and joking with the neighbors. 

"I like the kazoos," she admitted.  "Little Ethan was cute with the accordion."

"I think it's very romantic," enthused Melissa Giordano, the Shapiro's across-the-street neighbor.  "I love stuff like this."  Melissa marched in the parade with her four children (Hannah, Nora, Katie and Elizabeth) while twirling a baton.  Husband Don played the trumpet.

Kelly's sister, Holly Foster from South Carolina, made sure to be in Montclair for the occasion.  Naturally, Holly knew what her sister's reaction would be.

"That's Kelly," she laughed.  "How do you spell divorce?  P-A-R-A-D-E."

Kelly chimed in, "He did a big engagement thing for me, but that was tasteful.  (When I saw the parade) my first thought was, 'I'm not getting out of this car'."

When asked what would happen after the parade Kelly admitted, "I'll forgive him, but I'll just torture him for a little while first.  Look, I have a wonderful family a wonderful husband.  He's just not always sane."

Post-parade, the marchers met for an afternoon backyard barbeque at the Sharpiro's home.   Everyone relaxed and socialized, chattering about the birthday surprise.

"I can't believe he pulled it off," said Giordano.

"It was fantastic," said neighbor Eric Rosendorf, who attended with his 2-year-old daughter Ava.

 "All the noise was fun," piped up 8-year-old Aidan Fink of Westfield. 

"Adam was so excited.  He'd been planning it for months," said Kelly Manno from Warwick New York, Kelly's best friend since she was three.  "Adam is so in love with Kelly.   How could you not think it's wonderful?"

Adam's reaction to the day's events was, not surprisingly, warm and heartfelt.  "I remember, my best friend Noel when I was growing up, his dad did something similar for his mom's birthday.  Thirty-five years later, I still remember it."  Adam smiled.   "I was nervous what Kelly's reaction would be.  But I didn't want to let '40' pass without letting her know how much people around her love her.  She's a special lady."