Birthdays, Including Shakespeare's

So, my son's birthday is coming up - May 4. As such, he's begun a countdown. Every day we get questions like "Whose birthday is next?" and "How many days til my birthday?"

Driving home from a mini-vacation yesterday I got to engage in this priceless little conversation:

B: "Is my birthday is next?"

Me: "Well, Daddy's is next, then yours. I suppose that Shakespeare's birthday is technically next."

B: "Are you going to Shakespeare's birthday party?"

Me: "You know, I almost did. We were thinking about going to Washington D.C for vacation, and if we were down there then yes, we would go to Shakespeare's birthday party. They have a big building there that is all about Shakespeare, and they would have a party."

B: "Will any bad guys be invited to Shakespeare's birthday party?"

Me: "Bad guys? I don't think that he'd want any bad guys at his party."

B: "You know, like Macbeth...?"

Me: "No, I don't think that Macbeth will be going to Shakespeare's birthday party. Would you like Macbeth to come to your birthday party?"

B: "No." *beat* "I would invite Hamlet to my birthday party."

He has promised me that next year he wants a Shakespeare birthday party, because party themes are oh-so-crucial when you are this age. My middle daughter has at times listed off the next 5 themes for her birthday parties. I keep telling him that none of his friends would understand a Shakespeare party, but who knows, we'll see if he still thinks of it next year. My problem is that I'm well aware that they do this sort of thing because I think it will make me happy, but no matter how cute that is, I would not steal my kids' birthday party just for a little more Shakespeare.