My Birthday

Last Monday it was my birthday. I'm 35, again! It was pretty ho-hum but nice. It started out with my son waking up at 6:30AM, coming to my bed telling me he couldn't sleep so well anymore. That's my cue to let him under the covers, and we snuggle. Then he looks at me with great big eyes and says, "Guess what day it is, Mama? It's your BIRTHDAY." Snuggle, snuggle some more. Then he says, as he grabs around my neck, "I'm gonnnnnaa love you." and gives me a big kiss, the likes of which are common on most soap opera shows. Wow. I'd never heard him use the work "love" in verb form. And a nice kiss to boot. Things were starting off great! Then, for fun he blew "raspberries" into my stomach which, when done slowly, makes for a wonderful farting noise. GREAT entertainment for any boy. As we were laughing, I was thinking, is it making that sound because I've had a baby and my skin is looser than it used to be, or would it have done that anyway? Hmmm...Either way, it was great 5-year-old-fun stuff.
After I dropped him off for a short day at Summer camp/day care, I went to the car wash. It's a little pathetic, but I generally wait until my birthday to get a car wash because they do it for free when you show ID that proves it's really your birthday. I guess they figure most people don't actually spend their birthdays at the car wash, if they can help it. Not me. So I said, "It's my birthday, what kind of deal can you give me?" He said I could get a free wash, but I told him I needed more. I need an inside detail, wash AND wax. Normally it would cost $170 but he gave it to me for $120. OK. Then I went to pay the girl inside and she asked if I was a AAA member (yes I am!) and then gave me $20 off for that. AND a coupon for a free car wash on any other day. What a deal!! See what I mean? It's worth it to visit the car wash on your birthday! While they did their magic, I started reading another book by Jodi Picoult--The Tenth Circle. It's great so far, like all the other books I've read by her. Hopefully I'll find time to read it without forgetting what I've already read and have to start all over again. Reading-for-fun time is hard to find.
Then, my mom and Ann (our hairdresser and friend) met me at my house and took me out for a fine Mexican lunch at La Paloma. It's a great restaurant and even though I don't go out much, we felt extra special because we know the owners and they stopped by and chatted with us. I'm always impressed with their soup. Always try the soups in Mexican restaurants. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Later, I picked up T from day care and learned that his first baby tooth had come out in his little fingers during nap time (he doesn't sleep but takes a short rest--and clearly fiddled with the dangling tooth until it came out). Nice. Such an event on my birthday!
For dinner, we went to my parents house and had a nice home made Talapia fish dinner (filets only--hate little fish bones) with a big fat hot apple pie and ice cream for dessert. I like pie better than cake, in general. Unfortunately, none of my siblings could make it for pie/coffee. I hate that. I always make their birthday celebrations, and all their kids too. But when it comes to mine, everyone is too busy or has an excuse as to why they can't come. This year I let them know, that's not cool. But, really, next year will likely be the same s***. After dinner I got to chat on the phone with my favorite Tante C in New Zealand and thanked them both for my present. They are always SO good with getting out the cards right on time for birthdays. It makes me feel special and I try hard to do the same for them.
At least my parents and son made it nice. I got lovely pearl earrings and a blue tooth car device (to remain legal while driving and talking on the cell phone) from my parents, and a really cool paua shell necklace from my aunt and uncle in NZ (Paua shell is like a super colorful abalone shell and pretty much their signature NZ jewelry). Plus a couple of phone calls and lots of email greetings too. And T made me several colorful drawings. And the kisses and hugs all day.
I had a lovely birthday.

A visit to the dentist

Two weeks before T was to become 5 years old we had a dentist check up. I should mention during this time that I was very busy soaking up everything I could about T still being FOUR and acutely aware that time was passing too quickly and soon he'll be five and never more FOUR years old! Everything went well. In fact T insisted I stay in the waiting room while he got his check up. Wise guy. After the visit the doctor said all was well--no cavities. But he's getting his SIX YEAR molars in and there are some loose teeth in the bottom center!!! Hey! I didn't even know there WERE six year molars. And if there are six year molars, clearly, they should come in when he's SIX! And what about wiggly teeth??! I seem to recall most kids have missing teeth in first through third grade, not before they hit kindergarten! Now, there is one tooth that moves nearly 90 degrees from it's originally steady stand-point. I'm not helping it come out! But pretty soon it will find it's way into his little fingers. I've been up beat about the Tooth Fairy coming and how wonderful it is. (Suddenly I thought about how freaky it might be to expect a stranger to come in, in the middle of the night!) She'll thank him for his tooth and she will leave money under his pillow. He asked if she was coming for real or pretend? Hey, I thought, stop asking such reality based questions! I never asked such things when I was a kid! I said, "It's like the fairy in Pinocchio--the one that could make him into a real boy. But this fairy loves children so much, she collects their baby teeth and keeps them safe in her house. Losing your baby teeth means you are getting to be a big boy." He said, "I don't want to be big like you. I want to be like I am."(Me too, I thought...). So I said, "You will always be Mama's little boy." And he said that was good, but he didn't want to be a girl either. Well, that's settled, he's not going to turn into a girl. And, for me, the little boy will always be there, even when he's 6 feet tall. *sigh*

The Beginner Blogger

Wow. I'd thought about this for a while and now I've finally plunged in!

I hope this will be a good spot for me to jot down ideas and keep memories intact of the day to day events that happen as we go along. As John Lennon once wrote: Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. Or something close to that :). So many little things happen that seem inconsequential at the time but later end up having a great impact. This blog will help to serve as a place to look back and see all the little experiences and, through time, find which ones had worked to change my world, or the world, or just me.

Personal history and pictures to follow....