Another Year Older and Wiser Too

I had a different kind of birthday this year. Bryan was out of town for the whole week before and didn't get back until a few minutes to midnight, which didn't leave time for birthday prep. I didn't have any desire to drag the kids to the store so they could birthday shop for me. I also didn't want to stay up late decorating for my own birthday. Additionally, my wonderful sleeper had her first really rough night (she didn't want to sleep, she just wanted to bounce on my lap and kiss my cheek) so I didn't climb into bed until 2am.

All this means that I woke up on my birthday and it felt like any other day. There were no gifts to open, no decorations, no birthday-specific baked goods. I had a jet-lagged husband working from home, hungry kids, a tired baby, and a tired me.

And yet, I felt content. The night before my birthday I had decided that what I wanted most of all was to spend time with my family. I made this happen on Friday by pulling a kid onto my lap every time one walked by. I snuggled and read and sang. We had a little dance party. Under Bryan's direction, the kids made cards and proudly presented them to me. It was great.

Thanks to friends and family, I did get lots of birthday texts, calls, and Facebook messages. For some reason my phone decided not to ring for most of the day, but it would deliver the messages. So if you called and I didn't answer, my phone may have been screening my calls without my permission.

And in the afternoon my visiting teacher dropped off a delicious loaf of banana bread, so I counted it as my birthday cake.

Between family time, electronic birthday greetings, and a nice family dinner out, it was a good day.