What Happens When You Turn 44

Ah, my birthday was this past week.  There were some ups and some downs that day. 

Up:  Jackson got up and made his own breakfast and packed his lunch as his gift to me.

Down:  I had an email in my inbox from The Scooter Store.  I wish I was kidding. 

Down:  I put on a sweater that is, um, not quite fitting right this year.  I asked Caroline if it looked ok and she said, “No, it looks too small,” just as I suspected.

Up:  Then she said, with all innocent sincerity, “Mom, you must still be getting taller.”

Up:  I worked at the school library.  At one point, I was searching for one specific book out of thousands at the request of a little kindergartener that tells me “on the cover there’s a duck.”  And that’s all he knows, but he really really wants it.  And his eyes tear up when it’s not looking like I could possibly find it and I’m questioning him if it is a made-up story or a book about real ducks.  But wow, did I get a huge beaming smile once I finally found the book for him.  It was a Disney comic-type book with Donald Duck on the cover.  I feel good about my patience some days.

Up:  I had a good check up at the dentist, no work needed. 

Down:  I had the talkingest hygienist on Earth.  She drug a fifteen minute cleaning out to an hour.  I am not kidding. 

Up:  I learned all about her hometown Benld’s burned down Coliseum Ballroom and its ties to Al Capone and that Tina Turner herself is making a donation and appearance to memorialize the building where she and Ike got their start.

Down:  I left my phone at the school and couldn’t call them to tell them to just leave it in the library until I could swing by and get it. 

Up:  When I stopped by to get it, my friend told me her first thought was to text me to let me know that I’d left my phone.

Up:  I treated myself to French onion soup in a bread bowl at Bread Co. followed by a trip into the shoe store.

Down:  The shoes I’ve been eyeing for months still weren’t on sale.

Up:  I bought them anyway, rationalizing it as ok since I had $15 off in coupons and had won $25 at Bunco last week.  And I love my new shoes! 

Down:  I did something wrong that I can’t even remember right now related to Grant. 

Up:  When I admitted my wrongdoing, he said with all innocent sincerity, “That’s ok, mom.  I’m not going to explode on you today.  That can be your birthday present from me.”

Down:  I had to go to a medical office for a follow-up.  I was fine with it, but wished I wasn’t there.  Especially on my birthday.

Up:  In walks my hubby who had secretly taken off work to be there with me. 

Up:  He also gave the one tangible item I wanted this year as a present.   Yesss, my garbage disposal!

Up:  Gary and the kids met my one other demand request and took me out to La Fonda, my favorite Mexican place.  I told them I did not want a big to-do like the giant sombrero and drink on fire and singing and wickedly loud spinning wooden noisemaker like last year.  I just wanted a meal.  Nothing else.

Down:  The kids told the waiter every single time he stopped by the table that it was my birthday.

Up:  The waiter seemed to respect the knife-to-the-throat-cutting gesture I gave him.  I again am not kidding. 

Up:  He brought me a beautiful, muy delicioso dessert with absolutely not one bit of birthday fanfare.

Up: I received like what felt like a million Facebook messages about my birthday and that felt great.  Plus, phone calls and cards and sometimes it just amazes me the people that think of my birthday! 

Up:  I talked to my folks on the phone and had a nice little conversation catching up.

Down:  My dad wished me a Happy 46th Birthday (on my 44th!).  I laughed and he didn’t.  I said “Dad, really?  46??!”  And he said, “Oh, am I off?  Well, I thought you were gettin close to 50.”

Up:  It was a great day. 

Down:  It’s over until next year.