Post-Birthday Recap

Well, it's official; I'm another year older, plus a week.

Birthdays have been different since Oscar and Bella died. They haven't seemed nearly as important or me-focused. I think part of that is because I can never have what I truly want: all my kids with me at the same time.

Since Jon had his running class on Saturday morning, he wanted to give me my gifts on Friday night. So, while I worked on getting dinner together, Jon and Gus headed upstairs to prep the presents. Gus had already leaked that one of my gifts was a candle, but he leaked another gift upon their return to the kitchen by asking me, "Can I have one of your chocolates?", to which I responded, "I don't have any chocolates." Gus was quick to correct me by pointing at the bag that Jon had placed on the kitchen table and saying, "They're in there."

Saturday morning, I was awakened by Gus and a book that he wanted me to read. So, down to the living room we went while Jon got up to get dressed for his running class. Gus decided that we needed to make pancakes, and not the ones from the freezer. So, pancake batter we made. Gus wanted blue and I made mine purple. After the pancakes were cooked (Thank you, Jon), Jon had about 10 minutes to cook his omelet and leave the house to get to running. Gus and I then had a very lazy morning eating our pancakes and watching Curious George. Eventually, I noticed that it was almost 9 o'clock, so I asked Gus if he wanted to go to the library.

After much cajoling, sometimes a necessary task when trying to get a 3-year-old to stop watching television. We got the TV off, put our breakfast dishes away and headed upstairs to get dressed. We had headed back downstairs to finish getting ready to leave the house when Jon came home, so we were able to go the library as a family :)

After lunch (Jon cooked for me) and Gus' nap, we went to a birthday party for a little boy who turned 2 and just happens to share my birthday. It was nice to be able to celebrate him, as he's a first rainbow, for our friends. Then it was off to my birthday dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant. I treated myself to a virgin margarita and their cheese dip, along with my dinner. It was so special, though. Earlier on Saturday, Jon asked Gus to sing "Happy Birthday". He said that he needed to wait until my party. After explaining that I wasn't having a party, they agreed that they would sing to me at the restaurant.

So, after our food arrived, Jon and Gus sang to me. Gus was dancing in his seat while he was singing. At the same time that my heart was bursting with love for this little boy and my husband who can make me so happy, my heart was breaking that Oscar, Bella, Tittle and Firefly will never be able to sit by me, on my birthday, and sing to me.

Sunday was another relaxed day for me. Gus had soccer in the morning, which is held at a park with a HUGE playground, so after soccer we headed over to play. Gus had a GREAT time with us following him all around the play structure. Then it was home for lunch, Gus' nap and Jon off to the grocery store. I should have napped while Gus did, but instead I just loafed on the couch. After Gus woke up and had snack we headed back to the park for more playing before we met Jon's mom for dinner.

Except it wasn't just Jon's mom, it was his brother and niece, too. Having my brother-in-law and niece along with dinner with my MIL is actually a good thing, but I just wasn't expecting it and not exactly what I wanted to have as the final event of my birthday weekend. It also didn't help that nobody in Jon's family knew that it was even my birthday weekend, so that was completely awkward when they discovered that. All in all, the dinner was good, since Gus doesn't get to spend much time with this cousin.

So, a nice, full (but relaxing) birthday weekend for me.