Friday, August 5, 2011

Happy Birthday to Me.

I find it amusing how, at the ripe old age of 45, it is important to me that when my youngest child was born, I was 40.  Not 41.  40.  Granted, I was days shy of turning 41 when my baby was born to another mother, but nonetheless, I was a mere 40.  With my family now complete, I like knowing how old I was when my children were born:  37, 38, and 40.

I had frankly put my birthday on the back burner this year, because frankly I'm not really in the mood for another birthday (in the past ten days, we've celebrated Geoff's, my Dad's, Lizzie's and Seth's).  Also, Geoff and I quietly decided that we wouldn't tell the younger kids that it's my b-day today because we're not going to do a family celebration of it for a couple of weeks, when various family members get back from vacation...and I think it's too confusing for the kids to know that today is my birthday but we're going to celebrate it in two weeks.  I can just hear them thinking:  huh??

That being said, I was wished Happy Birthday by many friends and family today: via phone; email; and facebook.  Also, a dear friend joined the kids and me for a picnic lunch today and, in addition to bringing me gifts (which she gave and which I opened furtively so that the kids wouldn't put two and two together!), she quietly sang happy birthday in my ear.  Though the picnic ended rather depressingly with a tantrum (from one of the kids, not me!), it was nonetheless a wonderful way to feel celebrated.

In addition, I do get one big gift tonight:  A night off!  I haven't had an evening off (barring 90 minutes ten days ago that still had me get back to the house before the bedtime routines started) since before we left for Ethiopia to pick up the kids.  So this evening after dinner (which will be an easy prep one!) I am going to go by myself to a nearby Starbucks, buy myself a full-fat salted caramel hot chocolate (extra hot), take a book and my computer with me, and just sit there.  Maybe I'll even go to a late movie, I don't know.  But as a person who really does value spending time on her own once in a while, and not having had it for what feels like an impossible amount of time, this is the absolute best gift of all for me right now.  I can hardly wait to get out the door in just a little while.

So on that note, I will bid you good night, and wish you blessings for the weekend!

Ruth

9 comments:

  1. Happy birthday dear Ruth. Enjoy your evening, you deserve it.

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  2. Happy Birthday, Ruth! I'm so happy you get to have a night off!! Enjoy it to the fullest and I hope you get to keep celebrating for 2 weeks until the "official" day. :-)

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  3. Happy Birthday Ruth, ENJOY every minute of your night off--Fully deserved for sure!!!

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  4. Ruth,

    First, I want to wish you a very happy birthday!!! So nice and indulgent that you get a night to yourself. You deserve it so I really hope you enjoy whatever you end up doing. I too haven't really had any time to myself since we've been home. A bath here or there but never any real time. Once we move, I fully intend to take some time. Enjoy your night off. I will live vicariously through you for the next few weeks. Please post about your time, as long as you don't mind sharing. Thanks for your post on my blog. I'm so glad someone is still out there reading. Good to know my book choices are good ones. Anyway, just wanted to say happy birthday, enjoy your evening to yourself and have a great weekend!

    P.S. when I was talking about your post, my husband asked who you were so I showed him your blog to remind him and he lit up as soon as he saw Lizzie and asked me if I remembered that she was the girl we saw in E. Duh! How could I forget a moment so special. Blessings to you and your family too. Ange

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  5. Happy Birthday Ruth! I hope your time to yourself was rejuvenating!

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  6. Happy Birthday Ruth! Hope you have a fantastic evening :)

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  7. Happy Birthday Ruth! I'm soooo glad that you were able to have an evening out and to do what you wanted. I hope it was fantastic, relaxing and rejuvenating. I feel much better after having a parenting break myself. Hope your kids have fun spoiling you when you all celebrate together.

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  8. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I really hope your evening out was blissful (although I'm sure it was far too short). We don't have salted caramel hot chocolate at Starbucks here, and after reading this I want to know: WHY NOT? They sound delicious! I hope you had cream on top - with everything you've been doing lately, you definitely deserve it. Many many happy returns :)

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  9. Happy Birthday Ruth!
    Enjoy your evening out!
    Kelly

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