Happy Birthday to me!

Na-na-na-na-na-na...You say it's your birthday
Na-na-na-na-na-na...It's my birthday too--yeah

Today is my 32nd birthday.  I am one of those people who loves their birthday.  I usually start counting down in my head about a month out.  My mom and brother both have birthdays in early March, so as soon as theirs pass, I start thinking of mine.  But this year, my birthday really crept up on me.  It wasn't until this past Friday, April Fool's Day, that I thought oh yeah, my birthday is in a few days.  (That is also the first day my husband seemed to remember I had a looming birthday as well.)

Don't worry, I'm not turning into one of those "my birthday doesn't mean anything people," because I still love my birthday!  I love receiving cards.  Unwrapping presents.  Blowing out birthday candles.  Eating cake!  And all of the other it's-your-day specialness that comes with turning one year older.  The 21st century has brought even more virtual birthday goodness in the form of birthday text messages and Facebook messages.  So far this morning, I've been wished Happy Birthday by at least 35 people!  It's a nice surprise to open your email and find the inbox overflowing with wishes for you to have the best day ever.  Especially when you didn't get one at home.

I'm not saying Superman forgot my birthday, but I am saying that in the rush to get ready this morning, he did not wish me a Happy Birthday.  Nor did he make me breakfast, leave me a card, or in any other way indicate that he remembered or cared.  It brought back memories of my 10th birthday, the year that my parents forgot.  Okay, they didn't Sixteen Candles me and forget completely, but they did forget to wish me a Happy Birthday in the morning.  It wasn't until they were both at work did they realize and call one another... "Did you?"  "No.  Did you?"  "No."  Uh-oh!  I ended up getting my first  delivery of flowers that day.  I remember because my dad had always said flowers were a waste of money, and they both agreed I was too young to appreciate them anyway.  But guilt trumps practicality!

Meanwhile, I'm not one to sit and mope about not getting what I want.  Instead, I decided to make my own birthday treat.  There is a cute locally owned donut shop in town that I haven't been to since we moved back almost two years ago.  After getting Thing 1 and Thing 2 ready for school, I asked them if they wanted to go get a birthday treat with Mommy, and we headed to Crescent Donuts.  I let each of the boys pick out one donut.  Thing 1 got a cherry filled donut with cream cheese icing.  Thing 2 got a powdered sugar donut.  And I got my favorite: Boston Cream.  We completed our order with two cold milks and sat down at a table.

The boys were especially cute this morning.  They were dressed in jeans and coordinating personalized baseball t-shirts (Thing 1's was blue of course, and Thing 2's was red), and they were so well behaved as they sat and ate their doughnuts.  The feisty old men at the counter sipping coffee were enamored with my little guys.  They asked them their names, ages, and if they had girlfriends.  They got a big kick out of Thing 2 saying his girlfriend was "R---" and then Thing 1 saying "two R---s", with Thing 2 nodding and saying "yea, two R----s" (because he has two little girl friends with the same name).  "That's right son, start early!" they chuckled.

I should point out that when Thing 1 was about about halfway through eating his jelly filled donut, he decided he didn't like it and that we should trade.  So, he ended up eating my Boston Cream.  My-oh-my how motherhood changes things.  Even my day is really still their day.

We'll see what Superman does this evening to make up for his birthday faux-pas this morning.  Let me give you a hint: it'd better include chocolate!

**Update: No phone call, email, text, NOTHING from Superman during the workday.  I came home from work a little early and caught him with Thing 1 and Thing 2 in the kitchen, covered with chocolate cake batter.  The boys were screaming "Happy Birthday Mommy!  We made you a cake!"  Then Superman gave me two cards, one from him and one from the boys, and a dozen roses.  Then he took me out for dinner at the restaurant of my choice (yes, I CHOSE Steak n' Shake!).  Then it was to Lowe's to buy my birthday present...a few Closetmaid pieces for additional storage in my craft room.  But the real present is that he never once bitched about my craft room being the most expensive room in the house.  And, he even helped me turn the screws a few times putting it together.


Later that night, I asked him point blank if he realized he had never wished me Happy Birthday that morning.  And he said yes.  But he said by the time he realized it when he got to work, he decided not to call or text me, but to make it seem like he'd totally forgotten and surprise me with the cake and flowers when I got home.


In the end, I had a pretty rocking birthday, so I won't complain.


P.S.  A shout out to my parents who bought me an awesome new craft table for my craft room!  In my mom's words "because we know you wouldn't spend the money on yourself."  Ah, she knows me too well.