Today is my daughter’s 10th birthday. And it’s also my nephew’s 4th birthday.

That’s pretty neat, knowing that two cousins have the same birthday. Right now, they are the only cousins on my husband’s side. My sister is going to have a baby soon (due September/October), and as long as it isn’t born on my birthday, that’s cool. (I said it’s cool for other people to have the same birthday! I’m selfish—I don’t want to share! Well, OK, maybe if we did have the same birthday it wouldn’t be the end of the world…) But until that baby’s born, it’s just the two of them.

Leah and Jacob.

So for the first time ever, we get to have a dual-birthday on their birthday. Really it’s just a barbeque for family where the two young’ns will get gifts, but hey, there’s nothing wrong with that! I like food and I like presents—sounds like the ideal birthday to me. Plus, these two kids love each other like crazy.

Jacob being four looks up to his older, mature cousin. Leah, at 10, is like any preteen (yikes—I’m actually calling her that! I won’t call her a tween, though, not yet) with self-esteem still in development. She’s got someone who admires her completely, and that will make anyone feel good about themselves. Also, Jacob isn’t very good at hide and seek yet, so her hiding spots, no matter how many doors she hides behind, are just awesome!

So I am trying to decide what still needs to be done today in preparation.

·         I will try to vacuum, although our vacuum is still broken.

·         I’ve got some veggies to cut. (I am currently resuscitating some limp celery in a big glass of water in the fridge as we speak (read?))

·         Decorating! I could be doing that now, but do I really feel like blowing up balloons before I brush my teeth? I mean, if those things pop, ugh—morning breath!

·         Food preparation. I should probably make a salad, but my mother-in-law will be bringing a salad, and how many do you need at a barbeque? Plus, you have no idea how much other food we’ll have. In fact, my husband doesn’t even know that I’m planning something else! (He will now, since he reads this, but ha—you won’t know what it is until you get home, sweetie! Hee hee, I’m so bad…)

Wow, is that it? I guess it helps that I got a lot of the major stuff done yesterday. Presents wrapped, groceries bought, kitchen cleaned. Well, Ryan cleaned the kitchen—I’ll give him total credit. I made iced tea and he swept and mopped. Boy do I love that man!

I also don’t need to do a cake. That’s awesome. For the first birthday, I don’t have to worry about a making a cake (or on lazy years buying one!). My sister-in-law has that covered. Very awesome.

Although, thinking about it, this last year I totally forgot about my hubbie’s cake.

But it wasn’t entirely my fault!

OK, mostly it was.

Probably all my fault.

Ya, I’ll just take all the credit. I went to get my hair done for his birthday. I figured it would take 2 hours max—it took about 8! That’s just gross. Basically his entire shift. So while I was planning on baking while he was at work after my hair was done, I didn’t get the chance. And when I got home, I was just really focused on making him awesome, awesome chilli (his request) and totally forgot about the cake. Until, like, the next day or even day after. I don’t remember. I felt horrible! Thankfully we live close to a Safeway that makes a good half-carrot cake. It was just perfect for the two of us.

But today, I don’t need to make a cake. I don’t say bake because I don’t always bake them—some of the best cakes I’ve made have been ice cream cakes! Although that Hamburger Cake I made Ryan our first year together for his birthday was pretty sweet…literally, because it just looked like a burger, it wasn’t made of ground beef.

Ew, a ground beef cake…

But then again, I do like meat. Maybe I could make Leah another castle-shaped cake, but this year, it will be out of chicken! Yum!
3/8/2011 09:57:42 am

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