Dan's Birthday Celebration

I have to start by saying how sweet it was to get those great comments for Dan on my last post.  Thanks, friends!

I had visions of Dan coming home from the work day on his birthday to a sparkling house, pretty table set, dinner on its way to being done, and a quiet relaxing atmosphere to relax in.

Enter, real life.

I went to pick up the boys in the afternoon and rushed out the door, later than usual (I was in the middle of frosting Dan's cake). I grabbed Katie from her bed (quiet time) and then threw on my outdoor shoes from the garage and went up to the school.

Lesson Learned: Even when you're just running up to school and don't expect to get out of the car, you should dress in a manner that you won't be a little embarrassed when your battery dies, blocking the 15 or so, cars behind you, and you have to run to a random person's car and ask to use her cell phone, and get someone to push your van into a parking space to stop blocking all the parents from coming in to pick up their kids.

Sigh.

It all worked out, but I got home much later than anticipated and there was not much of a relaxing atmosphere, but more, the usual chaos of our life (I did manage to have the table set). But I had to immediately send Dan back up to school to collect Andrew's coat which he "thought" he left "by the swings", which was the FOURTH coat we've collected out of Lost & Found THIS WEEK and we still have TWO hoodies/winter coats missing. I am seriously at the end of my rope over this. If anyone has any brilliant suggestions on how to have their kids bring their coats home, do tell. I'm about to let them just be cold. If they want a coat they can find the one they left at school.  Can you tell this is making me completely crazy? 

Okay, back to Dan's birthday.

Dan got home and I suggested that he relax in the living room where it was peaceful while I prepared dinner.



Dan had requested a grilled steak, roasted red potatoes with rosemary & garlic, and spinach salad with pumpkin seed oil vinaigrette.  And a graham cracker cake with chocolate filling and cream cheese frosting.



Thankfully, dinner came together easily and it was SO good.  We went in to open gifts. And Andrew was pouting.



Dan tried really hard to make light of it, and everyone did a pouty face like Andrew, so of course he smiled!



And then the kids shared their cards.  Katie actually gave Dan a store bought Cinderella card, but the boys made theirs, and were anxious to share them with him.  It was sweet to see how proud they were.



(Katie picked out this dress, flower and shoes to put on~ she wanted to dress up for Daddy's birthday.  Dan loved it).

Then it was time to open gifts and the trouble started.  I'll spare the details, but Andrew was pouty and Matthew was rude and they ended up spending the next half hour in their room while I cleaned up from dinner and got dessert ready.

Real life.

Even on your birthday.

Despite the drama, Dan was still very happy with his new martini glasses and a gift card to the Apple Store.

After a severe lecture from Mommy in the boys bedroom hitting topics such as gratitude, selfishness, and what a wonderful Daddy they have and how we should show him how much we love him on his birthday and on and on and on as I do when I'm really irritated (and I just might have thrown in  a threat for good measure) the kids joined us for dessert and all was well.



The cake was okay. I really only like cream cheese frosting on red velvet or spice cake, so it wasn't my favorite. But Dan liked it, so that was what mattered. :)

One of the gifts that dan and I give each other on our birthdays and Mother's/Father's Day is to be relieved from parenting/household chores.  It made me happy to see Dan getting to relax in the living room, reading his book while I bathed Katie and did the bedtime routine with the kids.  I know how much I love that time, and I truly felt so happy doing that for him.  Which was nice, because I admit, there were years when it was hard for me to give that gift happily.

And despite the "real life" challenges of the day, Dan could see my intentions and what I tried to do for him, and sweetly said it was actually one of his best birthdays ever.    Which just tells you how low maintenance Dan is.  Thank goodness, as I'm high maintenance enough for the both of us!  But I try to treat him like he's high maintenance.  He deserves it.

Happy Birthday, my love.