HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

Happy Birthday to me! I am 34 years old today. I don't feel any different from how I did yesterday or the day before. In fact, this birthday is in the running for one of the worst birthdays I've ever had. Well, it wasn't really bad, so much as it was sad. It wasn't that anything bad happened, it's just that nothing much happened.

I've always made a big fuss of birthdays. I like giving cards, gifts, cooking up surprises for people on their birthdays. I usually eat out with my parents, sister, Edge and the kids and have a million mini-celebrations for my natal day. Usually, our birthday is a week-long celebration.

I guess the worst part about this year's birthday was that Edge has work on both nights. In fact, Edge had to leave for work today at 3 pm, just when I had to pick up Diego from school. So they didn't even get to sing "Happy Birthday" for me all together.

But this wasn't a totally awful day. When I woke up, Edge had a very touching note for me on the kitchen counter -- written in the way that only he can make me cry. Then, when Diego realized it was my birthday, he greeted me in the sweetest voice and gave me a warm hug. Then he rushed upstairs to get my gift. He came back with a crumpled piece of paper. "Mama, my gift is inside!" When I opened it, it was his "Lumpy" (from Pooh's Heffalump Movie) doll which he got from a McDonald's Happy Meal. How sweet! Then Edge let me choose a chocolate cake and declared I should go off my diet for today. He washed all the dishes for me too! (Now I have to do the same for him tomorrow!)

So my day was not lacking for sweetness and thoughtfulness. (I got many text and email messages from people who remembered -- Thank you so much! You don't know how much those messages mean to a new migrant like me!) I guess I'm just homesick.

Hope next year's birthday is much happier!