Twenty-Nine...Again

Yesterday was my birthday. Generally, since I've had kids, my birthday is just another day to me. I'm not into having a big fuss made over me...and those restaurants that sing to you? Double yuck.

Yesterday my kids seemed to need to celebrate my birthday more than I did. I'd bought a cake at Trader Joe's on Saturday (that's how little I care about the big fuss) and planned to just order takeout to eat at home at supper time. My husband was chagrined when I emerged from slumber earlier than he expected. He hadn't gotten a birthday card yet. I shrugged. Doesn't matter to me. I know he loves me. But M was insistent. Daddy! Let's GO! She wanted to pick out a card for me.

Craig took the girls with him to the store. K Man wanted to stay home with me. I was up earlier than I wanted to be, but I'd had trouble going back to sleep, so I thought I'd try again. After tossing and turning for who know how long I woke up a little before noon. At that point, I felt like I was about 19, because I'm pretty sure that's about the last time I woke up at noon when I wasn't sick.

So my birthday time came and went while I most likely tossed and turned and wrecked the covers. I woke up with the sheet twisted around my legs in an amazing pretzel. My husband brought me breaded shrimp and pizza rolls...an unusual brunch in bed.

M brought me the card that she so carefully and thoughtfully chose. (And, I've heard she insisted on carrying through the store and all the way home.) It read: This is the candle that inspires the wish, that's the beginning of the DREAM that turns your life into the greatest adventure... (open) That's how MAGIC happens. That's what birthdays are for. Hope yours is wonderful. As if the sentiment wasn't good enough, the candles on the cupcake inside light up and there is a circle that says "blow here."

I blow.

The candles go out and the card plays happy birthday. D sings along. There is a real beauty in hearing a two-year-old (almost 3!) sing happy birfday to you.

It's a cool card. M is clearly proud of her choice and the card brings an easy smile to my face. My kids love me no matter how terribly I think I mess up at being a mom.

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So as I write this the news breaks in that Usama Bin Ladin has been killed. I'll be honest, I was watching Brothers and Sisters and I'd have liked to have seen the whole episode. Honestly, there wasn't that much left of it, why not wait until 10 for the break-in.

I'm a cranky broad. And I'm kidding, sort of. I lived in NYC for about 4 years as a child. I had my ears pierced in a shop in the basement of the Towers. NYC will always have a soft spot in my heart. The news of the attacks on 9/11, even before we knew they were attacks, devastated me. NYC isn't the same to me (or anyone else I suppose) without the iconic towers.

This is big news, and yet I'm cynical. Fanatics will continue to try to hurt the United States. Our troops are badass for this victory, but I worry about them. My dad was in the military, as were my grandfathers. I'm somewhat familiar with the sacrifice of military families. We were lucky. Or I was. I didn't experience many separations from my dad. I was too young when he went to Viet Nam and when he was on a ship for months t a time in Alaska, or wherever he was deployed.

My mom had it hard. I respect her deeply for raising young children for months at a time, along with running a household alone.

I'm sure it was equally hard for my dad. How to leave your wife and kids for months at a time? I couldn't imagine leaving my family that long. The travel and seeing new places is cool for a short time, but who wouldn't be homesick?

It seems unrealistic to expect that our troops will return home quickly now. I wish they would, but the trend seems to be to confront more.

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Happy birthday to me?