birthday weekend
October 09, 2005, 11:10 A.M.

Aaaahhh!

Grandly, gloriously, sumptuously alone...

Don�t get me wrong. I love Spouse. I love Niece and Nephew. But oh, I also love my solitude.

Spouse is at work, and the house is mine for the day. Mine to get some housework done, mine to play if I want to, mine-all-mine-and-nobody-else's. So today's plan is very simple. Enjoy myself, by myself, whatever I choose to do. Cook, clean, bead, read, play computer games--whatever. Free Day!

When I got home, I played in my beads for a while and watched my new DVD until it was time to go pick up the kids. Very peaceful, which I needed in order to gear up for Niece and Nephew. They are great kids, but I really burn up my energy supply when they are around.

They were ready to go when I pulled in, so we headed back to town and picked up Spouse, then headed to the restaurant. I relented and let Spouse have his choice for that. He picked a nice place that I always enjoy, so it was no hardship. We all had steaks, and a good time just talking and goofing. They are very enjoyable company.

Then they presented their uncle and me with cards that they had made. Niece is learning calligraphy, so she did one for both of us--all by hand. She said it took three hours. Nephew did drew me a cartoon strip, similar to the Bunny Suicides, that was hilarious. He did one for his uncle with Bender from Futurama.

Then they surprised us by giving up each fifty dollars for our gift. This was a plot between them, because Spouse and I give them money all the time--they decided it was our turn! Spouse did not want to accept it, but I told him to be gracious, and take it, and say thank you. (And to put it away to spend on them at Christmas!)

Honestly--those two make me so proud! I don't know a lot of kids, but I'm pretty sure that those two are something special. And it is easy to see that all the love, laughter, patience, generosity, and thoughtfulness that it has been so much fun to provide for them has taken hold. And we are getting so much of it back. Seriously--they just rock. And I can only hope that I had just a little bit to do with that.

After dinner, we brought Spouse home, so he could get a little rest before he had to go to work. The rest of us were headed to the movies! We got there early enough to let those two arcade sharks play a little beforehand. Thanks to my forethought, we sauntered right past the ticket line and saved about 20 minutes right there! Nephew found a free ball in the South Park pinball game, and parlayed it into two free games. Niece took a turn at it, but she doesn�t really have the English to run a pinball table. When she�d run it out, we went and got our seats.

I love how they figure the demographic of a movie and select the previews. We got previews for animated movies like Chicken Little and Curious George, for �Zathura�--some kind of Jumanji-like kid�s adventure with a rocket game and space travel. And for the latest version of �Pride and Prejudice�. Well, for previews at a movie that is an English animated adventure...they picked pretty well, I guess.

(Incidentally, I�m thinking that I�ll probably give the new P&P a miss...I wasn�t impressed by the preview, and frankly, I don�t think Keira Knightley has the chops to play Elizabeth Bennet. Interestingly, though, I heard that Emma T. did an unpaid and uncredited rewrite on the script. Probably, as a devoted Austen fan, she was just glad to be able to exercise a little damage control.)

Before the move, they ran an 11-minute short cartoon featuring the penguins from Madagascar. It was quite cute and funny. And then, the feature.

I LOVED IT!!! But I was as sure as I could possibly be that I would. It wasn�t perfect, but it was close enough for an old W&G junkie like me. Niece has a sense of humor distinctly different from that of her big brother and me. I think she was only �just okay� with it. Bless her heart for humoring her old Auntie, though!

Nephew and I had a blast, though. We just enjoyed the hell out of it. I recommend it for all Anglophiles, animation fans, pun-lovers, and overgrown kids, and even horror-movie buffs (lots of little treats in there for them).

After the show we came home for birthday cake before their uncle had to leave. Niece went whole hog--she put candles on the cake! Her uncle was very touched by that. We all sang happy birthday, Spouse got to blow out the candles, and we each had a piece of that ridiculously rich confection.

After Spouse left, the kids petered right out and were ready for bed. Nephew settled in with one of his uncle�s �Get Fuzzy� books, Niece curled up on the couch watching �That�s So Raven�--and they were both out cold by 10:30. I stayed up just long enough to get a load washed and into the dryer, then another load into the washer. I wouldn�t have bothered, except I knew I was going to need clean jeans and a fresh bra in the morning.

When I got home, after an adventurous walk through the park, and many encounters with squirrels and bunnies and an unleashed dog, Spouse was just getting home. There was much confusion for a while; I was trying to finish the laundry I�d started the night before, get the kids motivated to shower, brush their teeth and dress, and figure out if Spouse had any plans. Finally, I put my foot down and told Spouse that I was going to get myself ready, and take the kids out for breakfast before I ran them home. I told him to get to bed and get some rest.

He had said several times that he wanted go down to Niles for Polish food, so I figured he�d nap for several hours and we�d go in the afternoon. So after the kids were fed and dropped off, I took my time coming home. I went and got my oil changed, made a stop at the drugstore for nylons, and went to the bead store to get some stuff I needed for my zipper charm project. When I got home around one, he was stirring, and asked me if I�d mind terribly if we skipped the Polish food. He was really too tired to drive to the city. I told him that was fine, and reminded him that it�s okay to take some downtime once in a while.

We decided to run to the grocery store, come home, and I�d make a pot of homemade vegetable soup and a pan of cornbread for dinner. Once the soup was on to simmer, he went back to bed for a few more hours sleep, and I settled in with my beads for a pleasant afternoon. We had our dinner about 7:30, and relaxed watching a Family Guy DVD. Dessert was leftover birthday cake, and then he crashed once again. I wasn�t far behind, to tell the truth. I walked the dog, locked up, and went to bed about 9:00.

I�m hoping that by the end of the day, I�ll have that warm and satisfied glow that comes of a clean house, empty laundry baskets, a whole day of solitude, and squeezing in some fun. And a nice Sunday dinner on the table, as well--I�m planning baked ham, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, and Hawaiian rolls. With yet another serving of that damned birthday cake for dessert, no doubt.