It was mine and Charlie’s birthdays this week. He got a brand spanking new bike, which he was delighted with. However, as in the way of these things, as soon as Rachel got on his old bike, that was the one his heart most desired. (We got around it by leaving his old bike behind and giving Rachel her scooter to ride on, which is not nearly so covetable.) They did do some good sharing that day though. Charlie let Rachel ride on his new bike whilst he had a ride on mine. He also had less good moments, when he decided that his Daddy was not to cycle past near Rachel at all and he told her that all the grass area was out of bounds to her and her scooter. When Charlie’s parents despaired of his not seeming so happy on his birthday, he dramatically confessed “No, I not... I, Mr Miserable. “
Usually, it is totally, six of one, half a dozen of the other, but for some reason Rachel was playing her angelic card that morning (only one act of violence against him.) Charlie had played his, with Mum the day before, when Rachel was the villain of the pair. The hot chocolate, muffin and ice cream at the cafe soon improved the situation. It always works for me.
On Tuesday, Emilia (age 7) was doing her maths homework and rounding numbers. My age, 34, was rather pleasingly rounded down to 30. That is no age, I thought, I’m still young. On Wednesday I turned 35 and she is suddenly rounding me up to 40. That felt less good.
I was spoilt rotten on my birthday, I had several cards, flowers, a phone call from Hong Kong and one from my brother!!!, 20 texts, and some messages posted on my facebook wall. The whole week was great.
Monday - Rachel and I were taken out birthday shopping by my Mum, the trip finishing up with hot chocolate and carrot cake in the sunshine at an outdoor cafe.
Tuesday - we met friends, for a cup of tea and chocolate fridge cake at a farm shop/cafe/kids play place.
Tuesday evening - I went up to London to meet friends and my lovely friend curly Jo, bought me a birthday dinner in Pizza Express.
Wednesday - I was bought tea and toast after toddler group, in a cafe with another mate and her daughter. Liz and Charlie came too and we went to a park afterwards, but not before they terrorized the old folks of the pedestrian precinct in Leatherhead, with their unruly scootering/biking and their bellowing at each other outside the shop, whilst I changed some shoes. We couldn’t bear the embarrassment and the tutting of the pensioners, so got out of there as soon as we could. Liz also bought me my lunch, half a turkey, brie and cranberry sandwich which we scoffed in the car.
My lovely neighbour Dom arrived just before the school run bearing a box of 6 individual cup cakes piped with the initials of my name J.U.L.I.E.T. (I like that the number of letters in my name is equivalent to the number of members of my immediate family.) The children and I worked out that Emilia should have the one with the E, PaTrick the T, BenJamin, the J, and RacheL, the L, which left U and I for Mark and me. How sad are we?
After school, at tea time, we had our traditional family birthday sing, candles and cake with the children, when I was presented with an amazing homemade open story book cake, with beautiful animal illustrations in icing, and the words “Once upon a time there was a lovely girl called Juliet who had a birthday...” Although, what with Emilia’s unflattering rounding up. My sister thought that “lovely middle aged woman” might be more appropriate now. It was a delicious cake and all the more special since my sister had to spend all of a beautiful weather day inside to make it. What a sacrifice.
Once we’d got the kids to bed, my special day ended in a pub up near Heathrow at a Retirement do, for some nice old engineer guy who worked with Mark. It was nearly all men, very friendly and amenable, but many of them of the overweight and toothless variety, one of whom, kissed my hand- eww! My husband sure does know how to show me a good time!
Thursday – I was taken out by friends for a surprise birthday lunch, which turned out to be at a fab new restaurant in Gomshall. After that, we had coffee and brownies in the park opposite.
Thursday evening - I went over to my friend’s house for our usual girls’ night and there were more cards and the most enormous cream and jam filled chocolate cake with thick chocolate icing baked for me by Sarah. It was gorgeous, and again, the very effort of it all, baking, while simultaneously dealing with two small children, was very touching and much appreciated.
I haven’t even started with the presents yet. I am actually one of these people who aren’t very good at getting presents – unless you can eat it, smell it, read it, wear it or use it, I don’t want it. Anything else and my heart sinks as I despair at having something else to clutter up my already full to capacity, bursting at the seams house. I am absolutely delighted if it is something we needed to buy anyway and it is wrapped up and given in the name of my birthday. Wrapped up anything is exciting. Consequently, my set of saucepans, graduated measuring jugs and new toilet seat were enthusiastically received. I am fairly sure Mark’s Dad was nearly hit over the head with a saucepan he bought his wife as a present. I have a feeling that really appreciating such Christmas presents as a new kitchen broom, dustpan and brush and front door mat, may be considered a little strange. I am obviously cut from the same cloth as my Great Auntie Bill, who would not consider a piece of sandpaper, a strange choice of present for her great nephew. I hasten to add – I do not actually give the ‘useful’ type of present I like to receive, I’ve more sense than that.
My least favourite part of my birthday was being woken up by my children at twenty to six in the morning in order to give me presents. The best present would be a little more sleep.
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