So today is my birthday. I’m 32 years wonderful.
My birthday present from my husband? He left with the children at 5 p.m. on Saturday and will come home with them this morning.
I lived in this home single and childless for two nights.
And lived I did!
I meandered around the movie store. (Seriously. I took like an HOUR in there. As tweet and facebook replies bombarded me with choices, I realized I need a list. And for the next decade, I know what I’m doing on my birthday weekend.)
- Harold & Maude
- Northfork
- Welcome to the dollhouse
- The Box
- memento
- requiem for a dream
- pi
- Mozart and the whale
- The squid and the whale
- Before the devil knows you’re dead.
- City Island
- 500 Days of Summer
- Magnolia
- Running With Scissors
- Tetro
- Ghost World
- Shopgirl
- The Good Girl
- Management
- Up In The Air
- And Scott’s friend’s advice (CLEARLY): forget the weird stuff and watch on memorium to john candy…Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors and Summer Rental
I chose Up in the Air and Northfork. (Although I was too ambitious and only watched the former. Maybe tonight, for my birthday, I’ll force Scott to watch it. BWAHAHAHA! The giving never ends!)
I went to the hippie grocery store for dinner and bought all my favorite foods (that were available. like no gooey fifteen-cheese pizza or frosting-in-a-can came home with me.):
Salt & Vinegar potato chips, Swedish fish, Potato salad, Salad with feta and slathered with dressing, Spicy Tuna sushi
I chatted with friends, ate breakfast late and ate dinner out. I snuggled with my dog. (I also may have chatted with my dog and snuggled with my friends but for a much briefer time.)
Ratchet also kept me from thinking my house had been invaded. Like in the movies. That I don't watch anymore because my imagination is active enough.
I miss my children. But I keep telling myself to stop. Because I need the space. This time to breath and talk and listen. On my own schedule. No naps to work around. No children to occupy. No husband to trick into changing a diaper.
I miss my husband. But I fight the urge to call every few hours. To bask in the guilt of his work and my play.
I didn’t ruin the gift.
And when my family comes home, I will happily catch them up in my arms.
Until they annoy me. Or I annoy them.
Then I will think back to these thirty-six hours and be grateful for how little I wasted on mommy guilt.
And I will be able to keep my annoyances to myself and be joyfully WIFE!MAMA!
But for now, happy birthday to me.
For a few more hours.
Just me.
PS. For my birthday, BlogHer reposted Why Bother Being A Good Parent At All? If you missed it here, check it out there!
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That is just awesome. So proud of you for taking that time & enjoying it. Us moms, we’re like banks. Everyone takes withdrawls but no one can make deposits but us. So good on you for filling up that account. And happy, happy birthday, my friend. x
I’m so glad that you’re reveling in this. You deserve it, and you need it, and kudos to Scott for knowing exactly the right thing to do!
Watch Welcome to the Dollhouse next! I loved that movie. Seriously weird.
Happy Birthday! Sounds like a nice relaxing way to spend it :-)
Happy Birthday, you young thing (says she patronizingly and enviously). Sounds like you had an uber fab vacation (says she enviously).
Happy Birthday! That sounds like the best gift ever. For my next birthday I have to ask for a whole day off. It is funny how peace and silence can be the best gift for a mom. I hope you enjoyed your whole day of freedom. Oh and glad to see you made it though another year without getting caught by the zombies.
A heavenly birthday. I would of done the same.
Sounds like a wonderful birthday present! Happy Birthday!
ps: Add Secretary to that movie list!
The more I know about you Kitch, the more I like you. Yes, I concur. Alex, Secretary is a delightfully sweet and bizarre love story. That and Lars and the Real Girl rank high in my odd-but-lovely movies list.
Happy Belated Birthday! And I hope you enjoyed Up in the Air. That and (500) Days of Summer were my recent faves.
Happy Birthday. It sounds like the only thing lacking was a midget in a white suit walking up to you with a glass of white wine on a silver platter.
Happy Birthday! And yay for your awesome husband taking such good care of you! Enjoy!
Today is my husband’s birthday also.
Quality people born on this day.
Happy birthday to you.
Hears to your “Slightly Less Than 100 Years of Solitude.”
Best birthday gift EVER! I got so much grief over wanting to spend Mother’s Day by myself, but every now and then they just have to go!
Alone? In your own house? For 36 hours???
Wow. Best birthday present.
Excuse me while I turn green over here.
Happy birthday, Alex! I love the idea of you spending part of your birthday snuggling with your dog (I’ve done the same thing myself ever since I’ve had Elsa—awesome, isn’t it?). I also enjoyed the picture of you and Ratchet; I put it into a file where I keep my most favorite pictures. Thanks, as always, for sharing!
Oh, what a wonderful birthday present. Where on earth did they go? if I was given that on my birthday I would have just cleaned house and done laundry.
First of all, you are not allowed to have this as a birthday present unless you PROMISE not to clean the house or do laundry. I will come visit you if I must but you CANNOT do other people’s laundry on your birthday.
PS. They went to his parent’s house. You think he’d do this all by himself? Haha.
It’s funny–my birthday is coming up and I really want my husband to take the day off and go somewhere with the kids for the entire day. I’m not sure how to communicate this desire, though. Maybe I should send him a link to your post….
Happy Birthday to you, my friend!
Four years ago, I could have never wrapped my brain around the fabulousness of your birthday gift…a weekend all to yourself. Before we had the kids, I had no idea just how amazing it would be to have no responsibility for a few days.
Now? I’ll be forwarding this post to Craig and counting the days until my birthday.
Your husband is simply awesome. :)
Happy Birthday to you!!!! I think your weekend looks awesome and relaxing! I hope you enjoyed it!!
What an absolutely perfect gift!!!!! Wow.
So glad you lived it up :)
This is my first visit to your blog. So for your birthday I give you this wonderful comment! I know, I know, I shouldn’t have… didn’t have to… yadda yadda. Also, please add The Big Lebowski to your list. It’s a must. You’re welcome! ツ
Welcome! And what a lovely gift :)
I adore the Big Lebowski. although I think of it more as funny and weird not depressing and weird.
xoxo
The Jesus
That is the best present ever. I get weekends alone like that a couple of times a year. It is pure heaven just to be able to leave the house, on time, with only your purse.
Good for you… those movies are awesome but I think most of them are a little rough for a bday night alone…. for example i love requiem for a dream but it made me sick for weeks (i am feeling a little queezy just thinking about it), Harold and Maude is suppose to be great and has been on my to see list forever, Memento rules but I think PI is by the same director… oh well enough of my movie ranting
What would you have done if you were single and had no kids?
Gone out with friends! Haha!
Happy Birthday!
And kudos to your uber-mensch hubby, who obviously gets it.
I’m sorry I’m late on this, (story of my life) but I wanted to say happy birthday anyway. I’m glad you were able to stave off the mommy guilt and enjoy your time. Love you, sugar.
Happy birthday! It sounds like heaven.
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