Of Birthdays, Auctions, and Unparties
2004-09-21, 11:52 a.m.

Last night we disproved one of the fundamental laws of the Universe. Kids + pizza + ice cream + soda + cookie cake + trampoline DOES NOT ALWAYS = barf.

In case you hadn�t heard, yesterday was Son�s birthday. He shouted it from the rooftops. He proclaimed it to legions of total strangers. He probably found a way to beam it via radio signals into deep space. I guess he�s in the backyard now looking for his gifts from E.T. to drop from the sky.

He had a big day.

After the mortifying recheck at the eye doctor, we dropped by the school. I did bid on a small silent auction at the Fall Carnival, and Very Intelligent Woman upped my bid by $5 as my proxy after I had left. I fully thought I had no chance of winning. I won.

I won an evening of babysitting courtesy of the school principal.

MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Son and I went over to school to pay and schedule a date with the victim�er, Principal. It will be in late October, so Hubby and I can go to a restaurant to celebrate his birthday. Last year Hubby�s birthday went largely ignored, as my father was in the final stages of cancer and passed away a few days later. This year Hubby will garner some attention. The other reason for that date is it gives me time to CLEAN THIS HOUSE. Not just tidy, mind you, but decorating-magazine-spread clean. Vanquished-dust-bunnies clean. No-question-that-we-live-like-decent-folk clean. Yes, I�m paranoid. I also have a subscription to Southern Living. My goals are high.

Hubby has already decided he wants to go to Outback. I luuurrrrve their Wallaby Darneds, a frosty peachy intoxicating goodie served in a rather large mug, but Hubby and I decided I should refrain that night. One does not make a good impression on the Principal if one returns home three-sheets-to-the-wind from a night on the town.

After the school, I took Son to the used video-game store where he spent $61.25 of his $60 in birthday money, and scooted out with arms full of not one, not two, but three games. He also made sure everyone in there wished him a happy birthday. He said it was the best day of his life. How can it not be, when you�ve just spent your Grandma Loot and come away with the mother lode? He probably had more disposable cash than the two college guys who worked there. No wonder he was happy.

I dropped him off at home (Hubby was working from home, making a Power Point presentation) and spent money I shouldn�t have on groceries, two cookie cakes, and a bouquet of balloons. The rest was a blur until 5pm, when it was time for the unparty.

An unparty is what you have when you have agreed with your children not to have birthday parties this year. Son�s unparty had 6 pizzas, 2 cookie cakes, 2 flavors of ice cream, 4 bottles of soda, and 20 people. It also had brightly wrapped plastic armaments, sporting equipment, and still more cash.

I�m going to have to ask him for a loan. I'll need it to give the Principal a little extra donation, after he babysits. Combat pay.

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