(Contented Sigh)

Aah, it's birthday week. Best week of my year. I have tried to keep the week free of non-essential appointments, jobs or errands and plan to pamper and enjoy myself to the extent a mom of three on a reasonable budget can.

Here's what I have lined up so far, plus I have a few more ideas I might squeeze in.

Today, Poppy and I had an unprecedented free morning. After all the drop-offs, we couldn't go home because it was the cleaning ladies' day (already a great way to start birthday week), and we like to stay out of their way. So we went out to breakfast at a bakery I've wanted to try. Watch the VGP for a review soon, but here's one word for you: beignets. Then, with an hour to burn before picking up Ginger, we browsed at Barnes & Noble. (Browsing? What's that?) I flipped through some design mags, while keeping Poppy stocked with Cheerios, and ended up in the DVD room - they are having a buy-2-dvds-get-the-third-free sale. So I got three kids' shows to hold in store for desperate snow days or long road trips (Strawberry Shortcake, Knuffle Bunny and Madeline's Great Adventures.)

Tuesday - nothing planned yet - maybe a normal day? Or maybe something awesome because it's birthday week.

Wednesday - MY BIRTHDAY! Special snack to preschool (not for my birthday, it just happens to be our assigned day), special cookie-cutting kindergarten activity after school for 100th day of school, Dessert Club (rescheduled from snowy last week.)

Thursday - ED's BIRTHDAY! MOM's BIRTHDAY! Georgetown Cupcake? (Holy crap, did you know they have moved to a bigger space and have a reality show on TLC? It's obviously been too long since I've been there. But I can vouch, they can back up all the hype with the goods. Those cupcakes are SO GOOD.) Out to dinner as a family.

Friday - Our new door, the one we responsibly got ourselves for Christmas, is installed. Crossing fingers we like the color. Girl's night out to another bakery I've been wanting to try.

Saturday - Maybe use my SpaFinder gift certificate for a massage? I need to make some calls. At night I am taking Ed on a birthday date - it seems to be my turn. Our birthdays and anniversary are 6 months apart so we kind of take turns planning the date but we always forget whose turn it is so it's just whoever has an idea. This year I did and I would love to tell you about it but sometimes Ed graces my blog with his presence so mum's the word. But I guess it doesn't give too much away to say we're going to dinner and then something else.

Sunday - Family party with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Janet. Very nearly the same as the family party we had last week for Ginger. But instead of pepperoni pizza we will probably have something like steak and potatoes. And I'm thinking Italian cream cake? We shall see.

Of course we always stretch Birthday Week into Birthday Month but I can't really sustain the life of leisure that long, so things like grocery shopping, Costco, the cleaners, laundry, making dinner, etc. will have to resume. But for now here's to a week of contented sighs.