Made It Through 40 & Sweetest Day

I made it through my 40th birthday without a tear.  Yeah for me.  Dinner out (yeah for Peach Bellini's) and a shopping trip certainly helped keep any "turning 40 blues" away!

My stepdaughter sent me a "happy birthday" text. My stepson was the usual - nada.  From my kids, I received homemade cards and lots of birthday hugs.

Sweetest Day was nice too.  My husband bought me a chocolate bouquet (awesome!) and a suggestive card:)  Gotta love "suggestions" like that after almost 16 years of marriage, ha ha.

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40 Years Old Today

Today is my 40th birthday!  Yikes!  Happy Birthday to me!

What does 40 mean to me?

• No more babies for one.  We are finished with procreating.  Between us, we have six kids, funds could not possibly get any tighter, and the risks for baby go up at my age. I'll enjoy buying personalized baby gifts for family and friends with babies, enjoy my baby-free time, and hope my kids hold off for many years with giving me grandkids.  

• I am on the downhill now.  That is kind of depressing.  People tell me that 40 is the new 30.  Really?  I didn't have these lines on my face at 30, my stomach was tight, my joints didn't ache when I stood up, things didn't jiggle, and I hadn't been introduced to gravity yet.  

• I need to pay more attention to my health.  I have for my thyroid disease but the rest - not so much.  I've not had a mammogram yet (and boy am I dreading that).  Squash!  Ouch!

• Finally, we are about one year and seven months away from no more legal ties to the ex!  Woot! Woot!  Somebody better get to squashing some grapes because I am going to need cases of champagne for that party!

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No Time For Myself

School has been back in session for a week and I still haven't started my diet.  I was supposed to start their first day back at school but it was just too busy to plan meals, etc. when I was constantly on the go.  This week hasn't started off any better.  I really need to carve out some time for myself.

I have until mid-October to reach my goal and I think, if it goes as well as it did the last time I dieted, it should only take two weeks so I am not looking for diet pills that work yet but I better get myself in gear if I want to meet 40 happy with how I've aged.

I did get told a few days ago that some people thought I was in my early 30's. That's a good start considering 40 is six weeks away.  Now to get my body in line with how my face looks and maybe I won't cry so hard on my 40th birthday.

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Daughter's Birthday Went By Ignored

My ten-year-old had a birthday on Friday.  Her two oldest siblings ignored it.  Not a text, not a facebook message -  nothing.  Though, I noticed my stepdaughter did wish one of her friends a happy birthday on her facebook on that day.  Wasn't that nice of her.

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Pfft!

Real nice.  My stepdaughter posted a "Happy Birthday" for some guy friend on her facebook wall (not the boyfriend) but not one for her sister. 

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Cat Ate My Birthday Butt Cake! :)

I had a good birthday weekend, other than the cat eating my cake that my teenager made for me.  She made me a bundt cake (she calls it a butt cake) and the cat dived into it as it was cooling.  So a generic cake was bought in its place for the kids to decorate.  Here it is:

Each one of my four kids decorated a part of the cake and the butt cake was thrown out back to feed the birds or whatever else came along for it.  I have sweet kids.

P.S. Still no change on the hubby/trip situation.  He's going to get himself killed, or somebody else killed, going 30+ hours with no sleep, driving for nine hours.  That borders on idiotic.  Oh heck, it is idiotic!

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39 Today! Holy Crap I'm Old!!

I turn 39 today.  That just stinks.  One away from 40!! 

Remember when you were about ten years old and 40 was OLD? 

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Stepson's Gift Messed Up

We ordered and shipped a gift for my stepson's birthday.  It was to compliment something the ex was buying their son for his birthday that he would need to go along with it.  The ex gave us the model number so hubby would know exactly what to look for.  He found it, bought it, and shipped it.  Right after we let her know it was shipped, she lets us know that she bought him something different from what she told us. 

Nice.

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Skipped Sister's Birthday

Well, the stepkids didn't contact their sister yesterday for her 13th birthday.  Not even a short text. 

Amazing how a decade of being really close is so easily forgotten.  Their mother should be so proud of herself and how she's raised them...she's managed to hurt a child.  Wow!  What an accomplishment.

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Stepkid Birthday

My stepdaughter turned 17 recently.  I can't believe she's almost an adult!  I met her when she was just a little thing just out of diapers. 

Aside from the amazing fact that our kids are growing up SO quickly, it's hard to believe that in one year, we'll be halfway done with child support - one child done and one left to go!  That will leave my stepson for a few more years.  The end is near!

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No Party Favors for 17th Birthday

My stepdaughter's 17th birthday is next month. I doubt we'll even be seeing her for her birthday. We haven't spent her birthday with her in 3 - 4 years now I think. Between her mother and her teenage life, she doesn't want a whole lot to do with dad or younger siblings anymore. Legally, she's supposed to spend it here every other year but they've learned it's not pleasant for them emotionally to leave their mother. What a sad way to grow up.

She's almost an adult now so at this time, it's pointless. She'll have her friends to hang out with. They days of balloons and party favors is long over for her until she's engaged with everything that goes along with that. Oh well. We still have our four kids who don't need to worry about being caught in the middle.

It's a celebration for us too - it means one more year to go before half the legal obligation with the ex ends. I can't wait!!

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Texted Birthday Wishes

It was what I expected - my stepdaughter texted her dad for his birthday. I was really hoping to see a card show up in the mailbox today. It could've been just a sheet of paper with "Happy Birthday" handwritten on it or even an ecard; just something that says 'I took more than ten seconds out of my day to think of you for your birthday.'

I know they do more for their mom for her birthday. Heck, they give their dog a birthday party!! Dad rates below the dog and yet they're emailing us their xmas lists? Coal sounds good for xmas this year.

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Hope Stepkids Remember Dad Tomorrow

Here's to hoping that the stepkids remember dad's birthday tomorrow. At the most, I'm expecting they'll send a text to their dad tomorrow to wish him a happy birthday! They couldn't be bothered to do anymore than that for Father's Day so I don't have high hopes that they'll actually spend any time on making a card or anything like that. Their dog gets a birthday party but Dad doesn't get squat. It would be nice to have a birthday card sitting in the mailbox tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath. They haven't sent him a card in...ever!

Makes me want to tear up their xmas lists just thinking about the last several years when they've been old enough to know better. Maybe they'll surprise me tomorrow.

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Stepson Birthday Present

Hubby has picked out his teenage son's birthday present. He considered a $180 gift but $55 sounded much better to him (not sure if my lack of enthusiasm over the $180 gift had anything to do with it but I'm glad he made the decision to change the gift to the less expensive one before I had to speak up about it myself). He left it for me to order but I ran into a problem with gifting it (have to have my bank approve the ex's shipping address on my account, yada yada yada...something I'm not going to do) so I can't right now. Oh well.

Considering stepson didn't bother to contact his dad in any way, shape, or form for Father's Day, I'm not worried about whether it gets there in time (or at all honestly). I'd send him a birthday card and be done with it myself. Maybe I'd include a calendar for 2010 with every holiday and birthday highlighted to get the point across.

I'll tell hubby and leave it up to him. With the way that boy treats his dad and siblings, I'm not making his birthday present my problem. I made an attempt and couldn't complete the order. That's the extent of what I plan to do about it.

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Forgetting Birthdays Again

Well, the stepkids didn't acknowledge their baby sister's birthday last week. Was I surprised? No.

I also wasn't surprised my own mother didn't either. She's managed to forget every child's birthday this year (three so far). When you're not the favorite, that tends to happen more often than not. Yes, I come from a highly dysfunctional family. Keeping my own from becoming dysfunctional is why I keep my distance from most of them.

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Grandma Forgets Birthday Again

Well, it happened a few times before, and it happened again. I believe my mother forgot my daughter's 12th birthday. I wrote the entire family's birthdays down for her and she still forgot? Two weeks before my daughter's birthday, my kids were calling their grandmother to wish her a happy birthday.

I didn't ask my daughter because I didn't want to bring it to her attention and hurt her feelings if she hadn't realized it but I know my mother didn't call the house phone or my cell to talk to her. I checked both my daughter and son's cell phones and no calls or texts from my mother anywhere around the time of her birthday. I check the mail and no card received last week (or this week...I even gave it time in case it was just late). I'm pretty damn sure that she doesn't forget some of the other grandchildren's birthdays! Play favorites much?

I'm not surprised.

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Happy Birthday to Me...I'm not 103

Yesterday was my birthday. Am I supposed to be surprised that neither stepchild remembered (or acknowledged it if they did)? I hope I'm not supposed to be surprised because I expected it. Expect the worse and you can't be disappointed right? I briefly wondered if sd would send a text message because she can do that without her mother knowing it to tick her off (god forbid they have any contact with me whatsoever 'cause her insecure lil cold heart can't handle it). Nope. Forgotten. Again. No surprise. They forget my kids' birthdays too so really, no surprise that they'd forget mine. I'm at the bottom of their list despite years of love, attention, giving, etc. They celebrate their dog's birthday. I'm below the dog. Yeah for me. LOL. Despite my sarcasm, I am "almost" beyond caring...barely a thought of it yesterday. Wouldn't want to waste more than a few seconds of my birthday being upset about something out of my hands.

Oh well, I had a good day yesterday and nobody could screw it up - not even the ex or the kids she's raising to behave like her (at least until they're 18 and out from under her *fingers crossed*). Here's the birthday details:

My Birthday Party

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Birthday Present Snooping

How far do you go to figure out what your birthday present is? I always try to figure it out. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. This year, I think I have it figured out but even I have my limits on confirming my guess.

For instance, I know where my husband bought it from (it's on our online bank statement, lol) and he gave me a hint. From there, I think I have figured out what it is (but not the color). Now, I "could" use my husband's email address and password and log-in to their online store and check out the account, but even I have my limits obviously because I feel guilty even thinking about it. So, I won't do it. Good to know I have a conscience in there somewhere...even if it is hidden sometimes.

How far do you go to figure out presents?

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Yup, Forgotten

Well, my son's birthday was forgotten by my two teenaged stepkids and my mother. I was hoping the day wouldn't go by yesterday without a birthday wish, but it did. How hard is it to say "Happy Birthday" ??? Both my youngest daughter and only son were forgotten by grandma and two of my girls and son by the stepkids.

I didn't mention it to anybody - not hubby or my son. My son was pretty happy with his birthday gift from us and he has a party this weekend with a Kung Fu Panda birthday cake, lol. So, he's not noticed the members of his family who forget, which I am very glad he wasn't hurt. I noticed though.

What is sad is that I expect it to happen. I know it will. The stepkids were raised to forget about us as much as possible so it's no big surprise there. My mother I expect because she's done it so many times in the past...not just forgetting birthdays but putting my kids at the end of the line of grandkids. Playing favorites is a sucky way to grandparent.

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Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

My darling "baby" turned three yesterday. We celebrated her birthday at her grandparents house while we were on vacation. She had a great birthday with lots of presents and her Ma-Moo & PaPa giving her money in all $1 bills which she got a huge kick out of. Being three and thinking she was holding a huge wad of cash was just fantastic to her.

Happy 3rd Birthday Baby Girl!

While picking up her Dora birthday cake at a bakery, a woman walked in holding a baby that was no more than a week old. This tiny little person stirred up more of those urges to have another baby - strong urges that almost had me in tears. Darnit!! I don't need more kids! We have four together plus my two stepkids = six kids! That is ENOUGH! Right?!?! *sigh*

I asked my husband, "Don't you feel anything when you see a tiny baby like that?" He said, "No, it must be a woman thing." I can do without that "woman thing" right now. *sad sigh*

I have a lot of things now that I want to do for myself that don't involve newborns, breastfeeding (though I miss it), more years of diapers, vaccinations, lost sleep, etc. My husband is beyond the age to where he wanted to have anymore kids too. We're done. It's just hard sometimes. I need somebody to let me hold their newborn so I can just give it back and be over it, lol.

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