Monday, September 17, 2012

Planes, Trains, and Birthdays

The weekend passed in a whirlwind as weekends around here are wont to do.  There's a word you don't hear anymore-wont.  It means accustomed, apt...I don't know why I'm explaining other than its Monday and maybe you haven't had enough coffee either.

I wrapped up my week in South Carolina on Friday doing motherly type tasks in daughter2s apartment while she was busy teaching 5th grade.  I did three loads of laundry including her sheets and towels, made chicken and rice and packaged it into small containers for her freezer, and stuck post-it notes all around her apartment so she wouldn't miss me too much when I left.  We zoomed to the airport as soon as she was through with school so I wouldn't miss my 4:50 PM flight.  I knew better.  Honestly, a four hour delay going to SC and a two hour delay leaving.  Ugh. United emailed me when I got home and asked me to rate my experience.  Alrighty.

I'm used to flight delays and mostly take them in stride, but on Friday I had things carefully timed so I'd arrive in Newark about an hour before daughter1 would arrive in Newark.  She was coming by train and this would allow me plenty of time to get my bag, find my car, negotiate the confusing airport exit and traffic and make the 15 minute drive to the train station.  Didn't happen.  She and I finally rolled into tinytown about 10:15 PM and hubs met us for a late supper at the diner.  He did not want to hear about my very stressful day because he'd spent the past day and a half trekking home from China.

Okay.  He wins, but still a very long day for me too.  

When we finally walked into the house at 11:30 PM I was surprised to see hubs had laid out all sorts of birthday goodies he'd brought me from his travels.  When I visited China back in March you might remember I had two coats made, a raincoat and a winter coat. While I was there I also really admired a beautiful cape the seamstress had made, so on his most recent trip hubs went back to her little stall and bought it for me.

I like it because you can button up the sides and make them more like big sleeves.  Now I just need a cool day in the city so I have an excuse to wear it.

Even though it had been a long, emotional, and somewhat frustrating day, I could still smile when my head hit the pillow because there was a grown up daughter in the house.  I slept until 10:30 on Saturday.  I have not slept that late since ever.  Even when I was a teenager I wasn't a late sleeper.  Life seems to have finally caught up with me.  Hubs was up at some ridiculous hour because of that whole China thing but I felt like I'd been run over by a mack truck, even at 10:30.

Saturday afternoon we went to an engagement party for a friend of daughter1.  Her parents are good friends of ours too and we just love the whole family. I've mentioned her a time or two before on my blog, but in a nutshell, she and daughter1 met at age three and became fast friends and now that little toddler girl is planning her wedding. How's that for succinctly summarizing 21 years?


The flower girl wanted in on the photo op here too, and speaking of flowers, isn't daughter1's necklace the cutest thing?

We left the party a little early and went out for an early birthday dinner pour moi.  So fun to have a daughter home to make it feel extra special.

The weather was spectacular on Sunday and once again I slept in.   Not quite at late as Saturday, but still, much later than normal.  Obviously my sleep tank has hit E and needs re-filling.  Or maybe I need to hurry up and get that flu shot.    Did you come here to read up on my sleep patterns?  Anyway, we had a late breakfast and then decided to get outdoors and take advantage of the beautiful day.  Daughter1 did not have the appropriate footwear for a walk in the woods so she put her tiny toes into some thick socks and an old pair of my tennis shoes.  Then I loaned her a t-shirt which fit like a dress but she was game.  And then she let me take pictures of all the fun stuff we did, like applying bug spray.

Or I took pictures and she was exasperated but laughed anyway.


The pup was in her glory too.


I'madogI'madogI'madog.
I just know that's what she's singing in her head.

When we got home daughter1 and I played some backgammon while hubs watched football.  Hubs and I played a bajillion games of backgammon back in our college days, so I wonder why its so hard to remember how to set up the board?  I made daughter1 a little crazy because I kept asking her things like, "Which one is my home again?" and "What color am I again?" and "Remind me again which direction I'm supposed to be going?"  She was a good sport.  Our backgammon board is beautiful.  We bought it in Dubai, but it was hand made in Iran.  When I look at the Middle East today that trip feels like a lifetime ago.


Hubs grilled hamburgers for a late lunch/early dinner and I opened some super cute birthday gifts from my girls and then just like that, we're back in the car heading to the train so daughter1 can get back to DC and her own home and life.  Sniff.

So nice to have had time with my girls this past week.   It's easier to turn a year older with daughters around.  Course all this birthday hullabaloo and my birthday isn't even here yet.  All I can say about that is I'm staying true to form and making it last more than a day.

19 comments:

  1. Glad I didn't miss your birthday! Beautiful weather here - Enjoy it!!!

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  2. Wow, Joyce...talk about a whirlwind of activity, but I know it was so worth it! I'm tickled to death that you got to spend time with your girls...I can't think of anything much better. Glad you had a nice birthday celebration! Love your new cape! Your hubby is definitely a keeper!

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  3. Your best birthday gift was the time spent with the girls (and hubby.) And, wow, flying is just not fun anymore is it? It's SO rare to actually have a flight leave & arrive on time anymore. (You know they secretly add ten minutes into the schedule as a buffer.) Strangely enough this past Friday morning my hubby's flight was EARLY coming into Myrtle Beach. He texted me "Just landed" which is the code for "give me 5 and swing around to the baggage claim exit" but I was still 20 minutes away! Boy, that really threw me! ha!!

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  4. What a great week and weekend! Despite all the travel issues. I'm just impressed you do all that on your own. I'm not a big girl when it comes to traveling. ;)
    Way to go Hubby on the noticing (and remembering) the cape!
    Must be love. ;)

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  5. Oh, oh, oh, I can so relate. Our birthdays really do feel more specials with grown children to celebrate them with us. Something about them thinking of us ,spending their own money on us, picking out a card that they drove to pick out, and making the adult effort to say "I love you" is all very precious. Love that cape!

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  6. Aw, how fun! I can see why you were exhausted. The game board is beautiful. My hubs and I played more in college, as well, and like you whenever we break it out now I have to have a refresher course.

    Is it your birthday week? Hope it's a good one.

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  7. Birthdays should always last for more than a day. It sounds like you are making the most of yours....keep celbrating and have a wonderful day when your birthday day comes.

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  8. We have such parallel lives. This Friday we will attend the engagement party of one of DD2's closest friends- they've been friends since they met in Mother's Morning Out at the ripe old age of 2- and our families are very close. That's the daughter who lives in DC. And then our DoodleBug who is going to be a teacher right here in SC. We love to play Backgammon and I played all the time in college AND I have the same problem remembering the set up, et al. LOL You're so right about birthdays being better with daughters around...as a matter of fact, every day is better with daughters around! So glad you've had some time with your girlies! OH! And what a thoughtful gift from the husband!

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  9. It's no wonder you were exhausted, I'm tired just reading about your travels :) So much running here and there.

    I never realized how many b'days your family has in such a short period of time. I'm glad you have been able to make your celebration last more than a day!

    By the way, your game board is beautiful.

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  10. Happy Birthday! What a wonderful time that you've had with your daughters. Is it just me, or is air travel just getting more and more frustrating all the time? I've been avoiding it for the last several years, but I think that I'm going to have to bite the bullet the next time I go to see my mom ... or face a drive of at least 3 days. I like driving, but that's a bit much. lol

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  11. your days with our daughters sound so wonderful..you are blessed to all be in each others lives! now you and your hubby can chill with each other for awhile, right?!

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  12. Other than the travel, it sounds like a wonderful time! Happy Birthday. :)

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  13. Can see why you were exhausted-but worth it. Remember playing backgammon in college-oh the good memories.

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  14. Except for the travel frustrating, looks like a great birthday. :) Happy Birthday Joyce!

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  15. it was a wonderful weekend! Wish I was still there :(

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  16. Wow, how can you keep up with it all? It does sound like a whirlwind of activity alright! Glad you had the time with your daughters. Our kids won't know how much that means to us until they've got (grown) kids of their own. It's wonderful to have them around, isn't it.

    Cute cape. Great guy for remembering it!!!

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  17. United is one of my least favorite airlines, at least you did have a restful weekend. I think you need a few more of those...:)

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  18. I have never knew about that word. Things have been a little messed up since United merged with Continental, however with all the flying that you do I am sure you have seen it all! Your husband is to sweet and the cape is adorable. No wonder your tank is on E. Always enjoy reading your adventures.

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