Tomorrow at 3:45 a.m., my son will become 6 years old. I am flabbergasted by this fact, although it’s been on my mind for months. We have big plans for his birthday party with his friends and classmates on Saturday evening: an Old West/cowboy birthday party creatively titled “Ghost Town at Sundown.” I have all sorts of ideas and no idea whether I can pull any of them off. I’m starting to feel frantic about all the things that must be done before 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Unfortunately, I’m currently suffering from some godforsaken SICKNESS, in which my throat feels like hell and every swallow is murder. I spent a feverish, rotten night, sweating and being miserable. All I can think about is how Ian and I are supposed to go to Lucas’s classroom tomorrow for the Very Special Kindergarten Birthday Celebration. The one we’ve looked forward to all year because it’s the only time in the whole year when we parents are allowed to be in the kindergarten and watch the magic unfold before our wondering eyes. The place is truly a fairyland, where children play, learn, discover, and blossom in their own, unique ways. It is what every kindergarten everywhere should be, but most are not.

My being sick is too, too ironic. (http://sarabellae.livejournal.com/100785.html) For last year, Lucas was too sick to go to school on his birthday and we had to postpone the special day (http://sarabellae.livejournal.com/100879.html).  Ultimately it ended up being more disappointing to me than to him.

I really just feel terrible though. I should be resting.

To Gypsy_ritsa, who is cute as a bug’s ear, friendly and cheerful and loving every time I see her, and competent in myriad ways I can’t even imagine. 

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart. Your creativity is breathtaking—you pump out costumes for a bazillion productions a year, play a mean pennywhistle, and, as far as I have gathered over the many years I’ve had the pleasure of knowing you, you don’t even own a pair of sweatpants. Baby, you got style. You got flare. And you got fans. I hope your birthday is/was joyful in every way (even though I know you had to work). Love ya!

To NoNoSays, who has been my inspiration more times than I can count, who has held my hand through some fucked-up shit, who has taught me that strong is sexy and that I absolutely can, who has been there for me every time I’ve ever asked her to—even for a mysteriously awful, hopefully-never future catastrophe, 

Darling, I wish you an amazing birthday of happiness and glory, grace and revelry. I love you.

To Frostee, whose creativity knows no bounds, who can have fun anywhere at any time, who’s thoughtful and giving, who’s brave in the face of pain and adversity, who has captured for me priceless family moments, and who deserves health and wellness as well as security and fun,

Sweetpea, I hope your birthday is stupendous and ridiculous in that special way that you love. I love you.

xoxoxo 

Happy Birthday to our dear Tox  and our dear Heff. Their individual ingenuity, brilliance, and loyalty are unique on this planet. I am honored to have been able to call them my friends for nearly 20 years. I hope your birthdays are joyful, relaxing, and enlivened by bevies of hot women. 

xoxo

Asher’s party yesterday was great! I think everyone had a pretty good time, considering there was no pole or booze and my great granny, great aunt, mom, and dad were all there chaperoning.  Actually, I kinda meant to serve champagne, but then I forgot. About 26 people were here, I think, which is a helluva tribute to a little person who can’t even talk yet. Thank you to everyone who took time out of your busy lives to witness the anniversary of my little man and our survival of Kid Two: Year One. It means a lot to me that our community loves our sons. Thank you!

The food we served worked out pretty well, I thought. The punch was a hit with the kiddos. I tried to get all Martha on the birthday cake, which kinda sorta worked out, but kinda sorta failed. I guess it depends on how you look at it. I baked an Apple Hill cake and sprinkled it with powdered sugar. But not before I placed atop the cake paper twigs and leaves that Lucas and I cut out. Then we powdered it, so we had a negative image of the branches when we took the paper off. I decorated the branches with marzipan flowers that I made myself. This is the funny part: It took me three tries to create decent flowers. They caught fire when I went to brown them in the oven on the first try. The wax paper the flowers were sitting on was too close to the broiler, so actually it was the paper that burned. On the second try, I let Lucas distract me in conversation for exactly one minute and the flowers burned again. The third try worked OK, and they went on the cake. Lucas and I had decorated a special beeswax candle with modeling beeswax: It had a yellow star and a little toddler boy holding a single, giant flower. Lucas painstaikingly molded each flower petal for the candle.

Asher was completely distraught when we tried to feed him birthday cake. The vanilla ice cream made him cry. Poor baby, it was a very stimulating day and he didn’t seem to like it much when everyone’s attention turned toward him.

I only took a handful of photos, but I think my dad took some. Also, Tate and Elisa arrived and took some family shots of us, which I am excited to see.

We have a ton of thank you cards to write. Asher received plenty of gifts: some of which will go and live at the grandparents’ houses for when he spends time over there. That’s just fine with me. Some clothes will go into the closet until he grows into them, as will at least one toy rated for 3-year-olds. 

It’s amazing to me. Asher’s birthday is just two days away. I’m planning the food for his party on Sunday: we’re thinking sandwiches, chili and cornbread, salad, punch. I’m thinking of making an apple cake for the birthday cake, maybe with powdered sugar on top. Ice cream too, of course.

Yesterday Lucas and I decorated a beeswax candle with modeling beeswax. It’s a really lovely work of art now and it’s ready to stand in the place of honor on Asher’s cake.

Dear Parnasus,

Happy belated birthday, my dear! Sorry I didn’t get a chance to post yesterday on your actual birthday. I hope your special day was wonderful, in spite of the usual demands of house, kids, job, chores, etc. You are a ray of sunshine even when the world is dim and gray. Thank you for all that you do. You walk in beauty through each day, giving and creating safety and love. I admire you so much for that. I hope your party is fabulous! You deserve it!

Your friend,
Sara