My Birthday Week

I hate surprises. I always have, and I’m not big on birthdays or holidays either. I blame Mom and Dad, of course, and feel generally grateful for having been raised the way we were, with flex-holidays based on when people could get together, a preference for the non-Hallmark moments, and a strong overall aversion to being given things.

And then I married Seth, who loves both holidays and surprises, gives over-the-top gifts, brings home flowers on random Tuesdays, and gets more excited about Christmas than most school age children. It’s taken some adjusting. Don’t get me wrong, nobody in their right mind complains about a husband who remembers anniversaries and keeps flowers on the table. But I suffer from a serious (probably lifelong) inferiority complex where it comes to gift purchasing and making birthdays special.
 

At any rate, Seth has outdone himself again, throwing me a birthday week for the ages.

Friday night was date night, and by the time it rolled around I was exhausted. I guiltily asked if we could cancel dinner plans and order pizza, and Seth came home with not only my favorite from Ledo’s, but also one of everything in the Whole Foods pastry case. And then didn’t complain when I passed out early in front of the TV.

 

Saturday morning we slept in, had leftover cheesecake for breakfast in bed, and did our first yardwork of the year in gorgeous spring weather. We had finally gotten a new mower, and for the first time Seth mowed the yard. After last summer, with Seth confined to a wheelchair while Mom and I mowed and weeded and trimmed, it felt like a major milestone (and looked way better than when I wandered aimlessly about with the mower, creating a lawn that appeared to have been marked by alien crop circles.) I had an afternoon pedicure date with Michelle and Grace, and we headed for the quiet, sun-drenched streets of Del Ray, where we took our time shopping and catching up and being buffed and polished. Grace and I even talked Michelle into gourmet french fries for lunch. I was having the kind of lazy Saturday afternoon I usually only dreamed about.
 

And then we got back to Michelle’s, and I walked in with my arms full of purchases (including a pair of completely ridiculous but adorable pink baby shoes), and Josh jumped out from behind a pillar with somebody’s baby, and a ton of people yelled “surprise!” and I nearly had a heart attack. My first-ever surprise party.

 

It was a terrific evening. Michelle and Seth had gotten a hodgepodge of all of our friends together, and put together such a great spread (Michelle's mac & cheese and buffalo chicken and two kinds of cheesecake and Mom's tiramisu!) that I didn’t really even miss beer. A terrific time was had by all, and the absolute highlight of the evening was watching Seth and Josh (a few beers in) put together the bike and baby trailer Seth had gotten me. An epic surprise, and a hilarious vignette (complete with upside-down instructions). I am in l-o-v-e with my retro pink cruiser (turquoise rims and shimano gears?! my cup runneth over), although the trailer is a tiny bit scary.

 

My Perfect Birthday Weekend continued Sunday with a late brunch in Cleveland Park with my friend Chris followed by a homemade triathlon (Seth’s idea). We picked up the second part of my birthday present- a bike for Seth- and then knocked out a swim in Walter Reed’s chilly saltwater pool, a jog along the canal, and a six mile bike ride- on which Seth delighted in going off and leaving me on his new, much-faster dualsport ride. I had been dying to ride bikes together along the C&O since we moved here, and watching the sun set over the Potomac capped off the perfect weekend. Surprises and all.

 

My birthday week celebration apparently continues, since last night we had a blast at the rained-out Nationals game (a mandatory work event that we had decided to make the best of), and tonight Seth just called and made the unheard-of offer of taking me out for ethnic food.

 

Maybe I could get used to this birthday thing.

 

Two photos of the week: one, of our diva niece Lehua, enjoying organic juice in the back of a convertible (she seriously has the life), and the other, of us being goofy at the ballpark. The beer was Seth’s. Mostly.