The one with spiders, rotten meat and a birthday cake

The second birthday came and went. I can’t believe that the girls had evolved from barely-there-blind-helpless mice into almost full fledged human beings. They have opinions, they put on their own shoes, they tell me about their day. It’s amazing to watch them change and grow. Unfortunately the amazingness (is that a word?) often gets lost beneath lack of sleep, stress and responsibilities.

I wanted to throw them a birthday party complete with a kick-ass cake. It was more for me than for them, but most young kids’ birthdays are. So we invited friends, made a menu and a shopping list, had set a date for the party.

The day before the party I took off, thinking I’ll leisurely prepare for the festivities (that’s because I’m slightly delusional). I could see myself breezing around my newly completed kitchen (thank you Kevin!), humming some happy song while preparing yummy food out of fresh groceries I bought that day. What I didn’t realize was that ALL high schools in the area graduated that same week, everyone and their uncle had graduation parties the same day I had zaiki’s party and the grocery store I go to was swamped.

So, the grocery store trip took me 3 hours to complete. And there was a huge spider on the last six-pack of Corona I wrestled another crazy shopper for. I spotted it when I was waiting in line. The thing was HUGE, the size of my iPod, its fangs dripping with poison and I’m pretty sure it was growling. Both check out girl and I started to shriek as the disapproving line behind me looked on. Finally I told myself to man up and flicked it away with my credit card. It landed in my cart full of groceries and I made the security guard alerted by our screams shake out all the stuff I bought and transfer them into a new cart. Selfish of me? Perhaps, but I didn’t want that spider-thing to tap me on the shoulder and ask for spare change while I drove home. The grocery store trip put me in the vile mood. When I got home, that blasted six pack of Corona that caused me so much drama tore and broke in my driveway. No, not a good day.

On the upside – the smell of rotting meat that enveloped our yard each time the wind blew from my neighbor’s house resolved itself. Turns out, old demented man next door unplugged his spare fridge full of meat some time ago, and it only (ahem) took his son 3+ months to notice the smell. They cleaned it just in time for us to have friends over in the back yard. Yay!

The day of the party was better – Kevin made a jambalaya and his famous sangria, I made my kick-ass cake. The house was only slightly a disaster, guests showed up on time. A birthday video is below. J