Monday, April 28, 2008

How a 7 year old can ruin a birthday

I know, at the advanced age of 29 (for the 10th time!), I should be a little more sensitive, but my son ruined my birthday and I want to complain about it.

Grow up Gudrun, is what I am saying to myself. But he hurt my feelings.

The Big Guy was tired of everyone having a birthday except him (Little A, DH and I all have our birthdays within a sever day period), so at my birthday dinner, he threw a fit.

Actually, it started earlier that day, but I was gone, celebrating my birthday with a little TLC for mommy (massage at Watercourse Way, followed by a mani/pedi at Touch of Elegance -- lovely!) DH said all day the Big Guy had been a pain in the butt, complaining and grumping.

Just before dinner (DH made a lovely sablefish on a bed of leeks and cherry tomatoes), the Big Guy started stomping around, complaining that we did not give him any respect. Oh, wait, it was that we did not give him enough respect. What?

He was not happy with dinner, claiming to not like fish. Right after I blew out the candles on the cake, during the serving of the cake, he had a little incident with the cream whipper and he fell apart, going to his room, totally upset.

This was when I decided to revert to his level of maturity and declared my birthday a mess.

Good Gudrun, really adult. Get over yourself - the Big Guy is 7. And yes, it is pissy that everyone gets to celebrate something this month except him. And yes, it sucks that everyone gets gifts and attention, but him. And you are the adult Gudrun, help him understand it.

But just for a moment, I want to whine, and since this is my blog, I can do that.

I want my birthday to be great, just like the birthday celebrations I put together for Little A and DH. I want the dinner to be well thought out, I want the cake to be an expression of their love for me. I want everyone to be happy and want to enjoy being together as a family.

I want DH to spend as much time thinking about my birthday as I think about his. I want my kids to be happy about the chance to celebrate (we all love cake), and I want to make happy memories for all.

I guess I just want my mommy.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

What is with Online Travel? Is it still a place to win?

Check out this opinion about the online travel industry and what it would take to be successful.

read more | digg story

In the news again

I hope this will end soon - it is embarrassing, especially when people stop me in the street! Ack!

Friday, April 18, 2008

10 Sweet Years


Today is our 10th wedding anniversary....it is also the birthday of Little A.

Best anniversary gift ever.

10 years is a long time, but frankly, with a couple kids thrown in there, it seems like just yesterday that DH and I met playing Ultimate Frisbee with Ebb&Flow. Now we are into that second decade of marriage where you really see if you can do it. The kids are getting older, they won't need us so much anymore, it will be a chance for DH and I to figure ourselves out as adults (not that we weren't adults when we married, but you know what I mean).

Here is to another 10 years - and yes, we will drink champagne tonight. Little A will think we are toasting to her birthday, little does she know!

Happy Days to you, too, whatever the occasion!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The T-List Does Twitter: Join the Travel Twitterati! (Beta)

A fun little application of Twitter for folks who are interested in travel and the travel industry. Lots of friends from T-list are already included, fun to see what everyone is up too!

read more | digg story

Wordless Wednesday: Green Cast


First cast, dislocated elbow, February 2008

Monday, April 7, 2008

Birthday party madness

Once again, I have worked myself into a tizzy about a kid birthday.

Little A's birthday is coming up in two weeks. She is oh so popular in her class (my dream undoubtedly), so I thought we should invite the whole class. Also, as room parent, I felt like being inclusive.

But then I realized she has other friends outside her class, and we were slowly creeping up to 25 kids. After last year's 5th birthday extravaganza, I vowed not to have that many kids again. So, I could invite just the girls, along with the extra girls she is friends with. But she has two good boy friends, and so that seemed strange. Plus, there are a couple girls in her class that she is just not friends with (no fault on anyone's part). But inviting all the boys in the class seemed silly, as she is friends with only the two.

I thought maybe I could send out the invitations in batches, to her good friends first and then the rest of the class a couple days later. As it was, I already waited until 12 days before the party to send the invites, cutting it pretty close. But that seemed lame, when all I wanted to do was limit the amount of kids at the party.

Just hours before I was set to send out the invitations, DH and I had a meeting in the park, while the kids were on the playground. I showed him the whole list, including all the kids who were outside the class. I *'d the kids who Little A has had play dates with, or had a friendship with. It worked out to be 11 kids. 11 kids is a nice number. Better than 25.

When we got home, we sat down with Little A and explained the situation. Our trump card was that with a reduced guest list, we would allow her to have gifts (with 25 kids, we were going to have a book exchange). She immediately agreed, even agreeing to the list of kids we had put together.

In any case, I should have taken my Dad's advice and just picked the guest list for her. At kindergarten, I think it is OK for parents to help select friends. By second grade, I believe the choice is the child's, unless bad decisions are being made...

What do you think?

Wednesday, April 2, 2008