Just another chapter..

Today is DH's 35th birthday. He's having a real crisis about it -- feeling like his life is half over, and he hasn't really accomplished all that much. If he's looking for sympathy, he's barking up the wrong tree. Here is a man who just six years ago barely had time to look up from his bong long enough to hold a conversation with you; and now here he is - a great job, a house, beautiful wife, two beautiful daughters...I'd say he was doing pretty well. Comparitively speaking, when I turned 35, I was coping with post partum depression and breastfeeding my two infant daughters -- so turning 35 was barely a blip on my radar screen.

This weekend's agenda is pretty full. We're going to see the MIL tomorrow (Saturday) and all four of us are sleeping at her house. MIL wants to spend some time with sonny on his birthday weekend (I keep telling him that he gets ONE DAY, not an entire WEEKEND), and she's making him a SPECIAL dinner. Then DH and I are attending a birthday party for DH's best friend's wife, Mrs. F. She is turning 30, and demanded a big blowout party. There will be a full Spanish band, a DJ, full bar, catering...Mr F. is dropping more paper on this than DH dropped for his mom's party. She even has relatives coming up from Virginia to attend this function. The party will run from 9pm to 2am - who are these people??

I took the girls to see Santa this past Monday - it did not go well. I was sort of expecting it, but had a glimmer of hope that I'd be able to get a decent picture out of it. No such luck. S. freaked out right away and even Dr. D, normally very social, got freaked out at the sight of ol' Saint Nick. In exhange for the trouble I went through to get them fed and changed and bundled up to face the elements, I have ONE crappy picture. The only purpose this picture will serve is to mark the occasion, so that years from now, when my daughters are teenagers and are convinced that I hate them, I can shove this picture in their faces and say, "SEE?! Momma loved you enough to drag you out ever year to see Santa! How can you say I don't love you?!" Now I have to get the girls dressed again and try to take pictures over by the tree. Cross your fingers.

The Early Intervention folks are pushing to have the girls re-evaluated and possibly adding ABA therapy to our already hectic weekly routine. ABA therapy is very intense, usually 10-15 hours a week in addition to the therapy they're already receiving; I just don't know if I can swing it. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. In the meantime, I found S. sitting on the couch yesterday clapping her hands! Take that, you EI bastards!

With this entire month being so hectic, I've been looking forward to a quiet New Year's Eve at home, just me DH and the kids. That plan went kerplunk this week as well. Turns out that MIL is going to my BILs house in Long Island (he's having another one of his big sleepover parties and DH and I have already told him we're not coming -- I prefer my kids to sleep in their own beds). Since MIL won't be home, DH won't allow his blind auntie to sit home alone on New Years Eve, so guess who's coming to dinner? Yup. I freaked out. DH promised that we'd spend New Year's alone - I didn't want to be entertaining company, much less the bearded lady. DH tells me that she's going to pay for a huge dinner, we're going to be ordering surf & turf, shrimp, etc etc. Does he really think that I'm so completely shallow that I can be bribed with steak and lobster? Even better, auntie is a big woman - she's over 350lbs, which means that she's sleeping in MY bed. I'll be ringing in 2006 on an Aerobed on my living room floor. It just gets better and better!

Here's this week's Friday's Feast - feel free to play along and enjoy your weekend!

Appetizer
Name something you'll miss about 2005. - I'll miss my kids being little babies.

Salad
What is one thought that went through your mind today? - DH=asshole.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how compassionate would you say you are? - 8

Main Course
If you could invent something, what would it be? - I'd invent a purse with a white bottom or a light built in so that you can see everything inside.

Dessert
Do you prefer salty snacks or sweet treats? - Sweet!