Birthday and Bargain

Sorry, couldn't help the alliteration there. I'm a big fan of it, as is my mom. For example, she always names her cars. She had Teddy Taurus, Abbey Accord, and Caty Camry. I'm not sure what their current car is named...

Anyway, I digress. Yesterday was a great day. My friend Julie said that she always thought my birthday should be a national holiday, and here it was. Well, I guess the holiday wasn't in honor of me, but it still felt as important. Stein greeted me in the morning before the alarm went off. Then Linda wished me a happy birthday and handed me presents. One was a Love and Logic book for teachers (was that a hint?!) and the other was a Dave Matthews double CD that she actually wanted.

Would you believe that 2 girls in my class also had a birthday yesterday? What are the chances? We got to celebrate their birthdays with treats. We tell parents to only bring in healthy snacks, so the first one did. We enjoyed chips, salsa, and guacamole. I thought that was a great idea. The other girl didn't follow the healthy snack rule. She brought in cupcakes from Sam's Club. They were cute, with a swirl of thick, sugary frosting and a Hello Kitty ring on each one. I waited until the last possible moment in the afternoon to have them. Linda also had the good idea of enjoying them outside at recess. It was great!

When I turned on my phone at the end of the day, I had a lot of messages from people wishing me a happy birthday. Then, when I got home, more messages waited on our answering machine. I also got calls from my mom and Mickey when I was home. This is one reason I love birthdays. You just feel special. Really special. Stein said, "Do you want a present?" and shot his eyes toward 2 wrapped gifts on the coffee table. "Sure!" I said, not wanting to be greedy by grabbing and ripping them open. That's the other thing about birthdays. They make me feel like I'm six again. Politeness flies out the window. I think, "Do I really have to open the card first?"

After reading a beautiful card, I ripped open the first present. A camera. A digital camera! Hooray! I don't have to keep asking Stein to bring home his work camera. I can finally take pictures of what I'm talking about in my blog. I can finally take pictures in my classroom that I can use in my portfolio. I was so excited. Giddy, in fact. Like those times as a kid when you hoped for something, dropped numerous hints, but never thought you would get it. And when you did, it was like a shock at first. The second present was a case for the camera and an extra memory card. Now that's thinking.

Stein asked me this weekend if I wanted to go to dinner on Monday, and I told him I would see how I felt after school. The day went pretty well, much better than last week, so I was up for going out. Linda told us that the restaurants downtown (that are owned by the same company) offer a special on your birthday. They give you a discount on food. We opted for an Italian restaurant. We didn't want to seem like cheapskates, or the blue-hairs at a Florida buffet, so we thought of a plan. I would go to the bathroom, and Stein would casually order a dessert for my birthday. In a roundabout way, the waiter would know it was my birthday, without me coming out and saying, "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! WHERE'S MY DISCOUNT?"

So, after a great dinner, the waiter brought over a cannoli with a candle in it. He then asked if my birthday was actually yesterday and asked for my i.d. as proof. When our bill came, 50% of our food bill was taken off! As we looked around, we saw 4 other tables doing the same. When we exchanged birthday greetings with the couple at the table next to ours, they gave us the skinny on the deal. "You can double dip," she said. "We always do lunch at one of the restaurants, and dinner at another." Stein and I looked at each other and laughed. We know where we'll be going for his birthday!

When we got home from the restaurant, more messages waited. I heard from more family and friends. What a great ending to a great birthday. I felt special again. Really special.