Birthday Blues

In a few short hours my youngest offspring turns seven.  Holy stressful event for me.  You would think a child's birthday would be something to look forward to but I have been dreading it for the past month, for a couple of reasons.

1)Birthday Presents     I had a hard enough time figuring out what to get him for Christmas a month ago, now I have to figure out more gifts.  I asked the boy what he wanted and he gave me a list of crazy over priced things.  I am out of ideas myself, I mean when he turned six we got him a compound bow and for Christmas he got a BB Gun so I am out of dangerous things that all the over achieving, over protective moms can shun me for.  I ended up going for a Whiplash Scooter.  This thing is sweet!  I feel like with the amount of money I spend for health insurance I should get my money's worth out of it with ER visits.

Yes, I am that mom.

2) Birthday Parties     A few years ago I stopped doing birthday parties for my kids.  I was sick of paying insane prices for something that was over in two hours.  Also, in my kid's school we are told that if you are having a party and want to invite kids in the class you have to invite them all.  God forbid a kid gets their feeling hurt.  I am sorry but I am not dishing out for 20 kids, especially when half of them my kid can't stand to see in school, let alone at his party.  But still I hear "Oh when is Johnny's party going to be?"  or when I say I am not having one I get "Oh, poor Johnny, I bet he is going to be disappointed."  Seriously, who says there has to be a party.  I take my oldest to Canobie Lake for his birthday with my BFF and her family (her son's bday is right around the same time) for a day and it is much more memorable.  For my youngest we go to Coco Keys and stay over night at the hotel there.  So much better than any party I could do, plus I am not hitting up parents of kids I don't even know for presents.

3) I Want Cake    I just started Weight Watchers two weeks ago and have been doing really well.  Down 13 pounds already!!  We are taking the boy out for dinner tomorrow night.  I can handle that as I can figure out something to eat but then we are going to do cake at home.  I love cake (thus my need for going on WW's in the first place), especially chocolate, with ice cream.  I know I am going to rationalize myself into eating it.  I will tell myself it is my reward for my incredibly painful labor, that was 7 years ago and long forgotten.  Or I will go with "It's just this one time."  Sure just one time until my birthday a few weeks later.  I really want diet to work, why do birthday have to involve cake?  Who made up that rule because they suck.

I know that I will end up loving every minute of tomorrow and all the stress will have been for nothing.  It is hard to stay stressed when your child is so happy (and I know he will be).  And yes, I will eat the cake, I know I will gain ten pounds because of it, but hey, you have to enjoy these moments when they come.