Let Them Eat Cake

I woke up this morning feeling pretty good about myself. The kids were cooperative and we actually left on time. My hair had a little extra bounce and my jeans were not too tight. It was a great way to begin what is my 35th birthday. Soon however, I began to get the wind knocked out of my sails one blow at a time.

We were in the car on the way to school when Carter hit me with birthday blow #1. The conversation went a little something like this:

Carter: “Mom are we having cake?”
Me: “Cake?”
Carter: “ Birthday cake!”
Me: “ Well, Daddy has not mentioned it to me, so I would say no.”
Carter: “Mommy, I think that we need to have cake.”
Me: “Well, Carter we probably won’t be having cake.”
(By this time I am beginning to feel sorry for myself.)
Carter: “But mommy, EVERYONE should have a cake for there birthday.”
(Now I am really having a pity party!)

I dropped Carter off at school and I called Mark to tell him what Carter said. I will confess I might have possibly been seeking a little sympathy. I should have known I called the wrong person for that. Mark’s response was for me to go out and find myself a nice cake for my birthday and he would pick up the tab! So what did I do you might ask? Did I tell him to take his cake and shove it? No, I went and bought myself a birthday cake. (I know it’s a sad story.) That’s blow #2.

I must say that the 3rd blow came from a very unlikely source. I had to stop by my mother-in-law’s house to pick up something and she wished me a happy birthday. I thanked her and started to my car when Carter announced to her that I was 15 today and I responded with a laugh and told him he needed to add 20 years to that number. Suddenly, Mark’s mother looked at me like someone had just asked her the square root of 127 and she said “Well, Stefnee I didn’t know you were that old”. Ouch!

Today has been a good day so far even considering the earlier incidences. It is still hard to believe that I am 35 years old. It seems like only yesterday that I was 25. I am beginning to really believe the quote that says “Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what in the world happened.”

In honor of my birthday, I want to take a trip down memory lane.

I know I am a child of the 80’s because….

I know who shot J.R.
I know the meaning of wax on/wax off
I wore bright red Reebok hightops
I watched Star Search
I had an entire wardrobe of Esprit clothes
I know all the words to the Oscar Mayer theme song
My bangs were teased 8 inches above the rest of my hair (aka mall hair)
I used Aqua Net hairspray
I know all the words to School House Rock
I had multiple colors of leg warmers
I had the Dorothy Hammill haircut
I watched Magnum P.I.
I owed a Members Only jacket
I could wear five pair of socks at one time
I remember Michael Jackson when he was still black
I had a Swatch Watch and it had a guard on it
My room was covered in posters of Kirk Cameron
I remember exactly where I was when the space shuttle exploded
My Trapper Keeper kept me organized
I watched Mary Lou Retton win the gold metal


Happy Birthday to me!