10 at 10...

It's my 10th Blog of the year. And I'm beginning it at 10 PM EST. I always wanted to write this 10th one. I started blogging in 2008 and I wrote 6 that year. I moved up to 8 last year and so when I wrote the 8th one this year, I told myself I will write at least 10 to close out year 2010.

But I never expected that I will write this under such circumstances. At 10 PM, forced not to sleep by a severe acid reflux and having to sit up straight. "I have to sit up anyway, so let me do something useful", I thought and sincerely picked up my computer thinking I will plan for tomorrow. But then I remembered my vow to get to 10 and changed my mind.

It's also the right setting I guess. I just put my son to sleep a little while ago and my wife just said goodnight too. They're tired. The last 2 days were the most important days of their lives and they had a lot going on. My wife used to celebrate her birthday on Dec 14th every year, but ever since our little fellow was born one day before her birthday 9 years ago, the routine has changed. She now celebrates his birthday on Dec 13 and ends up cleaning up after on hers.

Especially when his birthday falls on a Monday it's a double whammy. She had to prepare all Saturday for his surprise party on Sunday including baking 60 cookies and making rasamalai and when Sunday came, it was time to manage 10 hyperactive kids in our small 2 bedroom apartment for over 2 hours while they were on cookies, candy, juice and ice cream cake. I was surprised that she managed to get them to play a game of monopoly for 45 minutes and then draw snowmen blindfolded for another 45.

And then there was Monday itself. HIS BIG DAY. She had to drop him off at school, ensure he was safely escorted to his class with the big glass bowl of cookies. Children are not allowed to take candy to school for their birthday, but obvioulsy she was more worried about her big glass bowl! Then she had to do voluntary work at his school, make lunch and once he was back from school, make him do his home work, take him to his Karate class, enetertain her friends who came to wish him until late in the evening and help us get dinner.

The cleaning up did not end until late this evening, which was HER BIG DAY itself, the only sane hour she had in between being when she sat down with us to watch a TV show while we had Pizza (we ordered Papa John's for dinner). And then she did not even retire till she had cut vegetables for tomorrow, sealed them in a ziploc bag and stored them in the freezer.

Even after she hit the bed, she remembered that she had forgotten something and she requested me to turn on the dishwasher. If it had not been for my acid reflux and if I had not seen the benfit in the short walk to the kitchen, she would have certainly had to do it herself. As amiable as I may seem, I seldom budge after I have tucked myself two layers deep into my cozy bed and especially when my laptop is firmly enconsed on a cushion on top of my lap (rhetoric). But today, she won.

Sometimes, I feel sad for her. I love my son and all that but he certainly has taken away her special day. I know the rest of the week won't be any better because there will be more volunteering at school, more Karate Class and then there will be the Library, grocery and a million other things to take care of. And she will do all of them patiently and with a smile on her face.

Wait, next Wednesday is the the day of the Winter Party at my son's school, so the preparation for that will start tomorrow. And then there's Christmas presents to buy for her best friends and before the year runs out, she would have invited at least a handful of people home for lunches and dinners or at least made something special and taken it in a bowl to share with neighbours.

Sometimes, I feel she just loves this cleaning up after. She never seems to get tired of it. She will never drop the ball and no matter how messy a given day was, she will always show up the next morning. Sometimes, I wish some of the people I work with at work were like her. She's one amazing woman, my wife and I am blessed to have her in my life.

It's almost 1115 and I know what you are thinking. So what do I do while she's doing all this? "Who, ME?". Not much really. I just stay up late on her birthday and write blogs.

HOPE MY FAVORITE FELLOW AND WONDERFUL WIFE EACH HAD A GREAT BIRTHDAY IN 2010. AND WILL HAVE MANY MORE HAPPY ONES TO COME.