Perfect

Yesterday was my birthday. Hans ruminated that he found it a bit underwhelming, but I think it was just right. Here's a quick run-down of the day's events:

1. Dropped Annika off at the ever-popular Jen's house. Josiah has declared his undying love for Jen and his desire to marry her someday. I don't think it would work out, much too May-December, but I do hope that Josiah finds a woman just as wonderful.
2. Josiah and I proceeded to "preschool orientation" at his new school. Remember that he went over to a different base for preschool. Now he'll be going right here on Patch, just a few blocks away. Orientation was...all right (I say while heaving a huge sigh). The curriculum appears to once again be learning the alphabet. Great. So everyone be prepared to hear me whine about how Josiah's teacher bugs me about Josiah's antisocial-ness every time I go in to pick him up. He starts school on September 3rd. I'm hoping to go over and meet his teacher and somehow tactfully mention that Josiah may exhibit symptoms of antisocial behavior. Hopefully we can all work together. Sigh. Maybe Hans and I need to stop teaching him things and start making him drink coffee, smoke cigarettes and watch "The Daily Show" to stunt his brain a little and thus let him catch up with other children his age.
3. Returned home, where everyone spilled out of the building and played out front for a half-hour until one member of this family, who shall remain anonymous, threw a fit and had to be hauled inside. It's not who you think.
4. Hans came home after lunch and at 2:00 we went over to the Kreiskrankenhaus in Boblingen for Josiah's appointment. That's the hospital for any of you non-German types. We didn't get to see the doctor until about 2:45. Thank GOD Hans had the afternoon off and was able to help me supervise Annika. And to anyone who knows Hans: I know...he totally took the afternoon off. I'm as shocked as you are!
5. Josiah's appointment went well. The doctor, Professor Teufel, did another ultrasound of Josiah's neck and felt the lymph nodes all over Josiah's body. He reviewed the bloodwork that was done here at our clinic and declared that whatever it is/was, it isn't malignant at all. It was decided that the bumps were swollen lymph nodes most likely brought on by an infection (an invisible one, since Josiah hasn't been sick since we got to Germany) and that it sometimes takes months for the swelling to go down. We are to monitor the bumps and only go in if they get bigger.
6. Went home, viewed my empty (snif) mailbox, then headed home to cut my huge and lovely cake. I brought cake outside for Jen, Deb and the Multitude and we all sat out in the sun and had birthday cake.
7. Had pizza for supper so I didn't have to cook!
8. Went to the gym and worked off half of a piece of birthday cake while watching Weeds, then came home, talked to Donna, got my roots colored (finally), watched two episodes of Lost and then hit the hay after reading two tiny chapters of Life of Pi. I'm finding it to be a very slooooooowww read.

Thank you very much to my very kind friends and family who sent me cards and well-wishes, to my Mom and Other Mom (Donna) who left me voice mails, Dad who wrote a blog entry just for me, Jen who watched Annika and brought me a perfect gift, Josiah and Annika who gave me the perfect bottle of perfume, and Kitten who brought me a delicious cake and the perfect card and who put the kids to bed even though it was my turn.

I had a very Happy Birthday.