It's my party and I'll cry if I want to (not!)

My birthday was a great day. It started out with a phone message from my little brother Steve. ( I was in the shower and didn't hear the phone ring.) He's the original Steve-O. I nicknamed him Steve-o-rino when he was really little. He's eight years younger than me (or am I eight years older than him?) I'm thinking young here. Anyway, he was the first of several calls from family and friends, wishing me a great day. At school today, my students came in wishing me a happy birthday. Now I can't always get them to remember their multiplication facts, but they did remember it was my birthday. Today I'm thinking that's a more important skill in life. Next week, TAKS week, I'll think differently. My team members at school bought me lunch. Very sweet, and timely, since I didn't find out until that morning that my plans for ordering a school salad for lunch wouldn't happen. The cafeteria wasn't making salads that day. So someone ran out to Texas Hamburger Factory and bought me a hamburger. But just before lunch, Bob shows up at school with lunch from Pei Wei and a sweet tea from Chick-Fil-A. Now every Friday I have my "lunch bunch" in my portable. These are the students who have behaved "appropriately" all week, not just in my class but in their general ed classes. They had to have all their classwork completed and homework handed in on time. They really enjoy taking their cafeteria trays past their classmates and walking out to my portable. We all sit around a big table and talk. It's amazing what kids will tell me! Anyway...since school was out on Friday, we made lunch bunch on Thursday. So here are my students, myself and Bob all having lunch together. Bob got them laughing when he started making turkey gobbling sounds. He's just really good at making animal noises. It's a talent. Then in walks Pam and Becca. The kids wanted to know immediately which one was the soccer player! But they did ask about the married one. The rest of the day at school was filled with sugar highs. I had two Easter Egg hunts in my classroom. (I think I broke school rules about minimal nutritional value items. Oh well...) I gave out even more chocolate. My usual ADHD kids were really bouncing. But it was fun. See I knew I had the next four days off from school! Later that day I got a call from the office, "Birthday girl, you have a delivery." Steve and Mish had sent me a box of candy and balloons. That evening, Bob and I, Steve and Mish, Pam and John, and Becca all went to Parma's for dinner. I love that place. Great food, great service, live music, low prices. But what topped it off there, was that one of the owners came over to our table after we ate and made us all bananas foster ice cream dessert! On the house. He just wanted to do it for my birthday. We oohed and aahed as he made it, flames and all. As we got up to leave, the musicians played "Happy Birthday!" As I walked out, patrons said I looked like I was 21! (There were wine bottles at their tables.) Okay, how could I not feel great?! We all went home and sat around, talked, then began to watch "Narnia." In fitting fashion for two 50 year olds, Bob and I didn't stay up till the end of the movie. But hey, we had gotten up at 5:00 that morning and were at the YMCA by 5:30 am. So cut us some slack. It was wonderful having spent the day with my family. This morning we went to Einsteins for breakfast and coffee. One of the people there said she could tell Pam and Becca were related to Bob and me. I told her they were in town for the holiday and my birthday. She then said "Happy Birthday, I'm going to buy you your breakfast." So today started out fun too. We then went to a matinee and saw "Take the Lead." Good fun. We are calling our dance instructor next week! And now we are off to church for a Seder meal. It's been a great birthday weekend so far. Turning 50 is not that bad...really.