Happy Birthday Eve!

To my almost eight year old daughter, Cecelia. I'm going to try to outlast her tonight so I can decorate the house - but she burns the midnight oil with books, so it's going to be tough.

I'm planning to get the kids up early for breakfast and take them out for donuts for a treat. We have never done donuts for breakfast, but she's been exposed to them at school, so she already has her two favorites - chocolate and glazed. Not that I'm opposed to donuts, I've just never liked them, myself. Luckily I think they have egg and cheese biscuits.

Tonight we celebrated in my new bed. I spent hours trying out every mattress in town in December and January before I finally made the purchase. It is a Tempur-Pedic. They sent out a delivery team last week and the electrical team was at my house until nearly 9:00 last night hooking up the Prodigy electronic base. One guy said, "I've never seen a model like this! This must be the top of the line. Your bed is like the Jetsons."

I'm pretty crazy about all things created to protect my back - when it is out of whack I'm not too happy. The first thing I bought with my CME money three years ago was a fancy chair for my scope and then a new scope with an adjustable headpiece. Some people buy jewelry, cars, or clothes when they get their first bonus after a divorce. My ex bought a Mustang convertible. I bought a new bed.

It was too late last night to play with the remote, so tonight I promised the kids after dinner and bath we would hit the new bed. We cranked up the head, raised the foot to top levels, and upped the vibrate mode to full power. The kids laughed while I hummed - it sounded like I was talking into a fan. Then they took turns somersaulting off of the foot and dancing, while I rested on the side unaffected by all the activity (which was a lot more than my bed had seen in . . . never mind. TMI.). It really is like the commercial with the wine glass sitting undisturbed while someone is tossing and turning on the other side.

The remote even has a clock and alarm - you can wake up in vibrate mode (kinky!) or alarm mode. I wonder if that means my whole bed will vibrate me awake. Kind of like my pager, only much bigger. Maybe just the remote vibrates. Guess I'll find out in the morning. It's set for 5:00 a.m.

Cecelia wants to re-decorate her room for her birthday. Since I was planning to do that anyway, it works out well for both of us. We've been picking out beds, bedspreads, and paint colors all week. She has been actively de-cluttering her room and drawers every evening (finally! At 8! I knew my neuroses would surface in her eventually without my prompting if I was just patient) - her room looks fabulous. Just in time for her third of four birthday parties this Saturday (she had two with her dad last weekend). I think she is enjoying one of the fruits of divorce - double the holiday and birthday celebrations.

I think the page-turning has stopped. Time to decorate.