Episode 48: In Which Jessica Realizes Why Mommy Was "never" Sick And Andrew Has a Berfday! (Part 1)

So I've been agonizing for weeks about what the heck to do for Andrew's birthday. I didn't know what to get him, how to surprise him, etc. It was killing me! Not to mention everytime I got him anything...I'd give it to him right then and there. ONCE I think I waited for like 2 weeks. But anyhow, about a week before his birthday, I didn't have anything.

Ok that's a lie. I still had one video game hiding in the closet.

But still. Last year if you recall, I gave him this lego thingy (which for some reason the link isn't working but its a lego model of Kaminarimon ok!?...oh, guess its working now) and he totally loved it. But I obviously wasn't in Japan this year and the only big kid legos in America are really expensive. They have these cools sets now of famous buildings. The Space Needle isn't that expensive...but it doesn't look incredibly challenging either, which is too bad because being from Seattle, that would be perfect for him. And of course that one house by Andrew Lloyd Wright...you know...this one. It's pretty expensive.

By the way, Andrew Lloyd Wright is an architect. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote "Phantom of the Opera". I get them mixed up ALL the time.

Of course, its not really that expensive really stopped me before. I finally settled on getting Andrew the knife that he wanted. It reminds me of something out of Metal Gear Solid 2 if you ask me but he likes it. (nothing against MGS2). I didn't want to get him that knife originally because he would totally be expecting it, but conveniently, the price went up to 110 dollars and I think I convinced him that he wouldn't be getting it. (I found it on Amazon for MUCH less than that). As I'm writing this, Andrew is at work and so we haven't done presents or anything. By the time I post this, we'll be done celebrating so I'll let you know if I fooled him.

I also decided to give him movies because he always wants them...but not knowing where to start, I plan on just wrapping up DVDs that we already have and enclosing coupons for movies in them.

I don't have a car that can go very far so I've had to be creative...shopping has been hard.

Then there was the matter of the cake. I found these cool candles at a party store on Saturday and knew Andrew would like them...but he was with me and the store was miles out of bike riding distance, so I asked him if he wanted them. He asked "I dunno, am I gonna have a cake?"

Then I realized that he didn't really like cake so I asked "would you rather have a cheesecake?"

Yes.

And then of course since cheesecake takes forever to make there's NO way I can make it and have it be a surprise anyhow, he totally came home yesterday and I wasn't even half done. So Andrew helped make his own birthday cheesecake. No surprise there.

Conveniently, the library called me yesterday to say I had a book in, and it was raining so I couldn't walk. So after dinner I said I was taking the car to the library and I'd be back later. Andrew was playing Metal Gear Solid 3 so he didn't really question anything, not even when I came home and my purse was bulging and I kept going out the back door.

I went to the store while I was out and got all his favorite snacks. I left some in the car, put some under his pillow, and his some in the closet to wrap later today. Plus I got stuff to make clam chowder. I had 2 full grocery bags and no idea how to get them inside without him knowing. I stuffed things in my purse (even accidentally set off the car alarm in the process) and then took the remaining stuff and set it outside the back door.

I walked in the front door, made light conversation, and headed to the kitchen. I bagged the trash (which also conveniently needed to be taken out to the trash can which is situated right outside the back door) and opened the back door. Andrew didn't notice but if he had, I could easily have told him I was taking the trash out, which I was.

I took the grocery bag in on my way back in and quietly unpacked everything, grateful that Andrew never really looks anywhere except the snack cupboard and the drink shelf in the fridge.

So now I just have to wrap all the gifts and make dinner.

Andrew didn't tell me what he wanted for dinner...well, he told me "something in these" as he held up my ramekins that I've yet to use despite buying them 2 months ago. Not that I don't want to oblige him, but we already have cheesecake...I don't think creme brulee or molten chocolate lava cakes are gonna go well with that. So I settled on clam chowder. He doesn't get seafood often and he mentioned clam chowder a couple weeks ago. The weather is supposed to be gray and rainy all week so it sounded perfect. Had I thought of it a week ago, I would have made sourdough bread bowls...but I thought of it last night so...I bought the bread bowls.

I only like clam chowder on occasion so we'll see how I take to it today. I'm halving the recipe just in case. I wanted to make it with "fresh" clams (we're in Utah, hence the quotation marks) but I couldn't find them. Luckily I found the brand of canned clams that America's Test Kitchen recommended as being the best of not fresh. This will be an adventure for sure.

In other news, I've been sick all week. Sore throat, achy, stuffed sinuses. Andrew was sick last week and after some rest and relaxation is doing much better. I've managed to recover without the rest. Now I know why mom was never sick...cuz she had too many things to do there was no time to even MENTION being sick. Boys have all the luck.

To be continued...