Mentally, Physically and Emotionally Beat

Jeremiah's birthday party is in 18 hours. We have to be at the park where his party is being held around 8:00 a.m. to reserve tables. Can somebody PLEASE remind me why I decided to hold Jeremiah's birthday party over Thanksgiving weekend rather than last weekend like I originally planned??

Oh yeah, because my cousin from Phoenix swore that he and his family would come to his party if we held it this weekend, because they would be in California for Thanksgiving stuff anyway. According to my uncle, who is this cousin's father, they aren't coming; however they are out here in California. I have been to EVERY SINGLE party my cousin has thrown for his kids (they celebrate the bdays out here in Cali b/c all the family is out here). I changed all of my plans for them, and here they are not coming. I'm so pissed. Along with every other LAME excuse I've heard for not coming (the valid ones, like having REAL prior conflicts, of course I'm okay with!) as well as those who really have not RSVP'd for the party and won't return my calls/emails/facebook or myspace messages regarding their attendance. According to my mother in law, I should be used to this and tolerate this because, according to her, "MEXICANS DON"T RSVP." I tried to tell her that it was a matter of not only politeness but a matter of money (a LOT OF MONEY) because our head count determines the price we are paying the caterers. She said I should have known better. AGH

I have tried to get as much done in advance as I possibly could. My poor son has been running ragged this week going from one store with me to another and to Grandma's house and back while I get ready not only for his party but for yesterday (thanksgiving) as well. I admit I took him out this morning for some shopping, with the hope of taking him out for just two more quick errands this afternoon, but he had reached his breaking point, as I have right now as well. He woke up from an hour and a half nap VERY cranky, so I put him back down. He was asleep within two minutes. That was over an hour ago. Even though his bedtime routine technically starts in an hour, I am not touching him. This makes my husband MAD. Because apparently I'm supposed to bring a very very tired and cranky almost-one year old to go buy a damn pinata that he won't even be able to enjoy as well as a veggie platter, chips and cake plates. So now Louis wants to go pick out the pinata himself. That would be all well and good, but my husband is SUPER picky about EVERYTHING, especially pinatas. He made me return the one I bought last month to party city, and knowing him he will take three hours to find the pinata of his dreams. My wonderful parents have just agreed to buy the last things I need for my party for me. I owe them my life for all the help they have given me this week.

On top of it all, I have been sick on and off since Sunday. I feel like I'm going to break down any moment. I'm dizzy, my throat hurts on and off, my nose stuffs up on and off. My stomach hurts, I feel faint and irritable. I have been crying on and off since Jeremiah went down for his second nap over sheer exhaustion over everything and frustration with my husband and his attitude and lack of help. I literally put on Thanksgiving by myself yesterday. Oh wait, that's right. Louis vaccumed the living room and tried to mop the dining room but broke my Swiffer. And picked up the tables from my mom and dad. My bad. He refused to even lift the damn turkey for me to put it in the turkey pan because the image of an in-tact carcass, along with the feel of the raw skin, grossed him out too much. Thanks honey, you're the greatest. We had a few rather large blow-up fights yesterday and my feelings are still not completely mended over them.

But honestly all of my moaning and groaning is really lame in comparison to what I am about to write about. Last night, my parent's neighbor's two doors down from them lost their home. A fire started in their water heater and their house is destroyed. Two elderly Chinese people live there and while we have never been able to communicate with them through language barriers, they have always smiled warmly and waved at us, especially when Joey and I used to walk to school in the morning. I saw the devastation this morning after my mom and I went shopping. It's so horrible. But not as horrible as how casually my old Aims Academy employee played it out to be when I ran into her at the gas station. I didn't even KNOW that she lived in my parent's neighborhood, the neighborhood I lived in since I was 5. I ran into her at the gas station today and she played it off as no big deal and was even chuckling about it. How cruel can you get!!!

Anyway, I just got off the phone with my mother in law. She was already at Sam's club and offered to pick up the stuff we needed so that my parents didn't have to go out as well as buy a stupid pinata in the morning. The pinata from hell. Thank God for small favors.

Now I'm off to wake up my poor son, feed him dinner, play with him a bit, bathe him and put him to bed.

EDIT: I just read a news story online about the fire. Apparently it was caused by a cigarette. Goes to show how word of mouth, especially from someone uncompassionate, can twist the facts. Here's the link:
http://www.sgvtribune.com/highlanders/rowlandheights/ci_11094590