Of Birthdays and New Years

Monday was Wesley's birthday. Not just any birthday, but his sixteenth birthday. The big 1-6. He can date and drive! Well, I'm not so sure about the former, but the latter is guaranteed because he got a 90 on his driving test. This was quite surprising. I take that back; this was positively shocking. Wesley doesn't know how to drive. I'm pretty sure the DMV was just trying to get as many tests done as quickly as possible because it was New Year's Eve. 

Speaking of which, Wesley hates his birthday because of its unfortunate coincidence (pronounced co-in-ci-dence)with the turning of the new year. Ever since he was a little kid, he has struggled with the fact that he only gets presents one month per year and that, while everyone else gets their own day all to themselves, the celebration of his birthday is consumed by the chaos of December 31st. This year we tried to make his 16th something special. But to me he will always be a little 6-year-old smush with a raspy voice and a ravenous appetite. 

We spent New Year's at a family friend's house, partying and eating and doing Just Dance and eating and playing cards and eating. I also took a nap because of the virulent cold I caught last week. In fact, every time I come home I end up getting sick and spending a good 5 days ill in bed. 

So on Monday night I ended up leaving the party around 10:30pm. I went home and listened to Ella Fitzgerald and read my book and watched fireworks out my window and went to bed at 12:15am. If I were sentimental, I would feel some sort of remorse for not bringing in 2013 with a bang. Okay, let's face it--I am extremely sentimental. But I really actually don't regret not watching the midnight countdown or getting completely wasted or sneaking in a New Year's kiss.

Well, maybe that last one was a lie ;)