Going for birthdays, bolting and bling

• By Alison
• 6 February, 2010
• 10 Comments

Right now, the house is silent and calm, as Mr Boxer Shorts is out with the girls on a shopping trip. Shopping for moi.

That is a complete and total first. Normally, he forgets. Normally – I let him forget. I do that in order to allow him to show me that he can do it without me needling him. That he can demonstrate his love for me, and surprise me.

Strangely, it’s never worked.

As I turn 40 in 4 days time (deep breath, exhale, relax… you can do this) I made sure that this year he would not be allowed to forget. And so he hasn’t

The last time he took the girls shopping for me it was actually on the day of my birthday, and he went up the high street with them before lunch. There isn’t a lot up our high street. If you’re not in the mood for coffee shops or charity shops, that leaves you with two jewellers, one sports shop, a book shop and one very expensive luxury electrical goods shop (this one sounds promising!)

I knew that the resulting box was too small for a stereo, but the beaming faces told me whatever was in there was specially picked by them.

Sometimes, don’t you wish that your other half would steer your kids towards something you’ll like?

To this day, I have a small tree made out of wire, with blue rocks for leaves, growing out of a slab of granite.

It doesn’t just collect dust, it sucks it in, and requires immersion to get it out!

But it still has pride of place on my dresser, because my three year old thought it was beautiful and thought I would too. So of course I do.

Today, to buy something for my 40th birthday, my husband has taken them to the Glades in Bromely. The magic ingredients of one attitudinally maladjusted 8 year old, one 5 (nearly 6) year old with a cold, and the normal saturday crowds of a shopping centre are bound result in him spending 10 minutes rushing into the nearest shop and bullying them into buying something from there, and then spending 40 minutes in a cafe drinking hot chocolate to make it look like they were shopping for a respectful length of time.

And that nearest shop – it’s going to be a jeweller.

Because – when it comes down to it – it always ends up being jewellery. It’s such an easy fall back. I should have realised this way back in the day, when he turned all my shirts blue and gave me a bracelet as an apology.

It’s not like I haven’t tried to drop hints about what I’d like. I saw an apron in the kitchen shop that I really liked. I told Miss Trouble Pants as we walked past (twice), and then I told Mr Boxer Shorts that I’d told Miss Trouble Pants. So in my mind – there is at least 1 person who should know that I’d like an apron. Except that the kitchen shop in question? It’s in our high street. Not the Glades.

I know what you’re thinking – “An apron?? Why on earth do you want an apron? You’re willing to turn down jewellery in preference to an apron to wear in the kitchen when you’re cooking fish fingers?”

Well, yeah. Sorta! I started wearing a freebie apron I was given, because it gives me something to wipe my hands on, and otherwise I end up walking around the house with a dishcloth over my shoulder. And then I saw this apron that looked really funky – I just liked the idea.

And truthfully – I don’t do cheap jewellery. I don’t want huge amounts of money being spent by the children on my presents. I don’t wear a lot of jewellery as it is, and yet I have a large amount of necklaces living in my jewellery box. They don’t get worn for years. I have my troll bead bracelet that I wear every day, and my chain with the piccolo and star pendant. Sometimes I switch that for a chain with a heart locket. Sometimes I take it off and forget to put it back on for a week.

So jewellery is not really me. Unless it’s more beads for my troll bracelet. Or a leather version of the bracelet that I could use instead of my silver chain because I think they look quite good.

But that’s neither here not there. Whatever bling my children have bought me, it’s the most beautiful bling in the world, and I’ll wear it all day.

Because they’ve given it with love.

And probably very sticky hot chocolatey fingers.