sigh

i've been wanting to write this last week but after all the party frenzy, i've totally wiped out. and just when i thought i could sit down with the laptop and get to it, i've come down with this nasty head cold. i was up all night in complete misery, went to work for an hour to wrap a couple of things up, came home, moved all the tissue off the bed and crawled in. i'm feeling mildly better - better enough to share some pictures, if nothing else.
i've been wanting ot wait to write about the party since i only took a few pictures and am waiting for those that a friend took. but the party was really nice. the days leading up to the party were completely insane...staying up half the night making 900 mini cupcakes, a birthday cake, treat bags - the list goes on and on and on. saturday was equally hectic. sam's boyfriend jonathan is quickly becoming my favorite person. it was 100 degrees outside and i had him up on a ladder hanging lights and the tent we made, only to have me look at it and say 'i hate it! let's put it over there.' he was a really good sport under my dictatorship and was smart enough to be excited after it was all set up. i'm really happy that sam has found someone who is such a sweet guy and who loves frances dearly.
people started showing up right at 7 and all seemed to make a b-line to the margarita machine. the music was good, the food was good, the company was good. my friends angela and her husband and their two children were the last to go, around 2am. i fell into bed completely exausted, only to find the sweetest 3 notes left on my bedside table. they were not completely anonymous but definitely unexpected and such a lovely (and much needed) treat. thank you to my (not so) secret admirer.
sunday, sam and jonathan brought frances home and we all sat and watched her open her presents. we then went to my friend shannon and her husband jason's house, where frances played with rowan and sophia and shannon and i went to wheatsville
when we got home, frances and i just spent some much needed alone time at home. we layed down on the couch for a short nap. this was one of the first moments since the breakup where i felt really at peace. happy to be alone with frances (and even the cats) amidst all the tissue paper and presents. frances is really well liked and every time she has a birthday or is sick and i see just how many people love her, i feel almost underserving.
so now, here i am, sick in bed, free-basing vitamin c. sam and jonathan went to connecticut for TEN DAYS! which means it's just me and snowcone. go figure i would come down with something when my only help leaves town. i've concluded that taking care of your child while you are sick is worse than doing anything else when you're sick, including going to work. i'm glad that the party is over so that i can get busy on the many other projects i have stewing around my head. i want to try and start making christmas presents before december (for once.) i'm also starting a women's creative group with a friend of mine at the end of the month and we have a lot to do to get ready.
things are shaping up around here. i'm feeling rather optimistic about the way things ar unfolding. strange what happens when you loosen your grip.

p.s.
i can't ever get my spell check to work properly. my apologies for misspelled words - something i would judge myself for.

*kids tent
** birthday cake (i didnt really mean for it to look like a giant hostess snowball)
***one of the notes i found in a gourmet magazine next to my bed
****the cupcakes (tip: get multiple mini-cupcake tins or this will take days)