So the cake pics are actually from 2019, but it was a beautiful cake.

Kiddo has landed! There were a lot of hiccups with turbulence and landing delays and a missed connecting flight, etc. The whole family spent a lot of yesterday waiting to see when she’d be able to make the last leg of the journey. Fortunately, I was able to follow the progress on the Delta website, and we didn’t drive out to the airport four or so hours prematurely.

She’s sleeping. I woke up early. We stayed up late. She helped me pick up the kitchen some, and we took out some garbage. I didn’t even ask her to do it. She just offered.

BUT it hasn’t all been us teaming up to tackle care tasks around my apartment. Once we had her safely picked up from the airport, we got Applebee’s with my mom, then headed out for Boba.

I had the Pink Moon with passion fruit boba, and my daughter had a Thai tea boba. There they be!!!

Then, we chilled at the grandparental estate a bit, so everyone could eventually meet up, and we sat and talked.

Finally, we headed back here.

Today, however, promises to be much more adventurous, especially because IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!! Hence the cake pics. LOL.

Anyway just checking in prior to kiddo waking up and the day beginning in earnest. She expressed a great deal of concern for me yesterday, and I cried a lot, and we talked things through.

She’s hoping to get me back on track a little bit around the apartment, etc., before she leaves, so I can better maintain everything. But she also said we don’t have to clean on my birthday, unless I really want to.

Maybe I “mask” pretty well at work, in terms of putting up a fake front of being “okay.” But I’m really not. And that’s blatantly obvious if you take a decent look at the rest of my life. And what she called my “depression room.”

I’m just SO immensely grateful that I was able to get her up here.

And even more grateful that I have her in my life, in any capacity, from any distance. She’s a pretty spectacular kid to have.

It’s really good to see her. Hopefully I don’t spiral TOO hard when she has to go back? But we’ll just try to live in the moment as best we can while she’s here.

Also super grateful I was able to spoil the coworkers with some (albeit store-bought) cupcakes. Got a lot of very kind birthday wishes there, as well. One coworker took it upon himself to guess how old I would be this year and underestimated by I think 11 years. Made me feel pretty good, even if I try to remind myself that there’s nothing inherently wrong with getting older. We all do it.

Birthday wish notifications are starting to roll in on social media. Made me so happy I started to cry a little. Friends are good.

Here’s how the spare bedroom came together in preparation for her arrival. The decorative pillows I borrowed from the couch. The body pillow and throw blanket, I had already. But that’s the new teal quilt and (rather hidden) the teal jersey sheets.

Anyway. Rock your day, my peeps! I will definitely endeavor to rock mine.