Sunday, May 2, 2010: Today is the big day Sam! I know your actual birthday is tomorrow. For the sake of being able to celebrate your birthday with your friends we chose today because it is a weekend and it’s easier for people to get together. More gifts for you as well! The morning came with the usual last minute running around. Adriana Coronel Tenorio (AKA Adriana Howitt Coronel, Ari Coronel, Ari Coronel Tenorio, Ari Howitt, Ari Howitt Coronel) and I got into a discussion about her wanting me to hire a clown for the party. I know you do not like clowns and thought it was a bad idea. Of course she tells me I don’t know you that well and that she is right. I told her she could hire the clowns, but she is paying for them because I know you will not want anything to do with them. As God as my witness Sam, you wanted nothing to do with these clowns. So much for not knowing my Little Princess. Not only that, none of the kids there wanted to do anything with clowns either. I did not say anything. I bit my tongue. I have to say, it did feel good inside to know that Adriana knows that I know you pretty well. In fact she is visibly uncomfortable with the fact she sees how safe you feel with me and it really does eat at her. Why? Only she can tell you. Normal mothers would be elated about that. So Adriana dismisses the clowns but we kept the face paint girl, whom I know you like. That was OK.
Before the party Adriana spent another two hours in front of a mirror looking at herself. You were paining my toe nails blue at the time. It was hysterical! I love it! I mentioned to Adriana that this was your day. Why not spend the 2-hours on “The Birthday Girl” rather than on herself. Adriana never likes to hear that someone else is more important than her. Even on YOUR birthday. Thankfully I made sure everything went off on time and that everything was taken care of.
You looked so beautiful Sam! You had your little Princess Tiana dress on. It was so adorable. I met your best friend from school who wore her princess costume as well. It was great seeing you run around and be yourself and at least for a little bit, forgetting all the chaos that surrounds you. It really was a magical day yet bittersweet at the same time. I realized that only a handful of people that made it to the party really know what is really going on. Maria Guadalupe Tenorio Toledano (AKA Lupita Tenorio, Marsha Tenorio), Axel Alvarez Coronel (AKA Axel Coronel) and of course Adriana and I. Everyone else there had no idea what was going on. I am pretty sure Adriana would have found a way to exclude me from your birthday weekend like all the other important dates in the last 18-months if she did not need me to pay for everything. Seriously. She made absolutely zero contribution to the party. Nobody in her family even had gifts for you. Without question I was happy to do it. I would do it again tomorrow if it meant I can spend that kind of time with you. I am grateful that you had a great birthday! At the moment that is all that matters.
Maria Guadalupe and Adriana both showed some gratitude at least and thanked me for a great job on the party. That felt good. Like I said I was happy to do it if it meant I can finally spend a special day with you since I missed out on all the holidays and your birthday in the 18-months prior. Nothing could take away how it felt to spend your birthday with you again. I think it got Adriana thinking about a lot of things because I can see her mind running in a million different directions. It did not matter to me. All’s I know is that I love you so much Sam.
