My boyfriend had his birthday last week and I was too busy from work and entertaining guests to really remember it. I did remember, but I didn't arrange anything including I didn't find a present.
But today I arranged him a surprise Sunday lunch. Perhaps not as amazing as a surprise big party but a lot easier, especially when all your friends are parents of two and your place is kind of small. A party would have been difficult but lunch is kind of always appreciated, especially in this catholic part of the world where everything is closed on a Sunday anyway.
It was really hard and fun to arrange a lunch for 12 in a 60 square meter flat without him noticing. I've been hiding food everywhere like some crazy bulimic: In the cupboards, in my handbags, in the basement and most exciting: in the freezer and the fridge. Turned out that those fridge drawers for onions and potatoes are perfect for hiding stuff from my boyfriend. He doesn't look into those a lot, just wrap the yummy cheeses in some dull onion-ish type of paper and he will never find them.
Anyway. So today I had to prepare the last stuff, like, eh, making two pies and some salads and muffins and sausages for kids and setting the table and such, and my ONLY chance to do this was go get him to go away for an hour. I pretended we were out of a few crucial things and begged him to go to the train station (= only place open on sundays) to get it.
He refused! Told me to do it myself!
Oh, the horror. And time was ticking. So I had to play the "I'm really, really pregnant and useless"-card, played it quite hard, and finally he left. In a very bad mood. But still!
I rushed into the kitchen! Grinded cheese like a mad monkey, talking to myself, microwaved spinach and dug out bread and food from all my secret places. Pies were finally in the oven, guests appeared and were understanding enough to take care of themselves with wine and bread while I was finishing up the food (with or without milk, egg, gluten, meat and all the you name it). A moment later boyfriend came back - still grumpy- and was surprised according to calculations. He got happy, got wonderful presents too and we had a nice and loud lunch.
That was my day. Now the fridge is packed with leftovers, so is the freezer. Tomorrow I'll go to work just to say "Ciao for now", and then I'll be home for six weeks waiting for the baby! Let's see what I'll fill those weeks with.
