So the promised package did indeed arrive yesterday morning, promptly at seven o’clock, and it was, as expected, a birthday package from Lydia’s biological father (mailed four weeks after her birthday, despite his having promised her two weeks before her birthday–in his first phone call this year–that he was getting her presents and sending them that very day). Her coming home from school every day for over a month asking “Did Marcus’s package come today?” was painfully reminiscent of my brother following the same routine for six months after our dad had promised him a toy truck he’d been wanting. It’s too bad for Lydia that I had the bad judgment to marry a man who was “just like dear old dad” (in that one respect at least–in most others Marcus makes my dad look like a choir boy in comparison).

One good thing about the package’s arrival was that I had no trouble at all getting Lydia up and out of bed yesterday morning. It was a bit of a struggle to tear her away from her presents (some good, some bad, some downright baffling) so that we could leave to go to the dentist’s office, but that was to be expected. She fared well at her appointment, having no cavities and only minimal discomfort when her teeth were x-rayed.

In the late afternoon we turned our kids and our dogs over to Olof’s mom and Olof and I went to town, first to pick up Moa and Prins Bertil from the veterinarian, then to go out to Debbie’s for dinner. She made the same Chinese dinner that she made for us last year (with vegetarian alternatives for me!), and all four of us American/Swedish couples who hang out together were in attendance (along with our convalescing kitties). It was a laugh-fest, as usual, with the guys somewhat perplexed at times by our capacity for giggling and sheer silliness.

I thought I’d plant tulip bulbs this afternoon, but after sleeping in past eleven this morning, and finding myself still in my t-shirt and sweatpants nearly four hours later, I doubt that’s going to happen. I did, however, whip up a batch of sweet roll dough and we’ll shortly have orange rolls. And everybody knows that orange rolls beat the pants off of tulips any day of the week.