Sharing Birthdays

Today is my birthday and like most of my birthdays since my daughter was born, I don't feel like mine is that big of a deal.  Her birthday was 2 days ago.  I am so busy making it a great week for her that I'm birthdayed out when it is my turn.

I started planning her party a few weeks ago.  She wants to have some friends over to eat dinner and watch a movie.  She chose the Book of Life, so we have a Mexican theme.  I created an invitation and emailed it out.  We'll be making enchiladas. I still need to make decorations and get stuff for the party. I bought a few gifts for her last Saturday.

On Monday, her birthday, I picked up donuts for her class.  For lunch, she requested Carrabbas.  I ordered that online and took it to the school to eat with her.  That night, I made lasagna and steamed carrots for dinner.  My son took the picture below that evening. We had a good time.  Now, I am preparing for her party this Friday.  I enjoy all the excitement for her, but I have very little left over to devote to my own birthday.

As a single mom, it is easy for mine to get swept under the rug.  My kids wanted to buy presents for me, but that would mean I would have to take them shopping and give them money.  I can't really afford to do that.  They make me sweet little cards and notes instead.

Don't feel sad for me.  I am also overwhelmed by the heart-felt messages on Facebook.  I love all of that positive energy.  Quite a few friends called and stopped by with gifts.  My work even sent cupcakes.  One dear friend gave my kids each a dollar to go to bed early.  They actually were down by 6:30 and asleep by 7pm.  --Best gift EVER!

Birthday Post

My mom has a Pinterest board that features people laughing or smiling really big.  She tells me that looking at these photos makes her happy.  There is an infectious cheery feeling that comes from seeing others elated.  I think it is a type of happiness that we need more of.  That is why I decided to post the picture above.  It isn't the kind of picture that I like to share.  My eyes are closed and I look pretty silly, but it is undoubtedly a special moment.  My kids are around me and I am talking to one of my best friends.  I think that is why my mom snapped the photo. It was taken 3 days ago at Lexi's birthday party.

My birthday is today.  I'm 41 now.  That age neither depresses nor excites me.  It is just a fun day with lots of people giving me well wishes.  I honestly believe that life goes better when people are sending positive thoughts your way.  It is a day when I truly love Facebook, which isn't something that I have felt lately.  FB has been a messenger of sadness for the past few weeks for many different friends.  Today, I choose to cherish the good times spent with the many people that have carved a place in my heart.  I feel loved and full of love.

Lifetime Friendships

One of my close friends had his 40^th birthday party this weekend.  I must admit that it is nice to get together with people in my age range before my big birthday hits.  It helps me realize that it is not such a big deal and that I’m very lucky to be living somewhere that I have so many wonderful friends.  I spent most of the evening catching up with another friend’s wife.   

By the end of the party, a group of us ended up standing around talking for a while.  Several of the guys got sentimental and appreciative of our long lasting friendship.  Sometimes I can't believe how many great friends I have had for over 20 years. Now, I can skip closer to my birthday feeling even happier for friendships that span a lifetime.  

Jordan's 4th Birthday

Jordan is officially four years old.  To celebrate, we decided to have a reindeer birthday party.  What could be better than combining a birthday and a Christmas party?  We invited our close friends and had an amazing time.  I decided to share some of the themed items:

Invite:

 Reindeer Noses

Rootdeer

Cupcakes

Bean Bag Toss

Birthday Celebration

We celebrated my birthday with my mom and sister at the Cheesecake Factory. I love that place.  I always make sure that we get there before 5pm. That way we get the lunch portion, which is still HUGE.

Sharing a Birthday

Yesterday, I discovered that I share a birthday with one of my favorite artists, Sarah McLachlan. I especially like that she is five years older than me. Happy Birthday Sarah!

Lexi Turns Five

Today, Lexi turns five years old.  I was in bed this morning when the kids woke up.  I listened to their usual banter and wondered when she was going to remember that today is THE big day.  She has been telling everyone about for the past several months.  Surprisingly, it took about five minutes.  She got excited and suddenly announced to Jordan, "I am five today and ready for kindergarten!"  I couldn't help but laugh.  I am ready for her to go too. 

We don't have anything huge planned.  We took brownie bites to the YMCA for her to share with the kids and teachers.  She also has her annual physical this afternoon.  This evening, we're making her favorite dinner - lasagna, which will be followed by a Tangled cake.  She can't wait to taste all that hair.  She is also excited to open presents of course.

Now He is Three

Jordan's birthday was yesterday.  He is actually three now.  The funny thing is that every day he jumps on the scale and ranges between 31 and 33.  Whenever I tell him his weight, he would turn to be and say "No, I am two!"  Yesterday though, he was 31.4.  He said, "Yeah, I AM 31." 

Turdy Seven

Today is my 37th birthday.  I am not bothered by age much, but I don't like to think of being in my late thirties and a single mom.  Mostly, I am happy about where I am in life though.

Baby Boy Turns Two

I can't believe that Jordan is two today. He is turning into a little boy and leaving his baby years behind, which makes me so sad. He has also just entered into the terrible twos and has begun demanding to "do mysef." Like most little boys, he loves balls. I gave him a set of nerf balls on Sunday and he has slept with one of them every night since. He also carries one around where ever we go. One of the best things about him is that he is generally a happy little prankster and pulls sly pranks on all of us. Almost everything makes him laugh, even getting punished. What a joy these two years have been!

Lexi Turns Three

Today, Lexi turns three. In many ways, I can't believe that she is growing up so quickly. On the other hand, it is hard to remember what life was like before she was born. I am actually glad she is three now. It will sound goofy, but for the last 2 months she has been saying something that kind of makes me want to panic. She says, "Momma, Jordan is one and I am two." It makes me feel like I had them too close together. Fortunately, that ends today. She is three and he is one, which sounds much better.

Birthday Boy/Party Pooper

Today, my little baby boy turns one. I really can't believe it. We had a party for him last night and the picture pretty much sums up how it went. Everyone had a great time, except for him. He has TWO teeth coming in. When the party started, he decided that he needed to cling to me. He wasn't too happy when anyone gave him attention. He'd turn the other way and fuss a little. About an hour into the party, he fell asleep. I took him to bed and let him sleep for a half an hour while the adults socialized and the kids played. I woke him up to open presents and eat cake. Of course, he wasn't exactly enthusiastic for either. As the last few guests were heading out, he choked on a piece of apple. I rushed him to the sink and he puked. Sounds like a fun party, right? Despite how it sounds, the rest of us had a great time.

Birthday Boy

Steve turns 41 today. He is actually taking one step over the hill (hahaha). We had a small party for him on Saturday with a few friends and their kids. Actually, I think there were just as many kids as adults. That really livens up a party.

The fact that it is his birthday today also means that we've been living in Texas exactly a year. We pulled in on his birthday last year. He can't believe it, but for me it feels so normal. I think it is because I was familiar with everything here. For me, it just seems like we've been here longer.

To celebrate these two things, I'll be making Steve's favorite thing for dinner - lasagna. I'll probably even run out to Ooh, La, La, Dessert Boutique and buy cheesecake (his other favorite).

35 Going on 12

Today is my 35th birthday and I have mixed feelings about it. I obviously have no problem admitting my age. My 35th one reminds me of a goal I set. In my late 20s, I decided that if I didn’t have a husband when I turned 35, I would get pregnant and be a single mom. I mentioned this plan to my mom and to my surprise; she told me that out of all the women she knows I would be a great single mom. About six months later, I became friends with Steve. We talked about lots of things and I mentioned this goal to him. He responded by saying that I should look him up (as in he would be happy to “father” my child). Now that I am 35, we have two kids together and he isn’t interested in a third. Perhaps, I should remind him of the offer tonight when we all go out to dinner. At least I will get a laugh out of it.

Turning 35 doesn’t really bother me, but I wish it was happening in a few months, simply because I would like to look better. Who wants to be 15 lbs over weight (I went to the doctor)? On top of that, I got my hair cut and I am less than thrilled. It was just taking too long to blow dry, so I wanted it quite a bit shorter. I went to the salon & showed the stylist that I wanted it to be about an inch past my collar bone. I walked out with a really short bob that would be extra cute if I was 12 years old.

Thirty five is just another number and I am happy to be where I am in life, but I could do without the extra weight and the silly hair cut. Hopefully both of those will improve in the next few months & I can spend most of this year celebrating and not really feeling like I could actually be 35.

Double the Birthday Merriment

The perk about having a kid near your birthday is that you can really play up the partying. It lasted from her birthday on Friday until mine on Sunday. In fact, I am still not ready for the fun to end.

Much More FUN

Today is a BIG TGIF! Actually, more important than Friday, it is Lexi's first birthday. Time really flies. A year ago today, I was in the hospital giving birth to little Lexi, two days before my birthday. I love her with all my heart and that was a wonderful day, but I am thrilled to be celebrating our birthdays not in pain. Taking a cake to her daycare and then heading out on a trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom is certainly more FUN! I can hardly wait! Of course, there will be loads of pictures next week. Have a great weekend everyone!

(perhaps 2007 isn't so bad).