Yesterday was my 45th birthday. Because my it fell on a Friday and because we were wrapped up with day camp, and because my family is so thoughtful, they stretched my celebration out over several days.
It started on Thursday night with dinner at Red Robin so I could claim my birthday burger.
Friday morning Walker and I chaperoned the cub scouts at day camp until Bill was finished seeing the babies at the hospital. Then Walker and I scooted off to Starbucks to have our book talk about John Green’s An Abundance of Katherines. It was nice to sit and chat with him. When we finished, I dropped Walker back off at day camp and I had lunch with friends. Since it was very important to Mason that I participate in the Friday activities, I went back after lunch. That’s when I saw them race the challenge course and run in the water.
After day camp ended, we came home and everyone cleaned up for an early dinner at Biaggi’s Italian Restaurant. It was such a nice evening for several reasons. First, the boys are developing and refining their restaurant manners. I am so impressed with how they order politely and sit patiently while we dine. Secondly, I had a coupon for a free appetizer which I brought along just in case. When I looked over the menu, I saw the fried calamari but dismissed it thinking the boys would think it too weird. For some reason, they wanted to sample it. We did not tell them what it was. They both ate and enjoyed it and moreover, they professed a preference for the tentacle pieces rather than the rings. I would have never guessed! They were even happy about having had it after we disclosed what calamari actually was. Go figure!
After dinner we returned home and I opened my gifts which included another pair of John Green books to read with Walker, a solar flower bloom and a frog statue for the garden.
Saturday morning I was served breakfast in bed. How heavenly it was! The menu was challah French toast topped with melted Camembert cheese, sautéed mushrooms and onions topped with walnuts, sliced nectarine and sliced granny smith apple. It was a gourmet meal and the flavors melded so perfectly. I included the last picture so that you were left with a better image of my meal than a cow’s rump which is what I started you with.
puzzle status on June 8th
After breakfast, the boys placed the last pieces of the puzzle to complete it. Woohoo! It was a whopping 1000 pieces and felt like a big accomplishment.
I felt truly spoiled this year. Besides the family attention, I received flowers, numerous messages on Facebook (where I exist but do not participate), text messages, phone calls, cards and special gifts including an original handmade necklace (seen in my selfie above) and surprise knitting patterns on Ravelry.
I also had an awareness about life in general and mine in specific. My maternal grandmother lived to be 99, my paternal grandfather will be 98 on the 26th of June and my maternal grandmother will be 95 in December. If family history proves to be a predictive indicator, I have not yet hit the crest of my life. Now, if that isn’t a gift, I don’t know what is.
My birthday celebration was rich with love and attention. Thank you to everyone for all the ways you contributed to it.
Happy birthday late. I esp. love the book sharing. I love discussing books with the kids. It helps that I don’t like adult literature (too much bad stuff for me generally), so the kids and i have a lot to talk about! Phantom Tollboth is on it’s way….since we can’t seem to get the library’s copy.
1-Looks like a great celebration.
2-That breakfast is impressive.
3-You got some good genes.
🙂
Have I really known you for 45 years? There are so many images of a “little” you in my head.