Birthday Day

Yesterday was my birthday, right smack in the middle of winter. (Or here in the South, at the end of winter. What a pleasant thought!) When I was growing up in New York, I never had school on my birthday because we always had a "mid-winter break" for the whole week beginning with President's Day. Around here we have a tradition of having a day off for birthdays, so we didn't have school here, either. So here's how I spent my birthday…

* I enjoyed reading birthday greetings on Facebook, all day and even this morning for those who posted after I went to bed. I love Facebook and the great interconnectedness it brings. I got about 3 cards in the mail, but dozens and dozens of greetings from people from all different points in my life on Facebook. Plus I got to see their little faces.

* My daughter made pancakes for me, so after doing The Shred with Jillian Michaels, I ate pancakes. I know, something isn't right about exercising and then eating, but it was my birthday. And yes, we eat our pancakes with fake syrup and peanut butter. Don't judge me, organic-heads.



* I cleaned out my sock drawer, threw away single socks, and found a $20 bill!

* I splurged at lunch and ate a leftover burger mini from our dinner out last night.

* I cleaned the bathroom and then took a bubble bath and shaved my legs with a new razor.

* I told my 9-year-old to go clean his room because it's my birthday.

* My friend Caroline and her daughter left a beautiful package on my doorstep. Caroline is a good listener. Last week at the Father/Daughter banquet, as we were cooking spaghetti, I mentioned that our plastic colander dated back to Randy's bachelor days—making it at least 21 years old! And so look what Caroline gave me, along with her fabulous homemade bread and jelly. And I have to say that the card from Bess was absolutely precious. Plus, she wrote an acrostic.


* I played Mario Kart with my kids and got 6th place, which is amazing for me. I rarely get better than last place.

* I spent close to two hours wandering around Hobby Lobby. My sweet daughter hung in there with me until about the last 30 minutes, when she started to get a little antsy. But three aisles of 80% off items, not to mention the rest of the store! Two hours was not long enough.

* My Dad and I watched Olympic curling while Randy cooked up a spectacular dinner of chicken piccata, pasta, and artichokes. My mother contributed sweet potatoes, asparagus and a beautiful strawberry cake. My brother Peter and sister-in-law Nancy joined us for dinner and games afterwards.

So now you know how old I am, which I know is shocking because I look like I'm 25. Whoops--I forget I'm not the one who looks 25—that would be my husband. Seriously. He has seriously good aging genes.

* I opened presents from my wonderful family. I have the best family. They all listen to me, know me, and pick out the most perfect gifts. I really could go on and on about them, but I have to go take a shower.

* I watched American Idol with my family and finished the dang book I've been reading for nearly three weeks. Admittedly I struggled to stay awake the last few pages and can't really recall what happened in the end, but at last, I can move on to the next book.

It was a wonderful birthday. This morning, amazingly, the sun is shining, and I'm ready to begin a new year of my blessed life.