Today I am thankful for me. How’s that for confidence?! I have been around for awhile now. I’ve lived in many places, many states, and even two countries. I’ve travelled, I’ve explored, and I have settled. Hopefully more travelling and exploring in the future though! I have found a strong and caring man to share my life with. I am raising two kind and intelligent children. I have friends and family around. I have work and peace. I am a daughter and a sister, a wife and a mother, a friend and a confidant. I love and I am loved. I am truly blessed to see these 36 years and hope to see many, many more.

We had a lovely day. I slept in a bit (thanks Alan!) and exercised (a sorry attempt to balance all the deliciousness I’ve been eating lately!). The kids played happily together all day, except for the times they didn’t, of course.

The kids spent the morning making presents for me. Mostly making wrapping paper and wrapping presents for me!

It was sunny and in the 50’s today so we went outside and played for awhile. I got the gardens “winterized” while the kids played on the swings and hung out with neighbors. Then back inside for lunch, crazy goodbyes with my parents, then quite time. Ahhh… quiet time. Eve crashed hard and slept for several hours (until I woke her at 4pm!). Lex and I read some Harry Potter and played a game of Scrabble. He also spent a lot of time finishing a birthday message on the tablet that he had started a few days ago. He’s so smart! He figured out how to insert pictures into his note, add sound and video, etc. He amazes (and infuriates) me on a daily basis.

Just before we left for dinner they let me open the presents.

A box of rocks! Just what I’ve always wanted!! (and had sitting in my office since our trip to Ruggles Mine this summer) The real gift was the effort and cooperation that went into the wrapping and cards. :)

This is the back of Lex’s birthday card for me. Now I understand why he takes pictures of cards… perhaps it’s because I always take pictures of the creative cards the kids make. :)

The inside of Lex’s card. Underneath that door on the left is a little pop-up “Happy Birthday” message.

Eve had a lovely card for me too, but I don’t seem to have taken a picture of it. She also gave me this lovely card from my mom. Mema is a great artist!! :)

After presents we met Alan at Jesse’s for dinner. It was delicious, though quite a different experience from my friend’s birthday dinner on Friday night. :) I guess that’s what you get with kids though!

Happy birthday to me!!

Parrish came over the other day with a box of Harry Potter Jelly Beans that he was generously sharing with Lex and Eve. They were intrigued by the different flavors. Eve picked a jelly bean out and the conversation went as such:

Parrish: “That’s a booger one!”
Eve, pauses, shrugs: “I eat my own boogers.” Pop, into the mouth goes the jelly bean.
Parrish: “Yeah, I eat my boogers too.”
Lex: “Me too.”

All said quite calmly and factually, then the conversation moved on to other flavors. Yuck!

According to That’s Disgusting: Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion, a book I heard about on NPR last year, “disgusting” is a learned emotion. There is an inherent level of disgust that humans are born with, necessary for self preservation in the caveman days, but there is also a learned level of disgust that is different in different cultures. Apparently children generally first hear about “disgusting” during potty training and then slowly, slloowwwly, learn what is considered culturally acceptable and what isn’t. I remind myself of this book often, even though I’ve never even read it! What we, as grownups, think is disgusting apparently isn’t considered disgusting about the 5-7yr old crowd.