friends

everything is more fun with friends.

even your favorite morning show.

when i asked, ethan informed me that the lion is holding the remote because "he's the only one that knows how to work it, the other animals don't know what to do".

of course, what was i thinking?

naked cowboy

when their mommies haven't folded the laundry for a few days

and there's nothing they really want to wear left in their drawers

naked cowboys are forced to take matters into their own hands

and dig through the dryer themselves

and digging is serious business for a cowboy, especially a little one

it requires muscles

and using your head

and caring nothing for your own pride

did i mention flexibility?

and bravery too, because if you've ever seen the laundry pile, there's really no guarantee that you'll even come out of there alive

thirty six

there are plenty of things about thirty six that i can say i'm not super thrilled about. in fact, i could do a whole post devoted to this list. first on the list would be my neck, i'm not sure what's happening there, but i definitely don't like it. and my skin, my pores seem to be growing bigger by the year, what is that about? and the two lines in between my eyebrows extending up from my nose. they used to only be there when i was scowling or focusing too hard, now, they live there no matter the emotion. not pleasant. they make me want to rush off for collagen injections, something i said i would never do.

but since today is a celebration, a happy day, a day of rejoicing...ok, that's taking it too far, but a happy day at least, i thought i would make a list of things i adore about thirty six.

1. i don't need everyone to like me,  instead i try to focus on the quality of the relationships that i do have.

2. i don't sweat the small stuff as much as i used too. mostly because i recognize how temporary the small stuff is.

3. line upon line, and precept upon precept adds up to a firm testimony after thirty six years.

4. crying babies make me giggle instead of panic. except at the grocery store, i still feel the urge to rescue children and babies crying three isles over and will steer my cart in the direction of the crying just to check and make sure no one is pinching them. you know, just in case.

5. never buy a bathroom with a mirror that faces the toilet.

6. rubbermaid containers might be the key to happiness.

7. i understand the importance of supportive underwear, liquid make up (no more powder), hair dye and tweezers.

8. i recognize and respect my quirks. it's ok if i don't love public restrooms or movie theaters or being away from home or spiders or closed in spaces or that i cry in the fall when my kids go back to school, or that i totally dig electric blue eye liner. it's just part of me, and those things are just not important enough to worry too much about.

9. it turns out, the old people who said "time flies" (who i thought they were crazy because i was thirteen then, and that age seemed to drone on for eternity), were actually right. where HAS the time gone?

10. (and i'll stop here) purpose. i have a much greater sense of my purpose and responsibilities as a thirty six year old than i did say, ten years ago. and i'm more comfortable in that role, especially that of being a wife and mother.  i adore this (not so) little brood and hopefully nurturing them well will be my greatest accomplishment.

yup, thirty six is a-ok.

but seriously, does anyone know a good neck firming cream?

thirty seven

tonight we celebrated rich's thirty-seventh birthday for about thirty-seven minutes before everyone broke into different directions for various wednesday night activites. we made good use of the time though and managed to fit in eating dinner, singing happy birthday and opening gifts, and eating a cupcake all before the chaos began (although not in that order, i seem to recall cupcakes coming first).

his gifts included:
new smaller jeans to match his thinner body
a halo reach reservation for monday night's release.
a gift card from ethan to purchase a "family" game since he was disappointed we bought halo and he knows he can't play it.
and finally, a majorly nerd-ish gift which he bought for himself, a super fancy remote control which i don't really understand. but hey, it's what he wanted, so there's no arguing that.

i wish i could have gotten him tickets to the US open that he's been watching so intently this week. the man loves tennis, what can i say. but that may be a gift/trip may not be until we're in another stage of life. at least he got to enjoy it from his couch.

happy happy birthday to our super duper, more than totally awesome ricardo mas.

i love you dear.

and thanks for having a favorite cupcake that doesn't appeal to me in the slightest (yellow cake with chocolate frosting). that paired well with my calorie counting today.