On turning 39...

Well, I have made it to 39! It is hard to believe that I am this old yet do not feel like I am that old. It's funny how I thought that by certain ages I would have had wisdom and maturity, but now that I am 39, I guess I will always be this immature!

My mom had a difficult time turning 39, 40 and then 41, but then did not care how old she was. I thought I would feel the same way, but I never really cared about how old I got, except when there was a possibility that I would not have children. Once I had MM, I did not care how old I got. Now I have two beautiful children and a wonderful husband, and I have done more in my 39 years than many have done in a life time.

So let me reflect...

1. My parents encouraged my independence and allowed me to go away to Girl Scout Camp in the summer

2. I worked for my family at their store which gave me amazing skills and experiences

3. My parents also thought that going to the theater was important so I got to see Broadway musicals (not on broadway, but the classics) and even got the chance to travel to New York to see actual on Broadway plays and musicals.

4. I traveled to England to study for a year and made lifetime friends and began my love affair with Britain.

5. I have traveled to 14 countries and many states in the USA

6. I have gotten two undergraduate and one graduate degree

7. I was in the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts (Explorer Post) and Job's Daughters (Honored Queen).

8. I have managed a convenience store, worked for the United States Government on an Army post, worked as a cashier and been a teacher. Each job has helped me be a better person and educator.

9. I am a mom and a wife. Any success I have had here is a result of my previous experiences and opportunities my parents gave me.

So, thanks to my parents for giving me life and a life worth living.

Happy Birthday MM!

I think I have spoiled my daughter. Ok, yes I have spoiled her. She recently turned 3 years old and I decided to make it a special time. Birthdays are always important. It is the only holiday that is specifically yours; all other holidays have to be shared, but unless you have a twin, or were unlucky to be born on the same date as another relative, that day is yours. What is interesting about my family is that my dad and my mother's dad had to share a birthdate, my sister and my mother-in-law share a birthdate and I share a birthdate with my father-in-law. So, birthdays need to be special.

My daughter goes to daycare and so I made sure that her friends at daycare got treats just like they came to a birthday party at my house. Then, on Saturday, I had a birthday party for MM at my house. On Sunday, the day of my mother-in-law's 80th birthday, we had a party over at my sister-in-law's house, but with all the children, MM thought it was another party for her. Then she was taken out to Friendly's for a big girl meal and ice cream by my sister and her daughter because they could not make the Saturday event.

My daughter's theme was Nei Hao Kai Lan. Let me tell you how hard it was to find that stuff! My mom found some on the internet and I ordered it through them. I found Chinese take-out containers to put the treats in and found stickers with Kai Lan on them. I also found Chinese yo-yo's to put in their boxes. I made gluten free cupcakes and found special paper to use to make it looke like the cake was in a Chinese lantern. I did not go over the top, but it was obvious there was a Chinese theme. Miriam got a goody box for each day she had a party and she uses her boxes as little purses. The best part of the party was getting the pictures of her running around and having fun.

So, my daughter is going to expect another three-day event for her next birthday! I am just glad that everyone could make it and my first real party for her was so successful. I look forward to many more.

Happy Mother's Day

My husband will never be considered romantic, thoughtful, yes, romantic no. I have hinted repeatedly that I want to have flowers for my birthday and for mother's day or just because. My mom even texted him to tell him that the local grocery store had long stem roses on sale for $15! Hint, hint, hint. In the past, I have managed to score flowers a grand total of three times. Well, I guess four if you count him picking flowers out of my garden and putting them in a glass for me, but since I did not want him to decapitate the few remaining flowers I had left in my yard, I am not counting it.

So this past weekend was Mother's Day. I can honestly say that I am really a mom now that I have two children. How mothers of more children keep their sanity is beyond me. I am still so sleep deprived that I cannot imagine voluntarily doing this all again. Sorry, mom, no more grandbabies from me! Anyway, my Mother's Day gift from my mom was her watching the children so I could do some cleaning at my house. My sister (more my sister than me) and I took our mother out for dinner. My dad had to share is 70th birthday with Mother's Day, so we treated him to dinner too.

Now what gift would you have expected my husband to get for me for Mother's Day? I have given him hints, mom has given him hints, and my daughter has given him hints. Yes you guessed it! A toilet!

The downstairs toilet had to be replaced. He bought a new one and installed it telling me Happy Mother's Day! To be fair, he also bought two chairs for the patio. I guess that beats a blender.