This Birthday

 

For the past several years, I dreaded my birthday, but this year was so much different...

Why Januarys Are Hard

 

For the past several years, I've struggled through my birthday month...

Pic of the Day - Birthday Requests Fulfilled

We have a tradition in this family...

Pic of the Day - And Just Like That!

And just like that, we're celebrating another birthday...

When You Share a Birthday

Chica (left) and me (right)

Every birthday I think of her. I know it's because I was born on her second birthday. So...for as long as I've been alive, my special day has always been hers too.

Growing up, we shared birthday parties, and you know what? That never bothered me. In fact, it was all we knew.

So on this my 42nd birthday, it's no surprise the first person I think about...is her.  My sister. Growing up, we were close. During our teens, we fought. As adults, it seems we've managed to accept each other...for who we are.

This past weekend, I attended a baby shower for one of my dear friends. During her shower, she thanked her sister and told her she was her favorite sister (even though she's her only sister).  I loved what she said about her sister. It was sweet, and it was the truth.

So. Happy birthday Chica! You are my most favorite sister.

Turning Six

Buddy Roller turned six yesterday.  We didn't plan on having a party for him because I don't believe kids need a party every year.  I do think that birthdays, however, should be a special day.  So after discussing it with The Hubs, we decided to throw a last minute celebration together.  Like three days before!

There were no formal invitations.  Just word of mouth the evening of by knocking on the doors of Roller's friends in our neighborhood, and I did invite two of his favorite buddies via text.  There was no fuss. No frills.  Just pizza, cake, drinks and a few munchies. But there was flag football (The Hubs' idea) since Roller has shown a growing interest in football lately (really not to my approval), some little guys running around with swords, some dancing to Whip and Nae Nae, a little bit of electronics, board games and some six year old fun.

Lessons learned. Birthday celebrations can be stress free and easy to plan. And. Flag football is so much fun. We are definitely going to be playing more of that in the future...

Why Parties Are Special

Birthday parties can be magical. From a child's perspective this can be unarguable. You are the center of attention, surrounded by your friends and family.  And there's food, cake, balloons...and let's not forget...birthday presents!!!  Everyone's there for you. 

From a parent's perspective, it can also be quite special. In my current stage of life, I can honestly say that besides church, I have met more people and formed more relationships by attending kids' birthday parties and get-togethers, in these last five years.  And that's because of Buddy Roller.

To be honest, I don't make it a priority to attend every party Buddy Roller is invited to. And he's invited to a lot. They're the kids from his preschool, friends from his after-care program, and then there's his kindergarten class. That's a lot of kids!  With a busy schedule and lots to do, we don't make it to a lot of parties. We make it to some if they happen to "fit" into our schedule, and of course we make the parties for our dear friends.

Yesterday we attended a party for one of Roller's classmates. It was a fun get-together, and inevitably conversations were started and connections made.  I'm not saying these relationships will last a lifetime, but it is possible.  

Over the course of the last few years, through preschool and sporting events like soccer and basketball, Roller has maintained many friendships.

And yes, friendships come and go. But sometimes, if you're lucky, they can last.  This makes me think back, more than two years ago at Roller's third birthday party. It was the first party we had for him that we had opened up the invitation pool to not only close friends and family, but for kids in his preschool class as well.

I will never forget meeting one family in particular. They were the first ones to show up at the recreation center where we were throwing Roller his "Disney Cars" themed party. Their little boy was fast asleep and Dad, who was a little bit early, volunteered to help us put the finishing touches on the celebration room.  And just like that, a friendship was formed.

Now fast forward more than two years later. We're still friends, and our boys are still getting together.

Kids' birthday parties are a way to connect and form new relationships. And that's a good thing.

I think I may need to make more of an effort and try to attend as many as I can!

What I'm (Still) Learning at 41

J. Alexander's carrot cake

1. Don't take things personally.

2. Blood isn't always thicker than water.

3. Life is fleeting; live with no regrets.

4. Even though life is busy, take some time to enjoy the beauty around you.

5. Forgiveness is not for the weak.

6. Though sad, some people (through choice or circumstance) are only in your life for a short time.

7. Dessert is always the best course!

8. Challenge yourself and be kind to those who put a wall up and make it difficult to love them.

9. Sometimes time-outs are a necessity.

10. Motherhood really changes you. Really.

It's Already A Great Day

It's already a great day on this my 41st birthday, and I want to write down everything I'm feeling right at this very moment.

This is what I found waiting for me downstairs this morning and it just warmed my heart. I just love little surprises!

The Hubs has a great sense of humor, and this card captured that. It's almost as if the author knew who he was writing the card for!

And Buddy Roller's card really made my heart melt. So sweet, and I loved how he signed his name, and how he drew those cute little hearts.

I also received phone calls and text messages from all the special people in my life...my mom, my sister (we share the same birthday too), my BFSF and dear friends. Gosh, I'm feeling really special today.

And then on my way to work, I played one of my favorite songs in the car. I had it blasting, and I felt really happy. This song always puts me in a good mood.

It's already a great day.  Have yourself a happy Wednesday!

The Truth About Forty

I turned 40 in January, and I wanted to blog about that supposed monumental occasion. But I wasn't ready then.  I am now...