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Birthday time!


Birthdays are weird. They mess with you. They make your subconscious want/expect/need something that you have not identified. You wake up feeling like this day ought to be something other than it can ever possibly be.

Saturday morning I waxed philosophical to Mark about how I was finally ready to let go of my inner expectation that I not be required to "mother" anyone on my birthday. I'd never actually expressed this to him at any previous date and he naturally wasn't aware of the inner growth I had apparently achieved in this regard. He smiled and nodded and kept working on my cake. It's how things go around here.

While Mark was at work for a couple hours, I said, "happy birthday to me" in a sarcastic quiet voice only twice when required to "mother". That sounds bad...but it's actually progress. Next year I'm going to shave it down to one "happy birthday to me" and an audible sigh. Just think what a great mom I'll be by the time I'm 40.

Anyway!

The morning started out with Mark preparing a "huffmuffin" for my breakfast. It's like a sausage egg mcmuffin only made by a Hufford. It hit the spot.

Then he got to work on my cake....the delectable "Chocolate Lover's Favorite Cake". Ooooh.


He asked me what it means when the recipe says, "make a well". I instructed. He turned it into an art form. Tell me, have you ever beheld such a carefully devised well?


Mark had some work to do, so the central part of my day was spent procrastinating dinner. It started as homemade chicken noodle soup (crock pot) with hot rolls which morphed into stovetop chicken noodle soup with cornbread which morphed into calzones which morphed into chinese take out which morphed into spaghetti with Sam's club meatballs and garlic bread. I just wasn't feeling into it. We went for a chilly bike ride to Shining Rock River instead. I knew it was time to go home when I started to get a headache because my ears were so cold.

So then we went back home and kicked around the house. I finally accepted that I better start boiling spaghetti noodles or our dinner would be morphing into cold cereal.

Then Mark came home!

Brought roses!


Decorated!


Frosted cake, lit candles and mobilized the children!


Generally saved the day in every way.


And if that wasn't enough...my sweet friend, Sarah, brought over the cutest, biggest cupcake I have ever seen.

Isn't that super cool?



Here's to the next 7 months going by quickly so I will no longer sound 2 years older than Mark....I look forward to that.