Three Days of Thirty-Three

It's not every year that I get three days of birthday, but with the busyness of our schedule, that is what I got this year, and I can't complain. If you add Thursday morning to Friday night and Sunday afternoon it was like I got one total day of spoiling. I might just expect this every year now! :)

Thursday Adam took the day off. He had been hoping to take Friday, my actual birthday, off from work, but with some recruiting events going on that he had to be at as the HR rep, that wasn't going to be possible. So Thursday it was. And the day started with popovers in bed. Here's the thing though, there are some things that just don't cook well at altitude. I believe popovers may be one of these things. They never really "popped over." But we won't give up on them, we will try again!! Even if they were a little, or a lot, denser than a normal popover, they tasted great and I loved that Adam and Josh gave it a go just because that is what I wanted for my birthday breakfast.

After sprinkling the bed with popover crumbs, Adam told me I had to be ready by 9:30 for a little surprise. So I popped out of bed, and went for a weekday run that wasn't at the crack of dawn, which is a treat unto itself, and then quickly got ready. At 9:30, my friend Adri arrived and swooped me off for a little brunch at Mimi's where we were joined by two other friends for some girl time. It was such a great surprise! Mimi's has yummy breakfasts too; it was a wonderful morning.

It was so nice having a perfect "birthday" morning. Adam had the rest of the day off, but I didn't. I still had my preschool class to run and Zach had an evening choir event at Barnes and Noble for our elementary school's fundraiser night there. However, Adam made a delicious dinner, homemade Alfredo with chicken and broccoli, did all the dishes and took care of every diaper and bum wipe for the day, so I couldn't have had a better birthday-before-my-birthday.

But then came Friday, which was my actual birthday. It was a late start for school, which allowed me a little extra sleep, hooray! Otherwise, much of the day was the usual, laundry, errands, etc. Life must go on, even on your birthday. But I did get a bubble bath in in the afternoon while Tommy napped and Luke watched Caillou's Christmas DVD. And received many sweet and kind "happy birthday's" from friends and family. Friday afternoon I took the kids to Skate City for their school Santa Skate party; Luke told me, "Mom, we're having a roller skating party for your birthday!" Now if I were turning 8 that might have been exciting, but not so much for the 33rd. But the kids had a great time, which always makes me happy.

Next, we zipped Zach off to basketball practice, and after picking him up, he, Ben, and Josh went to the neighbors' house for {another} birthday party. Tommy and Luke were put to bed, our babysitter arrived, and Adam and I went out for the night for a little grown-up birthday celebration. We went to PF Changs, my very favorite restaurant, for vegetarian lettuce wraps, crispy fried green beans and Kung Pao chicken, finishing the meal off with the flourless chocolate dome. This dessert is like heaven in your mouth; if you haven't had it, try it. Oh yes, do. After dinner we met up with another couple at the movie theater for an opening night viewing of The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the first movie. A great Christmas blockbuster! It was a perfect birthday night, doing two things I love: eating good food and seeing movies at the theater--all with my favorite guy.
Saturday was cram-packed. Our family had choir practice, a basketball game, Zach's birthday party, then he went to {yet another} birthday party while the rest of us went home for a very short break before heading off to our great church Christmas party. It was a happy and fun, but very full, day.

It wasn't until Sunday afternoon after church that we were able to find the time to finish off my birthday. I was finally allowed to open birthday presents and blow out some candles. Adam knows that I love Marie Callender's Chocolate Silk Pie (but frozen, NOT thawed!), so we stuck 3 and 3 candles in and my boys sung to me with great gusto. I received my new Android phone, which is very cool, but way smarter than me, some new running gear, a pair of fleece jammies and a robe, and new perfume, so I don't have to smell like body anymore, I get to smell like girl!

So my birthday is officially over. Three days of celebrating isn't too bad, not too bad at all. It was a fantastic 33rd, all because of Adam, who spoils me rotten, and my darling boys, who believe birthdays should be celebrated big!