This last weekend I celebrated my 36th birthday. Several people asked me how old I was going be I told them I was 35 and holding. One person said they would hold at 23. I said, "No way. 36 works for me. By that time I had had all my children and we are getting closer to little ones being out of diapers, those little ones talking, the older ones being involved in many things, etc, etc, etc.
You get the point.
Life may be crazy but I wouldn't have it any other way right now. There will come that time when I wish for crazy days cleaning up continually after the 2 hurricanes we call Spencer and Hannah. Or for the days that Todd and I have to "divide and conquer" to make it to all the appointments, lessons, meetings, and concerts that on occasion pop up on the same day around the same time.
But despite the fact that the actually birth day was something similar to any other Saturday I did have a great birthday (which ended up being more like a birthweekend. Let me explain.
On Friday, Todd and I went to one of my favorite restaraunts, Wasabi. It's the kind of place that you watch them cook everything right in front of you. They throw rice balls at you from the grill to try and catch in your mouth, and every chef there does the silly train with a sliced onion and oil. We went with our good friends, the Bryners, and we talked so much that we felt like were literally pushed out. We were the last ones sitting at the table even after they came to clean the grill and set new place settings. But the evening was so young still (only 7:30). The kids weren't even all in bed by that time. So we ended up going over to the Bryner's to watch a movie and came home more around 11:00.
On my actual birth-day by husband had to go finish a service project. I hear him tell the kids that for Mom's birthday they needed to keep the little ones quiet and let me sleep in. Can't argue with that one. So I slept in. Until almost 9:00. But when I came downstairs to find some sustenance, I was quickly shooed back upstairs so that my children could present me with breakfast in bed. (A quickly growing favorite for birthdays at our house). So I complied. But when Todd came home about an hour or so later, I was still in bed. Reading and talking to my kids. He couldn't figure out what I was still doing in bed. My only response was...."It's my birthday.". And it's not like I hadn't done anything. I had washed a few walls that I noticed had little black fingers marks, put the 2 whiny hurricanes down for a nap, and had supervised some of the kids' chores. But I got out of bed, (and here's where it becomes more like a Saturday) sorted and started the laundry and got dressed. It was very peaceful in that despite the fact that Todd worked in the yard all afternoon, he had all the kids outside with him. They worked hard and played hard while I read, did the laundry, and kept the house in some semblance of order.
You'd think easy right, everyone is outside. But those little bodies come in with red southern dirt all over their feet (it was 75 here on Saturday) and faces and want drinks, use the bathroom and so on. And just like the two little hurricanes, the older ones leave a wake as well.
But that evening before family prayer we had presents. My loving husband spent some of his allowance to buy me a new board game, which is also fast becoming a new favorite (Ticket to Ride USA). I don't know who was more excited. Me or the kids. We didn't do cake and ice cream on Saturday because the cake wasn't frosted. Who can eat cake without frosting??(Besides my sister-you know who you are). So we postponed that event for after Sunday dinner.
Sunday arrived. Early morning meeting for me. Church. Sunday (sacred) nap. Dinner. And then cake. Remember how I said I was 36 and on fire??? Well, I was quite literally. Here's the story.....
Rachel made the candles in a 36, although she was a few short and her 6 was backwards (just adds to the moment don't ya' think?) Anyway, the kids turned off the light, grabbed the video camera and started to sing. When the singing was done, they were all telling me to make a wish. Oh, what to wish for??? Health for every one of those little bodies around the table, health for myself so I can watch those little ones all grow up and become something great, of maybe that the work on the addition will go smoothly, or for a getaway with my sweetheart??? Oh, the decisions. Well, I think I decided on something and went ot blow out the candles determined that I was going to get them all.
And that's when it happened.
I blew the candles closest to me and moved to the opposite side of the cake to blow those candles out. When I realized it wasn't going to happen with one breath, I leaned back to catch another breath, when Russell yelled out, "Mom!! You're hair is on fire!!!". Luckily, Todd was standing right next to me and put it out for me. You see, I was styling with a new haircut I had just gotten a few days before and I now had what was called: long layers. Some of those long layers draped themselves across a candle I thought was out and I was now on FIRE!!
But despite the smell of burnt hair, the chocolate cake was very tasty and we all had a great laugh about it.
I hope you do, too.
P.S. I don't think we got pictures of the actual fire on my hair, but I think they got other pictures that I'll try and post later.
