Birthdays get so weird

 I always have to do the kid math now. Like my age is based on how old Aidan is. I had him at 30 so I just count it out. Kinda weird that I actually have to stop and think about how old I am turning. And if you ask me mid year, no where near my birth month I probably have no clue. Birthdays lose importance as we age and have children. The celebrations nearly extinct and sometimes you get a cake. Way cooler if your kids are old enough to make cards and pick something nice to make for dinner. I haven't really ever been a big party animal on my own birthday but I love to throw a party for others. I don't know why that is but it just is. I loved last year when my sister threw me a theme party. That felt more acceptable than throwing it for myself. Maybe it's like not throwing your own baby shower, or not hosting your own engagement party. Social stuff is hard. I want to fast forward to when I am an old lady and those rules no longer apply. I will just do whatever.

 May is a great month for a birthday because gardening is in full swing by then and I am all happy and positive and things feel fresh and new. I was really meant to be a spring baby for sure. This year is a new leaf for me fitness wise and I am excited to break out my hoarded bin of summer clothes that will actually fit again. It's like getting a whole wardrobe for myself. I keep everything. It can sometimes be considered a problem ( depending who you talk to) but I have yet to be offered a spot on that show, so we're good. It does make it hard to buy me anything though, I was just told. And the yearly question from hubs made me actually sign up for Polyvore finally so I can combo this post as a Birthday Post and a Polyvore files post linking up with sixcherriesontop and others sharing their awesomeness. Here is my wishlist this year. And yes, those are a pair of SHORTS! Whaaaaaaat? I know. Knew me this summer I tell ya.

Happy Birthday to Me by shannon-feltus featuring cut off shorts

Ps. If anyone can tell me where that shirt originated I will give you several virtual high fives.

Hey there Daddio

  My Father is a complicated man nowadays. His mind isn't what it used to be. But I remember so many incredible stories he has told me over the years that made me look up to him as my hero. The kind that make your heart just wanna burst with love and pride. Since Dad's Day is near, I wanted to share one from memory so you can get a sliver of a notion of the bloodline I derive from. May or may not clear up some things.

 One Upon A Time/ When I Was 9

  Living in Southern California had many perks for me as a kid. One of the obvious ones was weather. Especially around my birthday which happens to be the first of May. Spring in the LA area was awesome. Not too hot yet but a far cry from here in Oregon where you know damn well it's raining about that time of year. Los Angeles has an abundance of parks where we lived and they were made up of vast rolling hills and paths and a few trees here and there. They were still really green right then which was nice because the brown grass in July and August really sucked. Every year we had my birthday party at the big park with all the covered table areas shading food and music playing and my friends would bring roller skates or bikes and we would have a few frisbee games going. Just the standard gamut of outdoor fun all happening with everyone we knew in one spot. Basically our herd took over. About the age of 6 I had really tuned in to the amount of people at the park celebrating with families and party foods and pinatas. I had also noticed they were all brown. ALL. We were just about the only white group of people in the whole damn park. That in itself isn't really a huge thing down in LA because I was one of only two white kids ( I was pasty white and he was a ginger so, poor us) in my first grade class and I was used to the super diverse population. But the concentration of Hispanics at the park was throwing me off at that age because I didn't have a grasp on what Cinqo De Mayo was yet. My Dad let me think they were all out celebrating that I was turning 6. And for many years I had just expected a pinata at my parties because of this fact. 

 

 The year I turned nine was crazy though. The park was just filled to the maximum and there were far less kids and far more drunken adults than I remembered in years prior. Crowded parking lots and super hot weather more than likely heated tempers and started what might have been the very first fight I had ever witnessed. My uncle and I had come upon a pair of guys breaking into his pickup truck and pillaging his tools. Naturally my job was to "Go get Mike" ( my Dad) and I did just that. I ran like the wind, up a hill and around clear to the other side of the green space and told my Dad to come quickly. He didn't say a word to me but turned back to the parking lot at full stride in a big lumberjack gallop. I went back to my party and matter-of-factly told my Gram what had just taken place and she hopped up fast for her self admitted old bones and collected my uncles and male family friends. No sooner had I breathed my sentences to her had the men hurried off to assist my pops in what would be a tremendous movie worthy battle. 

 

  I would only get to hear about the start of it from my uncle ( with the truck) in detail later when they came back and long after my birthday had died down and people left. My dad had arrived back at the pickup to find the burglars beating the shit out of my uncle and still gathering tools to steal. A little guy he was not and I am sure the bad guys took one look at the behemoth coming over the hill at a rapid clip headed right for them, and probably crapped themselves. I have only seen my father angry at a stranger a few times in my life but I have no doubt they saw it in his eyes right before he blackened theirs. The ruckus had gained attention from parties neighboring the parking lot and had a crowd was making it's way to back the two men robbing the truck. It was going to be a mess. What the angry mob of sun burned white surfers, actors, musicians and construction workers in route to our side of fisticuffs didn't know is that my mom ( a panic stricken worry wart ) had left the park immediately to call the cops the minute my Gram mentioned "fight". I jumped on my cousins bike and made my way the long windy path around the park to the south side of the parking lot to see what was taking so long for the guys to come back already. My jaw dropped as I saw the scene. It was definitely similar to the movies because I remember it with no sound for some reason and kinda slow motion. There were easily thirty men all punching and full on throwing each other around. But the wild thing was that the cops had showed up and were finding men being disarmed and detained more than anything. I watched a guy in a jean shirt/blue jeans combo and cowboy boots ( I still think of it as a Texas Tuxedo as my Gram always called it) pull out a pretty decent size knife and my dad had it out of his hand and on the curb in three quick moves and the guy knocked out cold in one more. I was scared and proud and terrified and exhilarated!  The good guys had done most of the work of removing knives ( and even a gun I heard ) from these drunks and basically had the two thieves restrained and ready to hand over. They had to call a police van to collect the group of men all handcuffed and lined up on the curb. Not a one was from our party. 

 

  I got to see my dad pull some serious Chuck Norris moves while out numbered and still keep it relatively classy. I also got to see my first nose being broken. The only bad part is that he lost his wedding ring in the fight. Which actually is how it came up as a topic he and I relived when I had just turned 29. He had never known I saw the end of the brawl till that talk. It was pretty cool to hear him tell it though. His version is much more macho and with more swears. He talked about his complete procedural combat moves like they were child's play. And really he had made it look that easy then. Knowing what I do now, he could have killed those men with the skills and training he has from the Army but only used the level of force necessary to control the situation.  

 

  It was amazing to me and still is. 

 

 When I asked him how he had thought that whole thing would end, like what was he thinking when he charged off to the truck, he laughed. "Your mother was bound to call the cops. It's her way." Then I laughed because he was totally right. 

 

 

 

A whole bunch of 3's

 So today I turn 33. Next month my incredibly awesome son turns 3. And this is actually one of my favorite numbers. So I am thinking it's going to be a year for the books. I feel like things are looking positive and so much is going well for us as a whole family. The other night after laying the boy down for the night at a somewhat reasonable time, Hubs and I were watching my favorite channel and Iron Chef was on. ::swoon:: I love food. Everything about food. The cooking of food, the shopping for ingredients, and (duh) the eating. So I tell my husband something very serious.


Me: If I ever get terminally ill with something, please contact someone

Kelly: Make a wish foundation ::chuckle::

Me: YES!! and tell them I want to be a guest judge and eat wonderful, mind blowing foods from amazing chefs. ::sigh::

Kelly: I would totally do that for you baby. That WOULD be something you would want.



I am totally serious btw. That is a no-bullshit-request. And he knows me well enough to know I am super serious. And the sweet part is, I think he would call them immediately!!. This conversation made me wonder what my Bucket List would be. So I thought of one and it's really in no particular order. And thought it's a great day to post it. You're welcome.


BUCKET LIST

1) Meet the cast of Mythbusters

2) Be in some kind of major eating contest ( not spicy foods though. I am a total vagina)

3) Publish a book

4) Own a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes

5) Wear said Jimmy Choo shoes in a New York snazzy restaurant

6) Visit the Galapagos Islands

7) Go on a "baby sea turtle rescue" vacation in Cabo

8) Take Hallie to see the Eiffel Tower ( over 18 when she can actually appreciate an international trip)

9) Drive cross-country with my family like a bunch of American Tourists and see all the "Worlds Largest" spots we can

10) Go to culinary school




What would your list include?


Cheers to all my well wishers via social media. I definitely feel the love today.

Little things pile up

And by the title I mean lots of things. Laundry especially. Little man laundry is incredible. I actually think it's cute that it takes 75 thousand shirts and pants to make up one full load. I do not however enjoy folding them. Because my monster really likes to unfold them. Thus creating the basket Mom gave up on.

Other things that pile up are the mass quantities of fruit sitting on my kitchen counters. Almost every surface in there is taken up by bags of apples, oranges, a few melons, you name it it's probably in there. Because I am a juicing machine!!! Or rather, I got a juicing machine and I am crazy in love with it. Somehow the old man who won't eat a peach is all about a tall cool glass of beets, wheat grass, apples, carrots, cucumber and watermelon. Go figure. I don't waste too much time pondering why, I just juice. I can make anything! It's amazing! And of course my boy who tries anything will drink a sippy cup of any concoction I put in front of him. This is what I plan to do when I am done writing. Juice mass amounts of beets and a whole pineapple!! Life is very exciting.

I am trying new things to help Dad with his health. A complete shock, he agreed to try a few new things. Let me just express how strange that it. He has been stubbornly set in his ways since before I was born. So for him to be like " yeah, sure. Acupuncture sounds like a fun idea" and not be sarcastic about it, is a major big deal. To the point that I took his temp to be sure no fever was causing his agreeable mood. Being stuck with needles is absolutely the opposite of what I would call fun but I know at this point he will try anything he hasn't before to feel good again. And he has tried anything that comes in a pill form. He is learning that a pill does not solve the stages of aging. It will not get your independence back or rewind the clock. Pills are not going to get you back in the seat of a Harley cruising down a sunny highway. Aging is inevitable. And when you get older having someone around to help can be a blessing and a curse. I can just try my best to be the person who sneaks nutrition back into his day and boost that energy a bit. Perk him up and play some peek-a-boo with baby. Life is good at any age if you let it be and move past the Eeyore road block of feelings. Working of feeling good and looking on the bright side.

A happy happy note, my kid finally said MAMMA!!!!! Wahooooo!!! And wouldn't you know it, the little bugger did it on my Birthday. At lunch with plenty of witnesses. At first I thought I was making a word out of a mumble ( I had all but given up on him saying it anytime soon). But then he said it louder and with a smile after MmmmmMmmmMmmming for a bit. Such a great present to me. What more could I ask for? It was actually an amazing birthday. I kind of got showered with gifts I have really wanted. Like getting my hair done super nice, and a huge bottle of my favorite face wash ( which is spendy so I never splurge. But seriously I should because a cheap face wash sucks the life out of your skin) and even fancy and lovely smelling perfume. Feeling pretty spoiled is awesome when you're used to feeling kind of like a plow horse! It's nice to feel special and loved.

All things are interesting currently. Not a dull moment.


Word of the day:
Tie-diaper
The wild colored poop after a full sippy cup of home made juice. Tie dye effect.