I don't like to celebrate my birthday on the actual day (something about impossibly high expectations that only meet with disappointment). I generally have more fun when the celebration is spread out. This year, I made a conscious effort to actively celebrate it ALL YEAR. One only lives her 30th year once, right? Here's how I celebrated my birthday this year:
- It started in February with a semi-spontaneous trip to see an older (*wink*) friend in California. We had made plans to visit them almost as soon as we knew they were really leaving, but it takes guts to actually pick a date and buy a ticket and drop in on someone you haven't seen in a year. I'm counting it :)
- I took a class on Entrepreneurial Farming. Veeeeery insightful.
- Purchased my own copies of a few books I have loved and lusted after for some time: Story People by Brian Andreas, Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, and How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons. One of these is not like the others :)
- That amazing dinner with Heidi at Prairie Fruits Farm *sigh*
- My friend Michelle surprised me with a garden-themed birthday cake at Orpheum Museum. How did she know I like to garden? LOL
- My friend Denise constructed a raised bed for my raspberry bushes AND gave me a nifty square and indoor/outdoor extension cord that has come in handy for numerous projects since then.
Today was my literal b-day and it was just about perfect. Instead of trying to make it "the perfect day", I ended up with a great regular day that I actually paid attention to. I found myself looking at the day's activities as a cross-section of my life. It was AWESOME! Here's what happened:
- Alice was playing with a folding chair when she tripped and fell on it in just such a way that it collapsed on her finger with her on top of the chair. It looked awful, but no broken skin. Big, puffy bruises clustered all around the tip of her finger. She asked for a band-aid, gagged down some pain killer, and snuggled with me on the snuggle chair for half an hour. We dozed a bit, which was nice. I realized that I really do enjoy being a mom. I am where I want to be.
- We were beginning to get ready to meet Kristin, Will, and Kayla for a play date when my friend JulieAnn called to invite us to the park. I hopped out of the shower and my friend Rachel called to wish me a happy birthday. I literally hung up with her (pulling out of my driveway with the cordless phone in my hand, not a cell phone) when my friend Jessica called about canning peaches with her this weekend. I had to turn around and drive home to get better reception :) This flurry of phone calls from friends NEVER happens. I don't consider myself a popular person and most of these people don't call me on a regular basis. The fact that it happened today, when at least half of them were not conscious of it being my birthday, helped me appreciate the good friends that I do have. I sobbed when Michelle left yesterday. It sounds cheesy, I know, but I really felt rich with friends today. Near and far. A good feeling. Better than any number of people at a surprise party.
- My time with Kristin, Will, and Kayla was sweet, too. Kristin made me my favorite pie (pumpkin!) with homemade crust and everything. Wow! Then we spent the morning at the Winfield pool and toy room until the kids got too tired to play together any more. It's a shame when the kids get enough before the parents do. I realized today that it's good to have family nearby. I have enjoyed getting to know the Evanses better and seeing Alice come to love her cousins. These are friendships that will persist a lifetime, no matter what.
- Alice and I stopped at KFC/A&W for a special lunch treat. This activity was hard to find any significance in. I don't think I'll try.
- Quiet time at home...I relaxed on the couch while Alice played naked in her room again. She is a neat little personality to have in our home. I am a mother.
- The Jarvies came over for a little play date. We picked the rest of the green beans in my garden. Actually, Marianne did most of the picking (9.5 months pregnant and all) while I wrestled with an exhausted Alice. I shared some beans and portions of my CSA produce with her, which reminded me how much I love to share things I love with people I love. Alice was fighting every vegetable gift I gave, wanting to hoard the rest for herself. I peeled her a medium cucumber and she ate it whole. Then she ate a raw patty pan squash just because I was giving them away so freely. Then she ate a baby carrot from our garden. It balanced well with the french fries, Teddy Grahams, and lemonade she ate for lunch :D
- Alice fell asleep in the car while I ran an errand about 6pm. I toyed with idea of waking her up and wrestling with her sour mood for another hour until bedtime, but then I got smart. I put her straight to bed. She barely stirred. Heck, if she wakes up early tomorrow, Bobby will be around. This experience revealed how I like to make decisions for other people sometimes (mwah ha ha haaaa).
Technically, my 30th year ends this week, but I've extended it to the whole 2009 calendar year. It took me some time to build up the courage to actually start doing these things. So! Here's what's in store for the rest of this year's celebrations:
- "Introduction to Genealogy" course through Parkland College Continuing Education
- "Building Your Home Green" course...a bit of a fancy of mine
- A more mature wardrobe (i.e. shirts with buttons or some sort of shape to them, maybe a pair of Sunday shoes that will actually fit)
- TWO operas with my opera buddy, Julia: The Merry Widow and Tosca
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