Thursday, January 26, 2012

[Insert Witty Title Here]

Despite the fact I have written about 20 posts in my head in the last ten days, I still can't come up with a good title for this post.  Probably because it's a fairly incoherent mish-mash of photos and thoughts.  Written while I'm numb with sleepiness.  Here goes!

 It was my 34th birthday last week.  Not my 43rd, like you could easily assume from the grouping of candles on my cake.  And my looks, but let's not dwell on that.

 How did my girl get big enough to carry a lit cake? 

 The kids were all in their jammies, because Evan had taken me out to eat for supper, and we got home just as Grandma and Grandpa were finishing up baths.

 Here is my exaggerated dismay that Elliott has quickly blown the candles out before I had a chance to make a wish.  Sigh.  Goodbye, daily maid...


 I have a pretty good collection of kids.

I airily tossed off the phrase "Evan had taken me out to eat" a few lines back like it was no big deal.  But it was definitely a big deal.  It has been a LONG time since we got to go out together, and this time, we really lived it up and went to bc, a fancy restaurant in Syracuse.  It was absolutely awesome.  I splurged on an appetizer (I did share nicely) of two humungous sea scallops.  They were buttery and perfect, but it was the garnish that made me moan in food ecstasy-- leeks and mushrooms in a brown butter/thyme sauce.  I think I would have licked the plate, given any privacy.  Then, Evan had a filet mignon with a green bean / potato hash with bacon that looked glorious, and I had (in the words of the menu) a "homemade potato gnocchi, wild mushrooms, short rib and truffle ragout".  It was tender, exotic, and everything someone wants when they have made 47 dinners in a row at home.  Before supper, we met at a restaurant supply store and bought a bunch of little kitchen gadgets I have been yearning over for a long time.  Then, home to a bunch of sweet kids that were eager to give me my birthday card and sing "Happy Birthday!" to me over a vinegar cake.  All in all, about as lovely as birthdays get.

 This was Lincoln the other day, helping unload the dishwasher.  He was all set for a party of dogs, his new favorite animal.

 He's either showing off here, or trying to get a peek at the back of the camera to see a picture of himself.

 Owen, Ashley, and Cody came down Saturday night to buy some parts for Owen's truck.  Mind you, they decided the parts truck they were looking at was in better shape than the truck Owen drives, so they hauled the whole truck home.  Anyway, we squeezed in a few games of Progressive Rummy while they were here.

 Soda, PR, some brownies... life was pretty good.

 Cody, being forced to acknowledge my superiority at the game.

 Ashley may have had a bit of a handicap, having to reach around the devoted niece and nephew.  Not that it stopped her from going out in the last hand, the stinker.

 My dashingly handsome husband.

 Ashley cemented her already huge place in my kids' hearts by reading them a ridiculously long Tintin book out loud.  Of course, the rest of us listened, too.  There is a major obsession with Tintin happening around here lately.


 Today, I relented and unlocked the toy cupboard (the one with the big lock on it on the left there).  The kids were ecstatic to have new toys to play with.  It even diverted Lincoln well enough that he left off his usual method of play-- sweep everything off their play table, then throw everything that is on the floor down the stairs to the entryway.  No matter how I discipline him, he seems to find this inexpressibly fun.

 Now, we travel back in time, to when the kids went skating while Lisa was here.

 They are really learning how to navigate on the ice, I'm sure they're much better than me at this point!

 Not that they're enjoying themselves, or anything.

Here's one of Lisa making cookies with the demon-possessed White-Eye children.  Very creepy effect, that.

Well, that's it for photos, and you might be spared some of my drivel, since I will fall asleep on the keyboard here pretty soon.  It's been very busy here, I miss the Januarys when Evan was unemployed.  Sure, we were flat broke, but Daddy was home!  Now that he's been working straight through, there is a lot of nights when he's not home until late.  Definitely don't want to complain about his business being a success, but I do feel a little nostalgic for the other years!  :-)

I'm so grateful for our fairly uneventful life right now-- a house over our heads, food on the table, sweet kids in our arms-- we sure are lucky people!

5 comments:

laura said...

Love love love!

Keep warm over there!

And happy 34th!!!! (:

Anonymous said...

What a sweet husband of yours! Glad to had a HAPPY Birthday!! Sounds like Lincoln needs a Puppy!!! *hint hint* :)

Evan and Clover and Co. said...

Ha, ha, Rebecca! Maybe when we live on 40 acres someday! :-)

Virginia said...

Oh my. I want everything on bc's menu. Lucky woman!

Bethaney said...

I really love the picture of Lincoln getting ready for a puppy party. That is a party that Gilbert would co-host in a heartbeat!

And yeah, I am WAY behind on reading blogs!