35th Birthday

Last Friday, November 18, I turned 35. This is a number that strikes me as old in a way 30 did not. I mean, I can remember when my MOM was that age.
I started off the day right...I got into my classroom and Devin surprised with me with a hand delivered box of chocolates from his mom. Bethany knew how to start a girls' birthday off right! It was a nice surprise. Then, my sisters had flowers delivered to me in the classroom. Another VERY nice and thoughtful surprise. It was great that my birthday landed on a half day at school, so I was able to meet Tammy for lunch at Azteca. We try our bests to meet for a mutual birthday meal each year and it was nice it landed right on my day. She got me a hands-free blue tooth speaker for my car, something I can definitely use.
When I got home, I opened my gift from my Mom Bobby had delivered. She had made a journal on snapfish with my wedding picture and a picture of each kid on the front. And on the back, a very small shot from Dad's memorial, something if you had asked me I would have said I didn't want, but was glad to see it. It was very thoughtful for my mom, whose gifts, while heartfelt, often don't seem to take me into account lol.
The time while the kids were sleeping was also a gift, a chance to get some homework done! I knew it was going to be a tough day for Todd and I texted to let him know I'd be OK if we didn't go out to dinner. Taking the kids out to dinner on a Friday night can be a challenge, I was tired and I knew Todd's been crazy busy. He came home apologetic and I told him it was fine...I thought it was sweet that he cared that much about it. He smiled with the Todd twinkle and said...wait until you see one of your gifts.
He got me tickets to take me to "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", a musical, at Syracuse Stage for this Wednesday (November 30). I had sent him the link when it came to me because I love plays, of course, and that is one of my all-time favorite books.
9When we were little, Bobby and I would act out the story in our backyard on Calkins Rd. (OK, I wasn't that little, but he was and I was forced to entertain him). The back area of that yard even got the nickname Narnia, which was one of the things I mourned when my parents sold that house.)
Anyhow, Todd, whose last visit to the theatre was a high school trip for Shakespeare, had gotten me tickets without even realizing how much the story meant to me. He wanted to do something nice for me and it is one of the nicest things he has done, since this is NOT his thing. I am very excited. By the way, he also brought me home some cupcakes from Price Chopper which Adam and Abbey could not wait to try...here they are freshly bathed, ready for bed and DIGGING IN: These pictures of Abbey is pretty priceless. Adam checking out his sister...because he had already eaten the top off of two...preferring the frosting to the cake :) I usually can't stand blurry pictures, but love Adam smiling for me. Todd also brought me home a cake, surprising me that he had remembered my favorite was marble with the butter cream frosting. Since them, my friend Sarah stopped by with a Vera Bradley coffee cup and I had dinner last night with Pam. Part of her gift was a six-pack of an awful brew we drank our long-ago summer of fun in New Hampshire called "Woodchuck". She handed it over to me at Bridie Manor last night and I laughed right away. We "forced" every new employees to drink one; it was our induction. Silly stuff at a silly age: 19. A great reminder of a great time. I couldn't believe they still made the vile stuff...apparently they were bought out by another company, which led us to wonder: why? Who could LIKE it?
I cannot WAIT for Wednesday! I have my outfit picked out already :)