birthday number 41

I never took the forty paper stars down from last year, you know. just couldn't ever bring myself to do it. so look what I found hanging from the ceiling sunday morning. a sweet little addition, compliments of the husband.


and look what I found on my desk. a mess of fresh cut paper snowflakes, compliments of ezra.


you know what else? we went rollerskating.


and consumed the following: onion rings, cherry slushees, cotton candy. in that order.


then, downtown-- to cargo, to cargo.


cargo, where I filled my basket with metallic paper party hats and neon balloon horns and mustache straws. well, and then I put it all back, since we are saving our pennies and all. though not before I tried out a few of those balloon horns AND LET ME TELL YOU THOSE THINGS WERE LOUD. I did not know they would be so loud. this made ava laugh. and pretend not to know me.


after cargo and just before dinner, the photobooth! naturally.


money well spent, kids. money well spent.


alas, my birthday restaurant of choice was closed so we opted for takeout. boo, birthday restaurant of choice. boo.


BUT. a chinese takeout floor picnic? next to a crackly fire in the fireplace? with fizzy raspberry lemonades and paper straws? better than any dinner in any restaurant, any day or night of the week. sorry, birthday restaurant of choice. it's true. I still love you, but it's true.


and then, a question. do I like being 41? yes, I think maybe I do. for the most part. but not more than your fancy loopy letter Ys and your gold paper snowflakes, ezra. I'd take those over 41 anyday.


hey, how about the cake. the red velvet cake, which I sort of botched this year. something went wrong with the frosting, I don't know. and then all those candles nearly melted the cake, nearly reduced it to a pile of goo. but whatever. I earned those candles, every last one of them. I refuse to skimp on candles. you shouldn't either.


after cake came presents-- the vintage kind, the handmade kind. win win. win win win all over the place.


finally, the aftermath. red velvet birthday cake for breakfast monday morning. double triple quadruple win. and birthday number 41=properly celebrated.

I really needed a day like this, friends. I cannot tell you how much I needed a day like this.