My 34th birthday was this past Wednesday, and we started celebrating on Tuesday at my office. Helen Grace wanted in on the action, so I picked her up at school and brought her back to the office with me.
We have a ‘surprise’ tradition at work where everyone disappears into the kitchen, leaving you sitting at your desk ‘unaware.’ Then you get a call from the kitchen saying you are needed in there. You open the door to a dark room, and then someone flips the lights on and everyone screams, “Surprise!,” and you feign shock. I prepared HG for the event the night before, so she practiced her ‘surprise’ face. When the moment arrived, she was clinging to the back of my leg and terrified at the whole office staring at her and going, “Awww, how cute!” She did come around when the cake came out though. And she wanted to sit and eat it at my desk, which she thinks is SO COOL.
Practicing her surprise face
On Wednesday, she and John started the day with at least 20 minutes of creative genius time in the kitchen working on some sweet notes and a birthday card (she started it at school on Tuesday and it had turned into a book by the end of Wednesday). She loves drawing balloons and streamers, and I love watching her figure out how to spell Mama, Momma, Mommy, etc.
Since my birthday fell on my day off, I went to our Hope Moms’ kick off and then took lunch to Helen Grace at school. Mama’s pick = Swanky’s. HG loved passing out some Chips Ahoy cookies I brought too. Ever the hostess. We sat with her class this time, rather than off to the side, and I have never seen such a chatty group of girls (Ellis, Lilah, Mary Kate, Annabella). Whew, I was exhausted afterward!
After lunch on Wednesdays, they only have 45 mins left at school before early dismissal, so I checked her out after lunch. We went to get our first mother-daughter pedicure since she has finally expressed an interest in coming with me! Once we got there though, she was a little leery of the water, so she just got her toes painted- alternately dark pink and purple. They heard us say it was my birthday, and all of a sudden, the lights went out, blue lights started flashing, Happy Birthday started blaring over the radio, and a lady was coming our way with a candle in a cupcake, tiara, and boa. We both about died! HG just laughed and laughed- and then ate every bit of my cupcake’s cream cheese icing. She is my child, after all.
That afternoon we met the Mattice girls for cupcakes and then met all of her grandparents, Bubba, and William for dinner at Newk’s and then ice cream at Gracie Bleu. We also came home with a oh so PINK bike for Mama! HG and I took it on a trial ride when we got home, and I survived without any crashes or bruises- pretty good after not touching a bike for 15 years!
Another one of HG’s sweet gifts for me was making up my bed and straightening up/organizing my bedside table. Again, she’s obviously my offspring. John caught me that night enjoying my neat bed along with ALL THREE cats! I had such a wonderful day and didn’t want it to end. I felt so loved and appreciated, and I enjoyed all of my favorite things, thanks to my favorite people!
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