Re-cap

I know, I know, it’s been awhile. I thought I had nothing to blog about. I haven’t really tried any new recipes, tackled any projects. (okay, I’m lying about the project. it didn’t turn out. no blogging about it).  Then I downloaded my pics from the camera. Thought I only had about a weeks worth, turns out I have a lot more.

My dad came for a visit the 11th-16th. It was his first time meeting Ava and they bonded immediately. I had prepared him for her crabby, demanding demeanor. I was proven wrong. She snuggled, cooed, and well, just loved him. No surprise, he’s had lots of practice.

Anson and Paige loved the one on one attention they got from Papa and we were all sad to see him go.

Anson also had his first game that weekend in a all day jamboree up in Canada. His team played 3 games and score wasn’t kept. Probably a good thing. He had lots of fun and I think we’re going to have a very sad little boy on our hands when hockey season is over. (he was #10)

 

Anson with his buddy Riley (above). Riley’s mom, Kara is always ready and willing to hold Ava for me at practices, games, etc. In fact, she was a bit miffed that my dad was hogging so much time with her. :) After explaining that he hadn’t seen her and lives oh so far away she was very understanding and settled for holding her when he was ready for a break. He didn’t take many breaks.

And what of Paige? Well, she's just been hangin’ out, enjoying the snow.

Birthday Memories

I have so many wonderful memories of my birthdays' growing up. The picture above was perhaps my favorite cake. Mom was always so patient with us, in letting us create the kind of cake we wanted. I always disliked have a winter birthday. I'm not sure if it was the practical sweatsuit I always received or not being able to have an outside party. This particular year I found a swimming pool cake and told mom that even though my birthday was in February, I wanted it. She stayed up late into the night working on it with me. A bundt cake, complete with teddy grahams going swimming in life saver inner tubes. Swimsuits piped on. Even a diving board made out of a piece of gum! She always made sure all the lights were off as our cakes were carried in, all lit up. Everyone would be singing Happy Birthday, and she'd snap a picture before we could blow out the candles. Then it was a mad rush of little hands grabbing candles out of the cake and licking the frosting off the ends. (Mom wasn't crazy about us doing that.)

My last birthday at home was perhaps the most memorable for me. I only say this because after 18 years of having the entire day being about me when February 11th rolled around, well my 19th birthday didn't quite go like that. I was attending college about 40 min away and liked to head there early to work out before classes. I left in my trusty 88 Toyota corolla, I loved that car. About 5 miles down the road I got a flat. At this point I didn't have a cell phone, so I walked to someones house and called home. Of course my mom had to remind me that if I had gotten new tires like I was supposed to, this wouldn't have happened. She was right. Always was. My brother came and helped change the tire, left, and I was on my way. Or so I thought. About 30 seconds later my spare blew. So back to the house I trudged and used the phone again. This time Mom just brought me the van to use. Our old 79 12 passenger van. At that point I was just glad I was going to make it in time for my first class. So far there had been no acknowledgement of my birthday, which I found rather disturbing. Oh well...I thought, mom must have a lot on her mind. I continued down the road and was about 10 miles from school, going up a hill when the van kinda...well....spurted?...not sure if that's the right word. Anyway, it did something that caused me to look at the gas gauge. Sure enough, I was about out of gas. Turned around, coasted down the hill and into the gas station at the bottom. Or rather, I tried. The van was completely out of gas. Stalled, in the middle of an intersection. I was quite embarrassed. Its one this to have a car in the middle of the road out of gas, but it had to be the van. Old. Big. Did I say embarrassing? The guy behind me in the gas station was kind enough to sing me happy birthday, which I thought was nice. I didn't make it school on time. And when I got home at the end of the day and recounted my adventures and then said, "and on my birthday no less" my mom's face fell. She had forgotten, and felt horrible. It made for a wonderfully entertaining memory though. And it also made me realize how much I had taken my mom making our birthday's so special for granted. I'm sure it wasn't easy doing that many birthdays a year. Coming up with special gifts for that many kids, yet she always did. I hope my kids will have as fond of memories of their birthdays as I do of mine.