My birthday was all about gifts, the way birthdays should be. It started with my favorite person, Mom. She came to visit and watch the girls for our weekend away to the Oscars.
The first gift was my husband bringing home Secretariat home from Costco. It was the first “adult” movie the girls watched without too much wiggling. We split the movie between two nights. For a movie about a racehorse I know wins, it sure was exciting. At the end, the suspense had us all shouting and cheering during the race. It’s the closest our family gets to a sporting event.
During the Superbowl, we joined Kjrsten et al for dinner at the Hi-life. That restaurant continually pleases me in many iterations of use, happy hour date, lunch, breakfast, fancy dinner, desert with the ladies. Only during the Superbowl can we get a table for 10. It was a continued glimpse of my kids maturing and getting to do more adult things like movies not involving animated characters (though I am partial) and dining.
My birthday was a free, unscheduled day without obligations alone with my favorite person, my Mom! I had a hard time figuring out what to do given infinite possibilities. The day was a gift from God weatherwise. Crisp, bright, sunny after rain and sog.
We walked Queen Anne hill. Our former stomping ground has been a lot less stomped lately with kids. We started with lunch at Orrapin, the place I learned to love Thai. The sun streamed thru the window and time stood still. I savored red salmon curry.
The next stop was QA Books to start our treasure walk. I bought this map of all the stairs in Queen Anne with fun little features and historical notes. Then we walked off lunch.
Photos at Kerry Park with this amazing view.
We continued to Parsons Garden aka the Secret Garden. This is a place popular for weddings. It’s also a small, magical park that Wayne and I tripped on one walk and felt like our secret. Today, winter had it’s hold on the garden with a few sprouts. We continued to walk and enjoy 180deg views of the Sound at Marshall park.
I used the map to navigate us back. We headed home for rest.
Continuing the theme of eating my favorite things, my bday dinner was a source of thought and indecision. We wanted to celebrate as a family. Hi-life is my hole-in-one. I can get salmon with potato latkes while my kids have pizza and fries. Since that one was used up, I fell to Zayda Buddy’s, Minnesotan food (my Midwest friends will laugh). It was such a joy to have the girls enjoy themselves and savor the meal on Sunday. I wanted that to happen again. So, more calories, but happy kids.
There was enjoyment. Fries, fried cheese curds (that counts as my favorite food- reminding me of Madison’s farmers market), pizza, and a salad (a nod to veggies).
This is Laura snuggling with Nana.
We walked in the cold night to procure desert.
We actually hit cupcake happy hour. I love writing that sentence. What a fun sequence if words!
We took our goodies home. Wayne brought me tulips from Pike Place Market! They’ve made our house beautiful all week. I got Happy Birthday sung to me! The. I got to eat my Death by Chocolate Cake (the advantage of having a bday near V day).
Sara brought out her gifts to me. She really got into this bday.
Sara got the colored pencils from class with “classroom dollars” earned by good behavior.
More fun art from Sara.
Laura has really improved her signature at preschool. Sara finished her 4 wk art class at school that focused on buildings. The upside down one is her final project.