It is absolutely wild to think about how different this birthday was from last year's. Not to go all drama llama, but last year may have been one of the worst birthdays of my life. I had a particular rough day of feeling like I was failing my miserably sick newborn, and I was lonely over El Hub working past George's bedtime. It was also the last day we breastfed (which, let's face it, probably hormonally added to my memory of it being one of my worst birthdays ever).
But looking back I can also say it was a positive turning point. That day I spent lunch with a wonderful friend and her awesome baby, a woman I am grateful to still be friends with today. In the past year, I've been lucky to make even more friends since then. In the time since then I have gone on to make other awesome momma friends who make me laugh and help keep me rolling with the punches. And making friends as we get older is hard and scary and feels way too much like dating except without the benefit of clearly spelled out hopes and expectations a la online dating. (The whole making friends thing probably deserves a post of its own.) And by going exclusively formula-fed, we were able to rule out certain factors and get a step closer to getting George healthy. Finally, that day was also a reminder that if I want to have a good day, whether it be a birthday or a weekday or any day at all, it's up to me to make it happen.
So I made it happen this year. I asked my parents' to watch the kiddo overnight so we could go to dinner without worrying about when to arrive home (...or to be hangover-free in the morning). I made a dinner reservation. I decided on the Science Center as a George-friendly place to have a little fun before taking him to Mammaw and Grandpa's for the night. And I asked Rob to take some photos of us.
George is trying to say, "You better be getting my good side, Dada."
Then he goes, "Just joshing, I look cute no matter what."
But then he's like, "No, seriously, make sure you get my adorably chubby cheeks."
This was Rob's first time coming with us to the Science Center. Having another person to help wrangle the baby means I have enough hands to bring the DSLR along.
Unsurprisingly difficult to take a decent self-portrait in a dark, gigantic kaleidoscope. But it didn't stop me from trying.
SCIENCE!
George wanted to bring this hedgehog home and love it and squish it and maybe throw it. What can I say, he's 15 months old and recently enamored with throwing small things.
I'm pretty sure this stingray was mooning us.
And then we took this incredibly cute, beloved child and ditched him at his grandparents' house. Later tater! Don't worry, he didn't miss us at all because his Mammaw lets him watch all the television he wants and walk around with her nail polish and play in her kitchen cabinets. Toddler paradise.
Momma-on-the-evening-of-her-birthday paradise looks a lot more like this:
That is a s'mores martini. It tastes uncannily like a s'mores. With vodka. Good job, bartender.
This is the point in the evening where El Hub pulls out the big guns. He gave me two red roses, had restaurant take a photo of us, and then handed me a card. The card is a big deal - El Hub would happily live the rest of his life never receiving or giving another card. Whereas I love them and have saved every single card I've received since I was about five years old. So he gives me a Mickey Mouse card...
...with this printed inside it...
For the unfamiliar, those are the lyrics to a Disney happy happy birthday song I have fond memories of from my childhood. It goes a little something like this:
I listen to this song every year on my birthday. I send it to Disney geek friends on their birthdays. I cross my fingers and toys that maybe Disney will someday bring this song and accompanying show back to the parks someday. (This will never happen. I am a delusional Disney fan.) But just as El Hub isn't a fan of greeting cards, he's not a big fan of Disney either. So for him to get me a 1) Disney 2) card that he 3) printed lyrics on 4) from my favorite Disney birthday song might be the best birthday card I've received yet. I cried.
And then I drank more of my martini.
After dinner, we were off to a 9:10pm (!) movie downtown to see Snow White and the Huntsman. These were my tweeted thoughts:
Saw Snow White & the Huntsman. KStewart, why doesn’t your face move? Charlize, I luff you. Thor, you HOTTIE!
— Victoria Shade (@vshade) June 17, 2012
[SPOILERY SPOILER FOR SPOILSPORTS] Also, if she was locked in a tower for a decade, why did she have shoes to run away in? And since people saw her escape method, why didn't they put bars over it so people couldn't use it in the future? And why did Greta get her youth back? Lame. Lame, I say. But delightful for making fun of and for admiring the prettiness of Charlize and Thor. Good times.
And then we went home and still managed to go to bed before midnight. I'm old, I admit it. And I'm okay with it because life is pretty awesome these days.
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