Birthday Princesses, or is it Princi?

Around here, birthdays aren't just a thing...they're a THING.  They last a while.  Sometimes a week, sometimes a month, but never ever just a day.

On Monday I turned ahem-y ahem years old, and it was a good one.  Last weekend, the fam all came by for a party.  Each year, my fabulosa sista from anotha mista and I share a party, since our birthdays are only three days apart.  And it's convenient that we're actually kinda sisters now since I married her bro eight and a half years ago.

'Course, I didn't manage to get a picture of her since I was kinda busy eating and talking and talking and eating, but I did at least manage to determine that great grandparents are pretty much the greatest.

After the party, The Princess went home with The Grumps, and The Hubbs and I went on a date (insert gasp here).  I mean, like a real date, with dinner AND a movie and everything.  Oooooh, fancy.  We saw Divergent and loved it (I've read all the books and got them for my birthday), and then we tried a new-to-us Thai place that's been around for a big ol' long time.  I stepped out of my pad Thai comfort zone and ordered a curry that I absolutely loved, and The Hubbs had some sort of spicy deliciousness with chicken and roasted peppers and yum.  This place will definitely be added to the list of date-approved restaurants.  Affordable, adorable, and I love any place that serves family style.

Monday was my actual birthday, and my fantabulous coworkers trashed my desk for me.  Luckily, Bear was there to save me from the balloon jungle (I'm allergic to latex, and they were all up in my face).  These, though, I didn't allow anyone to take away.  Miss M from the office makes balloon bouquets, and I was the lucky birthday girl this week.  These are now residing in my house and being methodically picked apart by a certain Princess.

On Wednesday, our middle child, Sookie, turned eight years old.  She got treats and lub galore, and a special surprise birthday visit from her favorite person this weekend.

Friday brought Birthdayoke at the local place with The Grumps (of course), great friends and a pretty large chunk of the work crew.  Bear was there...

...and even serenaded me with some Leon Russell and, later, an encore - my name song (which totally kicks your name song's tuchus, though I can't tell you what it is without violating my whole no-names rule...just believe me...my song's almost as awesome as I am).

I even got to see a couple of pals I hadn't seen in ages.  I heart this girl.  :)

Yesterday brought a long-overdue visit from The Princess's beloved Uncle D, who also happens to be Sookie's favorite person in the whole wide world.

So, all in all, it was a pretty fantastic birthday week.  Sookie even got to sleep behind Uncle D's knees, so it could very well have been the bestest birthday week ever.

One quick sidenote that's really more of a shout-it-from-the-mountain-tops kind of thing before I go:  I am so blessed to have an amazing family and wonderful friends in my life, and I thank God each and every day for all of you.  Thank you for being part of our lives and sticking around.  Anyone can flit from group to group, but it's those of you who've remained constant who just melt my heart.  I love you.

Ha Buh

The Hubbs: Princess, it's Mommy's birthday. 

The Princess: Buh?

The Hubbs: can you say happy birthday?

The Princess: Buh?

The Hubbs: Happy. 

The Princess: Hhhhaah. 

The Hubbs: Birthday. 

The Princess: Buh. 

The Hubbs: Happy birthday. 

The Princess: Ha...Buh. 

And the momma melted into a quivering puddle of goo. 

The end. 

Color

If you live within 50 miles or so of our little yellow house, you know it's been months and months since we've really been able to get out and do much.  Since December, it has been white on white out there with only the occasional dog-pee-yellow and car-exhaust-grey snow to break up the monochrome landscape.  

Within the last week or two, we've had a few really nice days, causing the snow to melt slowly.  We're just beginning to see the shades of mud that will prevail until our flora wakes up to provide some much appreciated color. 

That said, I can't wait any longer.  After months and months of looking at the same thing, sometimes a gal needs a change.  

Last week, I had my eyes checked and ordered my new glasses.  This week I picked 'em up and decided to use some birthday money to add a little color of my own to the world. 

Here's the first pair of glasses, though the hair color doesn't translate super well in this photo:

And here's the second pair with a better view of my newly coppered locks. 

Here's hoping we don't have to wait much longer for some natural color around here.  I don't know about you, but this gal can't wait to get her feet and wheels back on the trails...and finally get some good old-fashioned garden dirt under her fingernails again. 

Nature

When the weather is decent, we spend pretty much all of our time outside.  Walking the doggies, riding bikes, hiking and having picnic lunches in the state park are some of our favorite activities.  After about six feet of snow this winter, we're itching to see some green around here. 

The Princess has never been big on TV.  And what I mean by that is that she doesn't give two figs about it.  There have been a couple of things that have held her interest past the credits with their scrolling words, but not much. 

I've always been fascinated with nature, especially the stuff we don't have in the Midwest.  Oceans, mountains, bears, you name it.  One of my deepest fascinations has always been the sea, and if things had worked out differently when I was younger, I'd likely be a marine biologist now with a major soft spot for surfing.  

As it is, I feed these obsessions from the comfort of my little yellow house through movies, books and lots and lots of documentaries.  

Yesterday was one of those glorious pajama days.  Nothing pressing, no reason to go run in the rat race.  It had been a while since I last curled up with a documentary, so I fired up Netflix. 

My girl immediately snuggled herself into a tiny ball in my lap, and we watched two whole documentaries together: one about the rugged Big Sur coastline and another about surfing in Tahiti.  We laughed and talked, me telling her the animals' names and her making the first consonant sounds back to me.  My favorites? Kuh for cougar and Thhh for seal, sea lion and surfing. 

It was heaven. 

Mega

The Princess's class this year started out with a total of four kids, her and three boys.  Since the beginning of the year, two more girls have joined the group, rounding the total out to six. 

B-boy, one of her classmates, turned eight in February.  His mom decided to have a joint party with his older brother, and the original class of four was all there. 

The decision to have the party at a place full of trampolines and jump jumps?  Pure brilliance. 

An hour and a half of running, jumping and occasional flight was followed by pizza, soda and birthday cake.  There were even two helium balloons for The Princess to take home with her...all of the kiddos got them.  

And I think I speak for everyone in this little yellow house when I say we slept like bricks that night.