Breakfast in Bed

Many of you would assume, since it is Lincoln's birthday today, that he was the one that was served breakfast in bed but those of you that truly know us know that would never be true. Because if it's Lincoln's birthday they would know that I am the one that would get served breakfast in bed.

Yes, it's true.

The kids wanted to make Daddy breakfast in bed this morning. They were very excited about it and wanted to go downstairs and do it right away. Lincoln said that really isn't his thing so I made the ultimate sacrifice and said that I would remain in bed until breakfast could be cooked.

I mean, the kids had their hearts set on serving someone breakfast in bed so who am I to destroy their dreams.

Are they trying to tell me something?

Saturday night is Lincoln's birthday dinner and, as you all know, I've been sidelined from doing anything but providing a clean house and the alcohol. Well guess what. Now I don't even have to provide the clean house.

Lincoln called to inform me this morning that Di had called him and asked if we could move his birthday dinner up the street to their house because she is dog-sitting for a friend and doesn't want to leave the dogs at her house alone all evening.

Now the only thing I'm responsible for is a couple of bottles of wine and some beer. This is the easiest birthday dinner that I've ever thrown for my husband.

Horrible wife? Or 1950's husband?

Lincoln's birthday is this Saturday. We actually have a thing to go to on Friday night and a block party down the street on Saturday afternoon. I asked him over the weekend if he would like to have his family over for dinner or if it would be too much to do over the weekend. He seemed rather non-committal so I figured we'd figure out something over the course of the week. Yesterday morning Lincoln dropped the kids off at his parents house and came home for this conversation.

Link: So my mom is cooking lasagna to bring over Saturday night.

Me: Oh, okay. So we're doing dinner?

Link: Yep.

Me: Cool.

On my drive to the office I figured I'd call his brother and sister-in-law that afternoon to invite them down for dinner. Before that could happen Lincoln and I had lunch together since he was working in Cambridge for the day.

Link: So Di is bringing the cake on Saturday.

Me: Huh? You called and invited them already?

Link: Yep, I just figured I'd do it.

Me: Oh. Okay. I was going to you know.

Link: And my Mom said she's bring a salad too.

Me: Oh, okay. I guess I'll make br...

Link: And she said while she's at the store she'll just get the garlic bread too.

Me: So, what am I providing for your birthday dinner?

Link: We'll be providing a clean house.

Seriously? Am I the worst wife or what? Notice he said "we'll" be providing the clean house. The funny thing is I'm glad that I don't have to cook or anything but still, I could have at least called his brother and sister-in-law or thrown a few loaves of garlic bread in the oven. Sometimes I feel like a 1950's husband. I just show up after work in the evening, kiss the kids and the hubby hello, and sit down to eat the wonderful dinner that my loving husband has prepared. Maybe for his birthday I'll buy him a nice set of pearls to wear while he's vacuuming.

Oh wait, vacuuming is one of the few household things I do! I guess I do have a purpose.

Perfect? Or crazy?

I love sleeping with an electric blanket. A few years ago Lincoln gave me a twin-sized electric blanket for Valentines' Day so that I could have it on my side of the king-size bed. Unfortunately my blanket has apparently died of natural causes.

Me: I wish I had my electric blanket.

Link: Well it's a good thing my birthday is coming up.

Me: How will that help me? You don't even like electric blankets.

Link: Yes, but knowing you're happy is the best present I could get.

Gag.

Just kidding, honey. I love you and I suspect that you were actually serious when you said that. Have no fear though, you're getting your very own birthday present.

Speaking of which, I better get online and start shopping.

Happy Birthday Grandma B!

My grandmother is 96 years old today. Years ago when Hannah learned to read Grandma B wanted Hannah to learn one of her favorite poems - I Have a Little Shadow - and in my usual procrastination we haven't gotten around to it until now when I finally told her she could just read the poem for Grandma B and not memorize the whole thing. Thank God for the longevity that the women in my family seem to have.

Here are birthday wishes from both kids for Grandma B on her special day. And no, I have no idea why Jake is holding a toy mop and broom in his hands in his video but pay special attention to the plants at his feet. Those are his new plants and he's very proud of them and takes care of them all on his own.

Hannah's birthday on Martha's Vineyard

Yesterday was Hannah's 8th birthday so I decided to take the day off of work. Hannah loves the Vineyard and I've been wanting to show Mom the Vineyard since the first time we went there a few years ago so we decided that we would drive down and take the ferry over for the day. What we didn't anticipate was that it would be 95 degrees and hot, hot, hot. I'm not really complaining about the weather since summer is FINALLY here but it did require us to change our plans a little once we got there. Of course we had to change our plans a little even before we got there because Lincoln and I apparently did not participate in the same conversation last week where we decided (or so I thought) that Jake would be staying home while we went to the Vineyard since Lincoln wasn't going with us either.

Jake is still young enough that he can't walk for miles and miles on end without wanting to be carried but he's old enough that I certainly can't carry him around anymore. As such he usually rides on Daddy's shoulders when we walk for extended periods of time or for great distances. Over the weekend we discussed me taking Jake with us on our trip to the Vineyard but I told Jake that he would have to ride in the stroller and he didn't want to do that because "he's not a baby." I figured that was the end of it but I was wrong.

Monday night I had a work thing that I was hosting at the Pavilion and didn't get home until a little after 10 p.m. When I got home the kids were already in bed and Mom asked me if I had been planning on taking Jake with us the next day. I told her I hadn't been planning on it but apparently she and Lincoln discussed it and he told her he thought I was taking Jake and therefore he told his parents they didn't need to babysit Jake on Tuesday. I'm not sure what conversation he had participated in last week but that is not what I thought we had decided. My mother had a good point though about the fact that Hannah had just been off with Grandma and Grandpa for three weeks and Jake also had to stay home last May when Grandma, Hannah, and I took a day trip down to NYC so she thought he should be able to go with us to the Vineyard. I could definitely see her reasoning behind telling Jake he could go with us but I have to say I was a little apprehensive about the fact that it was 10:30 p.m. and I had no one to watch Jake the next day and no choice but to take him with us on a trip where I was going to have to wrestle him into a stroller when he whined about walking and why couldn't I carry him on my shoulders like Daddy does.

At this point I figured there was nothing I could do about it so Lincoln dug out the stroller and the next morning we sat Jake down and explained how it was going to work. He seemed game so at 7:15 a.m. Mom, Hannah, Jake and I headed down to catch the ferry from Woods Hole, MA. Luckily we allowed plenty of time because I had never taken the ferry over as a walk-on passenger and didn't realize how far away the parking lot was from the ferry dock. The only open parking lot was a 20-minute drive away and you had to catch a shuttle. It was an extremely close call but we managed to make it on the ferry that we had been aiming for and headed over to Oak Bluffs on MV. The kids did awesome and really hustled when we had to quickly park, hop on the shuttle, buy the tickets, and race onto the ferry.

Every time we've gone over to the Vineyard in the past we've always driven on so I've never noticed how they get the walk-on passengers off the boat. It was absolutely insane getting off the boat. The walk-on passengers were herded into this super long line, which of course was mostly out in the open air and under the intense 95 degree sun, and inched along bit by bit. I made a joke that it almost seemed like they were making us go through customs or reenact Ellis Island because it was such a slow line.

Once we finally got through the line we headed into Oak Bluffs and thought we'd find some nice air-conditioned shops but most of them were not very cool and it was pretty miserable walking around. We decided to head over to lunch and re-group for the day. Originally we had planned on taking a taxi over to Edgartown after lunch to walk around there for awhile but it didn't seem like anyone was going to be up to doing a lot of shopping in the heat. Jake was whining like crazy that he wanted to go to the beach even though that had never been in our plans for the day. Despite how great he was during the chaos of getting on and off the ferry he definitely went down hill once we were on the Vineyard. Nothing was what he wanted to do and he "missed Daddy and wanted to go home."

At lunch we all cooled off a bit and had a great meal. We then decided that it was too miserable to go shopping over in Edgartown and that we should head to the East Chop beach in Oak Bluffs. Unfortunately we didn't have any swimsuits for the kids so we headed over to some of the cheap souvenir shops and picked up some Martha's Vineyard shorts and tank tops for the kids. Both kids were quite the walking advertisement for the Vineyard with "Vineyard" written across their butts and on Hannah's tank top. We headed over to the beach and let them play in the water in their new clothes before putting them back in their dry clothes afterwards.

Jake's attitude improved considerably after we fed him lunch and let everyone cool off a bit and especially after we decided we'd head over to the beach for awhile. The only problem at the beach was the fact that he wanted to go climbing on the rocks and over the sand dune, which he usually does with Daddy, and neither Mommy nor Grandma were willing or able to do it with him on this trip. At one point Grandma took the kids for a walk down the beach towards the rocks while I sat with our stuff at the other end of the beach. Jake came running back ahead of Grandma and Hannah and came up to me with a very expectant look on his face.

Jake: Are you going to ask me if I had a good time?

Me: Um. Okay. Did you have a good time?

Jake: No, I did not. Grandma wouldn't let me go climbing!

After playing at the beach for about an hour we headed back towards the ferry docks and stopped for ice cream along the way. The ride back was fairly uneventful and we were all pretty worn out from the long day in the sun. By the time we got off the ferry, caught the shuttle, and were in line to exit the parking lot it was 5:05 p.m. Jake was asleep by 5:09.

Once we got back home it was time for Hannah's birthday dinner. Dad and Lincoln had made a great taco dinner and Lincoln's parents came over about 30 minutes after we got home. We all had a nice dinner and then did cake and presents.

With the exception of Jake's mini meltdown between the time we arrived on the Vineyard and when we finished eating lunch he did a really great job throughout the day. He was a trouper in the heat. He walked almost all day except for when we came back from the beach and then he climbed into the stroller without any fuss or complaining. All in all he did really great on the "grown-up day" that he had been invited to go on with us.

Me (as I'm kissing him goodnight): Jake, I just want tell you what a great job you did today and that I'm very, very proud of you. You did an awesome job and I think that the next time we have a "grown-up day" you can come with us again.

Jake: I think maybe I don't want to go next time. I'll miss Daddy too much.

Happy 8th Birthday Hannah!

Holy cow! I can't believe Hannah is EIGHT. It seems like just yesterday I was in the hospital giving birth to her. The time really does fly by. In another 8 years it will be time to get her drivers license.

Today Hannah, Jake, Grandma Dena, and I are off to Martha's Vineyard for the day. We're going to walk on the ferry and head over to walk around Oak Bluffs for awhile. Summer is finally here and it's going to be a hot one! I am so excited. When we get back tonight Daddy, Grandpa Dan and Grandma and Grandpa Snow will be here to celebrate Hannah's birthday. Should be a fun day all around.

Kids say the darndest things

As any parent will tell you kids often repeat things that you say to other people. These things are often taken out of context - or worse yet, repeated with no context at all - and it can be absolutely hilarious when it happens. It can also be rather horrifying if you hear about it later and/or aren't around to give the correct context when it is said. When it's said to strangers or passing acquaintances when you're not around you can sometimes want to take an ad out in the local newspaper to explain the statement your child just made. I'm sure daycare providers are constantly cracking up at what children tell them.

This story is actually an absolutely hilarious one and it was Hannah - not Jake - that threw me under the proverbial bus. My friend Tracy has a great iPod speaker that she carries around with her in her purse. We used to joke about "the party in her purse" but since she often carries it around with her in her pocket - and because it's way funnier to call it by this name - we often refer to it as "her party in her pants." I told Lincoln that I wanted an iPod speaker for my birthday last week so that we could have music out by the pool when we're hanging out so he bought me the same kind of speaker that Tracy carries around with her. That gift prompted the following out-of-context conversation to take place between Grandma Dena and Hannah last week.

Grandma: What did your mom get for her birthday?

Hannah: A party in her pants.

32 years and counting

I had a very lovely birthday yesterday. I took the day off and just relaxed. In the morning Lincoln and Jake gave me my birthday presents which were a new novel (a real one, not a trash novel) and a speaker so that I can play my iPod out by the pool. When I first came downstairs and sat on the couch in front of Jake I didn't exactly get the "happy birthday Mommy" I was hoping for. Instead I got "Hey! I was playing Star Wars there!". This morning, however, a day after my birthday, he said to me "Hey Mommy....I mean birthday girl." when I came downstairs. Very strange.

Anyway, after I opened my gifts Lincoln took Jake off to Grandma and Grandpa Snow's and I hopped in the shower. Even though it was going to be a lazy day for me I had to do my hair and make-up nicely because the first thing on my agenda for the day was getting my license renewed. You have to get a new picture every 9 years and mine was last taken in October 2000 right after we got married. So yes, I spent the morning of my birthday hanging out in the RMV. Very exciting.

After getting my new license I headed out to lunch and a movie. I am not one of those people that mind eating or going to the movies alone. I actually enjoy it. I took my new book with me and read it while I ate my lunch and then headed over to the movie theater to see Julie & Julia. It was a great movie.

After my incredibly strenuous day I headed home to take a nap before Lincoln and I went out to dinner. Talk about a relaxing afternoon. Lincoln took me to The Melting Pot for dinner which is one of my all time favorite restaurants. It's a fondue restaurant and it's definitely a time (and money) commitment because each course takes quite awhile but Lincoln and I love going there. It's not somewhere we would ever take the kids so it's a nice little get away for us. We have some drinks, eat some great food, and have about an hour and a half to two hours where we can just sit and have grown-up time together. I love it.

When we finished eating we headed over to Bob and Gail's to pick up Jake a little after 8:00 p.m. Lincoln had baked me a wonderful homemade cake - he even made homemade frosting! - but we were way too full to eat it last night. Instead we got up and had it for breakfast this morning. Chocolate cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream make a wonderful breakfast. Just ask my Mom.

And that was my wonderful birthday yesterday. The only thing missing was Hannah. Luckily she comes home this Saturday and as Jake keeps reminding me, that's "only two more sleeps!" from now.

31 years, 364 days

My birthday is tomorrow. YIPPEE!!!!

Starting the celebration

Jake: Mommy, how many more sleeps until your birthday?

Me: Two!

Jake: Wow.

Link: But if you wanted to start celebrating her birthday now I'm sure she wouldn't object.

Mother of one

Apparently Hannah has decided to be raised as a Lentz instead of a Snow. According to Mom she asked Grandpa "Do I have to go home next week?" Our telephone conversations with her have been getting shorter and shorter and further apart as her social life is way too busy right now to have time to talk to Mommy and Daddy. I can count on one hand the number of emails she has sent me.

I just hung up the phone with Mom and apparently Hannah is down at the park right now teaching a game to her new friends. Earlier in the week she had a two night sleepover - and a day at the zoo in between - with her cousins Matt and Sam. Tonight she's headed over to spend the night with Aunt Debbie and Uncle Mark before returning to Grandma and Grandpa's house in the morning to run her bottled water and soda stand at the neighborhood garage sale this weekend.

It also sounds as though she has accumulated enough new stuff over the last two weeks that it may require shipping some of her stuff home. (Okay, it's not quite that bad.....yet. She does have another week to go though.) Dad's joking pleas for us to send money are starting to take on an air of urgency to them. So much so that he's taken to including their mailing address and signing his emails "The Budget Manager". I told him the check is in the mail. Luckily he has had almost 32 years of practice at me sucking his bank account dry so really this is nothing new. He even proudly wears a shirt I got him one Fathers' Day that reads "Dad: The local branch of the money tree."

I'm happy that Hannah is having such a fantastic time and it sounds like Mom and Dad are enjoying it just as much as she is. I'm really glad that we decided to do this trip this summer and hopefully it is something she (and later Jake) can do again. This trip, however, has had some unintentional consequences that I never thought would happen. My mother...the same woman who sent my birthday presents two months early the year I moved out here so that there was zero chance I would be present-less on my birthday....just asked me "Can we just wait and celebrate your birthday when we're out there? I don't have time to get anything in the mail."

What sort of alternate universe are we living in? My mother is going to be late sending me birthday gifts and my daughter - who never wants to leave my side - has no desire to come home. Good lovin'......

Hannah's absence is turning me gray!

In one week I will be 32 years old. In the past week I have found two gray hairs on my head. That would probably send most women into a panic but I actually take great pride in it. I enjoy getting older. I think every new age is exciting. I've known some pretty cool 32-year olds in my life so I have no problem being one.