The Young and the Restless

Thirty four

As I'm eeking closer to 40 I notice my metabolism is slowing down, my eyelids are beginning to droop and my smile lines don't disappear when I stop smiling. That part of the growing old stuff isn't so fun. But I do feel like each year I am growing more comfortable in my own skin, I am becoming more confident in who I am and accepting my faults as well as my strengths. A journey to self discovery of sorts. I'm also learning to appreciate the small things, and that's what made this birthday so great. Everyone had their own unique way of celebrating my birthday and making me feel special. The thought and effort that they put into it meant so much and I wanted to be sure to record it all. I ran out to pick up the dry cleaning after school and Kylie cleaned up the whole house and arranged a bouquet of fresh flowers on the table while I was gone. She wrote me such a thoughtful card then we sat on the bathroom floor talking about life while she gave me a manicure and pedicure. When we got home from carpool Jayden told me to stay in the car then ran around to my side and opened the door for me like a true gentleman. He was on birthday patrol making sure that nobody fought or made me do extra work because it was my birthday. Maddox came home from school with a birthday menu. He spent his free time creating a menu of bread, yogurt, granola, chocolate milk and water. His little illustrations and handwriting were just so precious. After I put in my order I was instructed to go upstairs in bed and watch Man vs Wild on the ipad. He came up and served me my snack then climbed in next to me while we watched Bear Grylls eat a snake. Ryder drank all the chocolate milk Maddox made me, but he also shared his blankie with me, the ultimate token of love, and showed me how to hold the corner just so and lightly tickle the tag on my cheek. For days he would pick little flowers growing in the grass then hold it behind his back while I closed my eyes and he sang the birthday song. After I blew out the fake candles he would present his flower with a squeal and a smile as big as the Nile. I thought there was a good chance he would burst. He also spent time creating our family out of cars and was so excited to reveal his big birthday surprise to me. He could hardly contain his excitement, it was quite endearing. I had already bought so much in the states that I told Jason I didn't want anything. And I actually meant it. But he did leave a box of my favorite chocolates on the table when I woke up then he drove all over during his lunch break finding the best cheesecake because he knows that's my favorite. It's the little things. He researched the perfect Italian restaurant to take me to that night then we snuggled up in bed watching a movie, which is my favorite thing to do and was such a luxury on a mid week night. It was like a mid summer's night dream. Except it was winter. We celebrated mine, Jayden's and Julie's birthday on Sunday with dinner then we polished off the cake I had made for Jayden's party. She didn't want me to be cakeless on my birthday, so she showed up on my doorstep with her famous chocolate cake. I had the hard decision the next day whether to eat cake or cheesecake for breakfast. I couldn't decide, so I had both. It was a good dilema to be in. It was just a good birthday, we didn't do anything spectacular, but that feeling of being loved is spectacular enough for me. I'm just sorta the luckiest.