I always forget how GREAT it is to be the birthday girl! This was a couple of weeks ago - but I still feel all warm inside from it. Here's the rundown. I lingered in bed pretending to be asleep until I heard giggling and shuffling outside the door. Mike and the girls came in singing "Happy Birthday to Mommy!" and gave me my breakfast tray. (Cookie sheet covered with a dishcloth; plate with scrambled eggs with ham and cheese, toast, fruit, orange juice and a fruit smoothie. All made by Mike and the girls - I'm very proud of them. It was delicious!) While I ate, Mike played a video of himself interviewing the girls that morning about mommy's birthday.

Mike to Chloe: How old is Mommy?

Chloe: 40!

Mike: (whispering) No, she's 32. (Asking aloud, again) How old is mommy?

Chloe: 2!

I got my first present: a dirt devil hand vac. Yes! Seriously, I'm excited, I chose this. It's for my job. Then Mike left for work, but came back after about 20 minutes with a bag of precious peppermint bark from Xocolate. He'd forgotten his laptop, so swung by the treat store on his way back home.
In a couple of hours, I got the girls down for their afternoon nap, and my sister Jenny came by to babysit. Sweet freedom! So I met Mike at work, and we walked to Takashi for birthday lunch. (See eating out blog.) It was so super yummy! The best things (though everything was great) were Mike's flank steak, the rainbow rolls, and the chocolate tort dessert from heaven. With coconut ice cream, I should add.
Then, home I went. Mike followed soon after and we all went to the zoo for a lovely stroll. (Except we let Jenny go home.) And it was a lovely, sunny (rare) day. We were watching the tiger and trying to spy the pallas cats (my favorite) when I got a call from my mom and dad, who are on a mission in Mexico. Hooray! (Then I dropped my phone somewhere at the zoo, but they found it - a birthday miracle - and that trusty piece of scotch tape on the back was still holding it together.)
For dinner we picked up pizza so I wouldn't have to cook. I'd already had my cake (Takashi's chocolate tort desert from heaven) but we felt the girls would like to participate in some more b-day celebration. So we made a piece of cinnamon toast and put a candle in it. We dimmed the lights, I carefully chose my birthday wish, and blew out the candle. We divided the toast into four pieces and gobbled it up. I got some more presents, including a metronome. (I'm trying to pull my talents out from under the bushel - they seem to be stuck down there, and smaller than I remembered, but I'm trying.) Our girls behaved suprisingly well the whole day, another birthday present.
The next day, my mother-in-law Linda and Mike's sister Erin watched the girls for us so Mike and I could go out for a birthday dinner. We went to Monsoon Thai Bistro, which is one of our very favorite restaurants here in Salt Lake.




So it was a fabulous birthday. Sometimes getting a lot of attention - cards and calls and presents and good food - is great. It's good for the soul. Only 350 days 'til my next birthday!

A few pics of our Easter frivolities

Mike and I were at a department store the other day and were heading over to the shoe department, when Chloe, frantic, began tugging me back in the direction from which we'd come. "Mom! We have to go get that thing! We have to hurry - so no one else takes it!"
"What thing?" I asked.
"We have to go get it - come on, come on!" She was almost beginning to cry, so I agreed to go back to see what she was talking about. We passed a row of dresses then she pointed up.
"There it is!" Hanging there, solitarily, was a (yes, as alluded to) tiny yellow polkadot bikini top - with a pink skull & crossbones on one side.
"I have to get it, Mom!"
I was trying to gently explain to her how much she didn't need to get it, but she was so excited, I wimped out and told her we'd go show it to Dad, and see what he thought.
She brightened, "Oh! Dad is going to be sooo happy!"

We managed to leave the store without it - though she kept trying to see if it fit - wrapping it around her tummy. (She's 3 years old. Where did she get that idea? From the Little Mermaid? . . . the Harley-Davidson version?)

I got tagged by two Bethanys at the same time. One roommate, one mission companion. (By the way, I think you two know two quite different sides of me. Who is the real Victoria?)
OK. Here it goes.

A-Attached or single? Attached.
B- Best Friend? Mike.
C- Cake or Pie? Both, please. German Chocolate cake and Cherry Pie.
D-Day of Choice? Saturday. That’s easy. Uninterrupted hangout day with Mike & my girls
E- Essential Item? Besides sleep? My computer, my camera, my sounding board – Mike.
F-Favorite Color? Blue – like the color of this blog – so comforting, so nice.
G-Gummy bears or worms? Bears, cause you can chew off the hands, then the feet, then the ears . . .
H-Hometown? Huntsville.
I-Favorite Indulgence? A nice long shower after the kids are asleep.
J-January or July? July - it's warm.
K-Kids? Two girls, Chloe and Eveline.
L-Life isn’t complete without? Sleep, skim milk, yoghurt, Chopin, strollers, good books and good movies.
M- Marriage Date? December 2000
N-Number of Brothers and Sisters? 6 sisters, 5 brothers.
O-Oranges or Apples?- how about grapes or a nectarine.
P-Phobia and Fears? Falling down the stairs (I keep doing this!) and a loved one dying.
Q-Quote? Baaa Ram Ewe - To Your Herd, Your Sheep - Be True!
R- Reason to smile? When my girls are playing and laughing with each other.
T- Tag Someone? Whoever would like to do it
U- Unknown Facts about me? I love to make spreadsheets for just about anything. Goal tracking, stats, schedules, etc. (Mike knows this.)
V- Vegetable? Avocado, artichokes, butternut squash
W-Worst Habit? Q-tips in my ears – I know, they’re smaller than my elbow.
X- X-ray or ultrasound? Ultrasound – except for that cold goo.
Y- Your Favorite Food? I love trying new food, love most international foods, especially Indian, Thai, Greek, Turkish, and so on, and so on. I love to eat out when I get the chance.
Z-Zodiac Sign? Pisces
That’s it. Know me any better?

"Cleanup in Produce"

Underage Driver

Jane & Ellie

Ride'm Cowgirl!

Can Malan build it? Yes, she can!

Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? W! W! W! W! Wessir, Wessir, 3 bags full!

My Relief Society playgroup (for lack of a better term,) puts together Family Home Evening kits. We were ambitious when we last met, in November, and decided to make four kits each for every member of the group, of which there are eight. So I was putting together 32 kits. I'm all done! Though, I messed up a few of my copies when I was at Kinkos, that first time. (Can you imagine?) But now I'll have 32 kits. Enough for a whole year of Family Night revelry - by our calculations.

Playtime at our house:

And since the snow is melting (yay!) here's to remember the Winter (almost) past: