30th Year - Off to a Great Start!

I am 30 years, two weeks, and one day old. I can't continue blogging without mentioning that my birthday was beyond-my-imagination. Matt and some of my closest friends threw the most perfect Katie party - just brimming with my favorite things, most especially, love and laughter. We had a tasty dinner followed by some really creative and hilarious skits that had everyone in stitches. They even solicited my family and friends who couldn't be there to write memories that were then read to me at the party. Everything added up to a perfect way to start a new decade.

The biggest surprise of the night was when Matt transformed into a rock star and put his whole heart and soul into the performance of his life. You probably know that Matt does not like to perform. He does not like to be the center of attention. He would tell you himself that he can't sing and he can't dance. (Although I love his singing and his dancing). But, Matt knows how much I enjoy the performing arts, and he knows how I love to laugh. So, he spent hours writing lyrics, practicing his dance moves, and getting tips on his singing. When his shining moment arrived, he was unrecognizable--not just because he was dressed for the part, but because he was completely in character and he took the whole thing so seriously, despite everyone in the room laughing hysterically. What a thrill! He honestly touched my heart, and despite the hilarity of it all, I almost found myself crying because I knew how much love he put into everything. I am so lucky to be married to this guy!



Not only was I touched by Matt, but I was so touched by all of my sweet friends who created a night that was truly special. Everything was so thoughtful, so from the heart. By the end, I was completely overwhelmed and wished I'd had the words to express how much everything meant to me.

Strawberry shortcake is one of my all-time favorite things, and not only was this cake gorgeous, but it was the best strawberry shortcake I have EVER HAD!

Last Day in My Twenties

Today I said goodbye to my twenties. Luckily, I'm not too sentimental about it. When I turned 20, I did tear up a little, feeling sorry to no longer be a teenager. When I graduated from sixth grade, I sobbed. Now, I feel a little wistful, but I also look forward to my thirties. I know myself so much more than I did a decade ago. I have made progress. I've spent my life wanting to hold on to my youth, but now, I will "grow up" as a good friend recently advised me, and I will enter this decade with an open heart.

You would think I would do some last minute crazy things on this day, to squeeze that last wild ride into my twenties. Instead, I took my kids to the park. I cleaned my room. I cleaned up several yogurt spills. I read stories. I ate a berry smoothie and a banana crunch muffin for lunch. I bought a new dresser for the girls' room off of Craig's list. I celebrated a friend's birthday at Pinkberry. I came home to flowers and an out of sorts, screaming toddler and I rocked her until she fell asleep in my arms.

And so my friends, as I peruse the list above - this list of ordinary things - I realize that the life I am living is full of my favorites. Every. Day. There are favorites around me. And if I wouldn't have taken a moment to think about my day, this beautiful fact would have escaped me and I would have collapsed in my bed--tired, and sad that when I wake up in the morning, my house will still be a mess. Instead, I will go to bed grateful. Grateful for a beautiful day at the park, the delicious food, the sisterhood of girlfriends, the sweetness of two little girls nestled on either side of my growing belly, the husband who thought to bring flowers.

These are just a few more of my favorite things.

Anne of Green Gables

Warning: this post is not worthy of Anne. I wish I had the time to reread the book right now so that I could really do justice to how wonderful the Anne series is. But alas, I am tired. My kitchen is still a mess. And so I will resort to glossing over the surface. Because really, I can't list my favorites without mentioning Anne. So this will have to do.



Oh how I love Anne of Green Gables. Anne is a part of me. My mom gave me a wonderful gift when she started reading Anne to me in her bed one night when my dad was out of town. I became so engrossed in the story that I could no longer wait for opportunities for her to read to me, but I just had to finish the book myself. I loved it, and all of the books that followed. I also loved the movies, and would often watch them on days when I was sick.

The year I turned 27, my sweet girlfriends had an "Anne of Green Gables" brunch in my honor. We sat in a beautiful flower garden, eating delicious food, and drinking raspberry cordial. It was one of my favorite birthdays.

I love Anne because she is an original. She comes to Avonlea and is completely different from all of the other girls. The town is suspicious, judgmental, and harsh on her appearance, mannerisms, and behavior. Slowly, though, they grow to love her. I love that she is always true to herself, and even though she grows out of many of her idiosyncrasies, she holds on tightly to who she is.

I also love Marilla. I thrill as her cold heart is slowly warmed over. I love Matthew's quiet but fierce love for his Anne-girl. I love that Diana is a true friend to Anne, even though at first Anne is a social outcast. I love Gilbert - his patience, the way he loves Anne despite her flaws, and that he sees her spark from the beginning.

Here are a few Anne quotes, just to whet your appetite:

"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?"

"When I left Queen's my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend, Marilla."

"I'm not a bit changed--not really. I'm only just pruned down and branched out. The real ME--back here--is just the same."

"Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds."

"True friends are always together in spirit. "

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world."

"It's not what the world holds for you, it's what you bring to it."

Who can resist a love story like theirs? I've always loved the look on Gilbert's face here - the sweet satisfaction of finally getting what he's always wanted . . .

yes, I know . . .
I am a hopeless romantic.

Short Hair

I recently cut my hair and ever since I keep remembering how much I love short hair. I feel so free and light. My hair is so easy to style and blows dry so very fast. I love to feel the extremely short hair at the nape of my neck. I have a wonderful hairdresser who also happens to be one of my dearest friends. She always does a great job. I can't believe she has been cutting my hair for almost five years! I am tempted to keep my short hair forever, but I have decided at some point in the next year to grow it out again. For some reason, Emmy (and now Sophie as a result) loves long hair. Whenever she sees a picture of me with long hair, she talks about how much better it looked when it was long. "When are you going to grow your hair long again, Mommy?" is a common question in our house. Often in public she points out the people who have long hair. Even though I love my short hair the most, I do enjoy a good pony tail every once in awhile, and I'm still kind of young, right? I'm not ready to resign myself to the same hairstyle for the rest of my life. But for now, I will enjoy my short 'do. I should post a picture, but I don't have any recent ones on hand. Which reminds me that I've had a couple requests for pregnancy pics. For those who want to see the ever-expanding belly or the recently-shorn hair, I will post a picture soon.

Naps

I love to take naps. I've always been envious of those who live in Spain and who regularly take siestas. The best napping season of my life was during Emmy's first year. Ahh - those were the days. I took a nap every day when she did. Now, it is a little more difficult, but I do get to indulge in midday slumber from time to time. On Saturdays, Matt always makes sure I get to take a nap in the afternoon. Maybe it is for his own good, because I wake up with more energy and enthusiasm than I had before, and chances are, I'll stay up later that night in a partying kind of mood.

Today I have felt an odd recurrence of morning sickness. I was on the phone with my mom when I had to suddenly go throw up. Ever since, I've been a little tired and weak. Thankfully, the stars aligned and Emmy was quiet enough and content enough with Sesame Street and leftover Easter candy that I was able to take a satisfying nap.

Playing Catch-up

I'm not so consistent with email, blogging, etc. during the weekend, which will explain why I have not been listing my favorites the past couple days. SO, here they are:

Friday, April 2 - The Cello
I went to a wonderful Easter concert on Friday night and was particularly struck by the beauty of the cello. I grew up playing the violin in my school orchestra. It was a great experience. My orchestra teacher had unfailing patience for squeaky strings and unruly kids. He loved music and this love translated to us. But if I could go back and do it all again, I'd pick the cello for sure. The cello has so much depth, breadth, and emotion. The low notes soulful and passionate and the high notes are beautiful and pleading. Yes, the cello is one of my favorite things.

Saturday, April 3 - Sophie's pigtails
I love to see little girls with pigtails and I happen to think that Sophie's pigtails are just about perfect. Seeing her little pigtails makes me happy. She has this fluffy, sort of curly blond hair, and in pigtails, her hair forms these sweet little puffs of cuteness. They seem to completely fit her delightful and happy personality.


Sunday, April 4 - Blue
Last night we dyed Easter eggs. As I looked at the bright colors in the carton when we were finished, I was most drawn to the pale blue egg. Those who have known me for a long time, know that I love the color blue. When I was a child, my favorite color was pink. I remember looking in my closet and realizing that everything was pink. I come from a long line of pink lovers. My mom and my grandma LOVE pink. Somewhere in between childhood and my teen years, I decided I liked blue the best. But after awhile, I grew tired of loving blue. I felt like I needed more variety, and I started experimenting. The winter after Matt and I were first married I went through a major red phase. I bought two pair of red shoes, two red sweaters, a red shirt, a red skirt, and some really snazzy red pants. A couple years after that, I latched on to green. Not grass green, but somewhere in between apple, spring, and lime green. (I need to get out my 64 pack of Crayolas!) But now that I'm almost thirty, I think I know now that blue speaks to me more than any other color, as much as I still love the others. I love blue in all of its shades: navy, periwinkle, sky, robin's egg . . . I love the blue of the sky, the blue of the sea, the blue of my jeans, the blue of Matt's eyes. Blue is fresh and clean. So there you have it. My ode to blue.


And finally, a happy Easter pic from today:

Swimming Kids

OK - today I was reminded of how much I love to see my kids' faces when they go swimming. For some reason, when these two little cuties get in the water, they immediately start smiling and don't stop until I tell them it is time to get out. At this point, they are sad and freezing, so the smiles leave their faces pretty quickly. But, for sure one of my favorite things is seeing my waterbabies' grin from ear to ear in the water. And really, don't kids just look so extra cute when they're wet anyway?