Never Too Late

There may have been a time when another birthday paralyzed me with fear BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN A FABERGE EGG YET and I was plagued with jitters about all that I needed to accomplish WHAT IF I NEVER GET MY CHANCE TO BE ON 'THE PRICE IS RIGHT' before the next birthday. But not so much anymore.

I got a hub. I got a kid. I got a mortgage. I got student debt.

I could let all that hold me back.

But my friends are too amazing to let that happen.

Which is why I'm pleased to report that this past weekend has been ab fab, and that, HEY kiddies, it's never too late!

It's never too late to strap your kid onto your bike and get jiggy with it!

It's never too late to attend your first party at a home with a half-pipe and sit on the sidelines and yell GNARLY!! when the boarders wipe out.

It's never too late to try and convince your BFF Stephy not to move to Provi after all. (Her daughter Fabiola is indeed made of sugar cookie dough, just in case you were wondering if she was actually edible).

And finally, it's never too late to discover that the shirt you pulled out of the rag bag for the party was actually stained. Which you discover after you post pics of yourself on the interweb. Huzzah!

29 Candles

I threw myself a little playdate birthday party today and the theme was green. Green grapes, green popcorn, green cupcakes. Fast forward to two minutes ago: Loverpants picks up something off the floor. Said he thought it was green play-dough.

We realized that during his phone conversation, while she was sitting barebottomed and reading "My First Potty" or some such classic tome, she had left a pile of green poop for our discovery later.

That being said, she did tinkle in the potty for the first time yesterday morning. Best birthday present ever.

***

I'm having a difficult transition from the stay-at-home life to the work-a-day life. I feel lonely most of the time. That delicious freedom is not, as it turns out, so delicious when you have too much of it -- when you're counting down the minutes until you can go scoop up Baby Girl. I celebrate this, though, because I was not always a person that craved being around people. I used to savor the solitude, warding off the minutes until I would have to answer my husband's questions, ruing the person who would dare call my phone and interrupt my silence. Now, I prefer the noise of pitter patter feet in the hall, followed by the balloons and coffee mug and Curious George doll I know she is trying to haul in one trip. I prefer interruptions and company, I don't mind the unmade bed, the toothpaste in the sink. I like people around, I love them love them LOVE them long time.

***

In this coming year of life, I really just want to live my life for God. I mean, nothing fancy or clever. Just live each day for Him. I want to answer that everything I do, I do it for God's greater glory. Amen.

How I Will Spend My Summer

One of my classmates, the one I suddenly discovered is actually kind of hilarious to tease, was telling me yestereve that he was going to spend his summer "finishing my novel." And my impulse at that moment was to pull all his hair out from his nostrils and rub his sternum with sand paper and bark in his ears THAT'S WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO GET TO DO WITH MY SUMMER! I SAID MY SUMMER! DO YOU HEAR ME? MY NOVEL MY SUMMER MY TURRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN. But instead I just gave him a high-five, like a white girl does, meaning I kind of missed his hand.

***

I've been getting up at 6 a.m. to write my thesis. Meaning I've done it once, on Monday, and it was beautiful. The birds were twittering their motivational thesis fight song, and my head was so clear I could write a symphony with my eyes closed and I can't wait to do it again tomorrow.

***

After I put this thesis to bed, I'm dying to work on my novel. Meaning the one in my head, about all those multi-faceted characters that I've been inventing throughout my life who are going to intersect in a way that is masterfully orchestrated by my brilliant machinations. I can practically read the acclaims that will cascade across the hardcover stock: "Stanton Lee writes with sensitivity and charm; her words are like nymphs alighting their scattered flight in a deep rich forest of plot...she is the Frank McCourt of her generation...." ***

But for the rest of the day, what I really want to do stock my freezer with Fla-vor-ICE and find some girlish flip flops and summer skirts online. Hang with my two favorite people and pursue literary narcissism another day.