Happy Birthday to me...

On this day celebrating my 31 years, I am laughing to myself...

Got both my babies home w.me today - one's not "feeling good". The other's here everyday - having them both here sure makes things interesting :)

Back to laughing a lil' to myself - I'm thinking back over the last couple days and just shaking my head. I've joked that I'm out for a mother of the year award this week. From driving in the car the other day, reaching back trying to give Ella her paci, wondering why it's not ceasing the fussing - only to glance back and see her trying in vain to dodge the paci that's trying to impale her eye. I thought I was sticking it in her mouth...

My 2nd great feat for the coveted title was John crying out the other night and me going in to sssshhhh him back to sleep. He's sitting up in bed, mumbling something as I coax him back to his pillow. Trying to stroke his lil' head to settle him - he keeps wiggling around. I sorta put my hand a lil' heavier on his head in a "be still" sorta way, only to lean down and kiss him & smell that oh-so-distinct smell of vomit - it was all over his pillow. After all my sweet stroking & forcing his head back down, it was also all over his face & even in his eyes. When we finally got him to the tub for a rinse, he kept crying to Seth, "My eyes, my eyes!"

So this week has found me trying to poke one child's eye out with a pacifier and blind the other w.his own vomit - knocking it outta the park I tell ya!

Add to the week - Wake Co. (in typical NC fashion) calls a snow day before there's ever even a flake in the sky. Man, I used to LOVE snow days. Well, yesterday was a different kinda day - not like snow days I remember. Mine was full of Sh*$ - literally! From my 2 yr old who has to "get to poopin-ing" behind the loveseat - proceeding to get it everywhere b/c he poops the same amount as a horse to my lil' angel shooting hers all outta her diaper and up her back - the morning got very sh*$%y!

By the time all the poop was up and the lil' darlin's were down for a nap, Mama decided she was ready for a well deserved mid-day drink. I had Seth check the liquor situation - it was sad, no essentials. But I had seen someone making a "clementine martini" (chilled glass and all) yesterday morning on the Food Network and that inspired me. So, w.my raspberry vodka, triple sec, sierra mist & clementines I set out to make my masterpiece.

I had Seth retrieve my martini glass from the recesses of the top cabinet (not easily accessible by any means) as I set out to find my "shaker". I had to laugh while on my hands and knees on the kitchen floor retrieving my bar accessories from recesses of yet another cabinet. There was a time in my 20's when the shaker, the shot jigger - the whole set had a prime spot on the kitchen counter. Now that I'm in this next decade of life - coffee pot, olive oil, sugar, flour - these are the counter essentials, ha.

Looking to make lemonade out of my "lemons", I mixed my concoction - my longing to be clementine martini. To our surprise, it was quite good. So good in fact, I had to make a 2nd one just to be sure. I thoroughly enjoyed them both :)

So, I sit here this morning - this day celebrating my 31 years - and I find my sense of humor's as in tact as ever. Moreso probably. There's been no vomit, no spit up, no poop and we're well into the morning. The martini shaker's in the drainer - still within reach if the day takes a turn. The washing machine & dryer are quiet - I'm taking the day off from laundry. I joked to Seth about lyrics from a Kanye West song yesterday. The lyrics are about "watching the $$ pile up", but I changed them to "watching the laundry pile up". Hence, I still have swagger - it's just taken a new direction in this 3rd decade of life...

From an email I sent to Kimberly back in August, making plans for a birthday dinner to celebrate her 31st, I wrote the following:

...maybe that's a gift of hitting this next decade - you're finally at a point where you let the past go, are able to live in the present and truly enjoy all the blessings found right in front of us each day!

Sitting here today, baby monitor clicking here in front of me, John playing "animals" on the floor beside me, listening to Steve Buscemi as the voice of Templeton in Charlotte's Web (weird) - me interjecting to John that Charlotte is in fact, a "nice spider" - life's pretty good. I could use a lil' more sleep, a better stock of liquor and a good meal out - but the wish-list is extremely short. For that, I'm so thankful - I've got everything I truly need or want...

Oh, and I've been serenaded twice today - 1st by John, 2nd by my Mama - the blessings are all around indeed - Happy Birthday to me indeed!