Who Needs the Sears Repairman? Not Me! (And Happy Birthday to Myself)

So, I'm a year older today. Doesn't feel that different. Birthdays peak at 21. Perhaps 30 will prove more exciting. (I'm trying to talk my mom into a trip to Hawaii or maybe a resort vacation in Mexico. Her birthday is just a few days after mine, and she's also reaching a "milestone" birthday that year, so it'd be fun to do something together.)

It was a fabulous day, though. The kids were a bit ornery (yes, I used the word "ornery"). I was trying to get a load of stuff ready for the consignment shop and one was fussing and the other was bouncing off the walls, so I loaded them into the car and finished my work in the parking lot on base. I've discovered that I can legally tie them both up in the car and no one says a thing about it or even looks at me meanly. Tis a wonderful discovery :)

I got home and noticed my washing machine blinking. It did this once before. It took three weeks to get the Sears repairman out here. Let me tell you, having a young child, a mother-in-law coming to visit, and no working washing machine is not a great combination in the middle of the freaking summer. Anyway, so I waited for three weeks for a smelly guy to open up my machine and reveal a pair of my underwear that the washer ate. Luckily, I paid attention and attacked the machine myself this time around. It took an hour to take it apart and clean up all the water, but I fixed it all on my own. It was quite satisfying. I am also several baby wipes, a grommet, some lint, and 39 cents richer.

My friend E. sent me the best present in the whole world. She overnighted three pints of Spinach & Mushroom Etouffee from Yats, one of our favorite restaurants in college. Seriously, when I opened the package I felt like a little kid on Christmas Day. I was so happy. A few seconds later, though, the noise and demands from Bean and Moose brought me back to reality, but at least I got 30 seconds of pure bliss!

Husband got off work early and brought me lunch. (I saved the Yats for another day, so don't go thinking I'm a pig.) Then I got a couple hours to myself - got my toes done (blue, if you must know, with white flowers painted on the big toes) and wandered around Hobby Lobby. It was weird to be out in public alone, but it was much needed. We did pizza for dinner and then I open another great present ... he made me (yes, like from pieces of wood and nails) a shelf for all my stamp pads! The best news, my current stamp pads only take up about half the space ... so I have lots of room to grow.

I had a birthday brownie, which disappointed Bean. He seems to think a cake is completely necessary for a birthday.

Me: Today is my birthday!
Bean: No it not, Mama. You no have a cake!
Me: I don't have to have a cake. It's my birthday.
Bean: I have two birthdays, Mama.

Then he goes on to tell me about his Elmo party (for this third birthday) and his pirate party (which happened this year). All day I have tried to explain that you only get one birthday a year, but he insists that he has two. Exhausting!

We also discussed where Grand-Dad, Grandma, and Steffie live, where Grandma in the Blue House lives, and where we live. I need to get it on video and post it up here. It's pretty funny. "Teh-hiss. I live in Teh-hiss, Mama. Mama, you live in Teh-hiss?"

Also, people, enter my raffle a couple posts below! I feel totally unloved.