Birthday week is now over and it was a good one overall. I feel well celebrated and pretty relaxed from the week which is a good thing and an unusual feeling for a Friday.
The weekend leading up to my birthday was filled with time spent with friends. We had Phillip, Anne and Rosalie over to watch the matchup of Texas vs. Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown. With the early start of 9 am we made breakfast tacos, fruit salad and mimosas to watch the game with. At first Reese and Rosalie weren’t really getting along all too well (sharing problems) but by the end of the day, and after both had much needed naps, the two girls were back to playing well with one another, which nothing makes Reese happier than having friends! Anne and I tried to take the girls to the one tot gym that is open on Saturdays but it was closed for this date so we took them to the playground for awhile instead. After the narrow defeat, we finished the night with Thai takeout and TV.
Sunday was a very full day for all of us. Bryan and I were the leaders in the Toddler Room at church so we put in our service while Reese played happily with all of the kids. After that we headed home to get some lunch and relax for a brief minute before preparing for more friends to come over Sunday night. Bryan got set to making my cake and I helped set the table before leaving for my soccer game. We got beat horribly and it wasn’t all too much fun but I returned home to a sleeping baby, my husband in the kitchen and the house smelling like chocolate!
Marika, Randy, Polly and Ryu all came over at 5:30 pm to celebrate my dinner. Bryan made us all steak and mushrooms and the girls brought over a salad and pasta to share. Bryan concluded the dinner with his epic dessert presentation of chocolate flourless cake topped with vanilla ice cream and a milk chocolate dome and finished that all of with a peanut butter cream sauce that melted the dome. It was rich and so heavenly!! Our group stayed until about 11 pm talking before heading home to get ready for a week of work, we didn’t finish cleaning up the kitchen until nearly midnight but it was worth it.
It wasn’t too bad for me come Monday as I spent the day at home with baby girl. Bryan, on the other hand, still had to wake up before 5 am to get to work. Sorry babe! Reese and I had a good low key morning. We shared some banana pancake and then got dressed and drove to the Capitol Hill library branch for the 10:30 am Toddler Story Time, our first time ever going to this. And it was a blast! Lottie and her grandma were also in attendance and sat next to us. Reese and Lottie loved the song and dance, the stories being read to them, shaking their maracas, and later, playing with the board puzzles and box sets. They also both just loved wandering around the classroom and taking all of the other kids in. There is no doubt that it was loved by all…and was a pretty hands off hour for me!
The rest of the day was spent of us walking a bit around Capitol Hill in the fall sun, Reese napping for a bit (but not long enough), and playing around the house. Bryan got home a little after 4 pm to relieve me and allow me to go to my company’s happy hour at the office. I was hesitant to go at first but it was actually a lot of fun and good that I did. I got to meet some of the senior management and some of the coworkers that will be on the Michigan board with me. Not to mention there was a huge spread of food and delicious wine, beer and White Claws to boot. The attendance was large and lively in the office. The rest of the night was spent very low key which was alright by me.
The rest of the week has been pretty typical. We’ve had a few nights at home. We have been picking away at the rest of the chocolate cake which is heavenly and Bryan and I got in a workout together on Tuesday evening and I got to my usual Wednesday afternoon class in Redmond (maybe one of the last that I will be attending). I got to volunteer for FareStart this week and enjoyed a low number night with yet a very delicious meal.
Glad its already the weekend upon us again and happy to have a few more friend events to keep us busy this weekend (since it is going to be cold and rainy). Here’s to 33…which I don’t think will be as much of a year of growth as 32 was but maybe I’ll prove myself wrong!
Chelsea
Evolving in the Emerald City 