It's Your Birthday...

Well, not yours, unless you are my husband, or born on January 24th. Then it's your birthday. Earlier in the month, Dave started researching restaurants that gave out a free entree with no purchase for your birthday. He's been planning his birthday feasts the past two weeks. On his lunch break he's gone to Red Robin (Yum!), Greek Fiesta, and Firehouse Subs. He still has IHOP and another few things to claim. He realized that Firehouse and Tribeca both required that he claim his free entree on his actual birthday. Which meant that we needed to have the carrot cake for breakfast. I went on my run and came home just as everyone was waking up. We gave Dave the cards and ate cake.

I took all three kids with me to get my card for Dave yesterday. Clearly, I didn't plan ahead enough to go alone, or with only one or two kids. Anywho, I took the whole brood. Lucy had already finished her card for Dave at home but was browsing the "Daddy from Daughter" section of cards. Out of the corner of my eye I watched Lucy pick up a few cards, put them back, and then come back to one of the first ones she picked up. She brought it to me and said, "Mommy, this is a perfect card. I think I really need to get this for Daddy." I read the card and it had two cartoon owls on the front and it said something, "Like Father Like Daughter" and the inside said something along the lines of "I couldn't ask for anything more." I about melted right then and there on the floor of Hallmark. Then Judson picked out a Snoopy card with Joe Cool, because he knows how much we love Charlie Brown. Gus decided on the Garfield card because Garfield was Dave's elementary school mascot. I loved how much thought each kid put into their cards. We came home and signed the cards. Lucy wrote a little message in hers. Gus wrote all the letters by himself. Judson did, too, but we don't know what language he wrote his letters in. The kids all hid their cards for Dave so they could have them ready to go first thing in the morning.

On the way to school this morning Lucy informed us that her shop, Lucy's Place, would be closed today in honor of Daddy's birthday. Thank goodness for the reprieve! She promised she would be back at it tomorrow, though. She really wants this purse!

For dinner we went to Tribeca with my mom. Dave got to claim his free entree. We had a fantastic time! Lucy ordered steak (I love that steak and salmon are on the kids menu). Gus ordered a cheeseburger. Judson just wanted fries. I know when he's fourteen I'll be longing for the days when he was two and would not eat anything. But now, it would be nice if the kid would eat something other than dairy products. The waiter brought out the meal and Judson stood up in the booth and said, "Hook me up!" He was so excited to get his fries.

We came home and did our bedtime routine. Dave's walking the dawg now. It was a fun day. I can't imagine my world without Dave. I'm so grateful for the kind man he is, for his character, hard work, and sense of humor. We laugh a lot. I love, love, love my husband and our little life together.