First thing I did was go stay with the boys for about an hour while Lily went to the dentist. And they were so sweet to me. I'd put on eye makeup for the momentous occasion of my birthday and when they greeted me, Owen said, "What did you do to your eyes?!"
Maybe I should wear makeup a little more often.
Gibson kept snuggling with me.
"Why are you being so snuggly today?" I asked him.
"Because I like you to hug me," he said.
That boy is a love bug.
And his brother gave me about one million hugs and kisses today too.
After Lily got home we had some time before we were supposed to meet up with May and Hank and Jessie at Fanny's and so we went to the Dollar Tree where we had a great time buying treasures. I love the Dollar Tree.
Then we went to Fanny's and were so excited to find that May had taken the day off so she could sit down and eat with us. She had a table all set up with flowers and a paper tablecloth and crayons so we could all draw. And there were party hats!
And her sweet man Michael was our server.
We had teas and salads and sandwiches and soups and Taylor cooked it all and it was just what I wanted. I got a Caesar salad with chicken salad and ate every molecule. Every leaf, every shred of cheese, every bite of chicken salad.
Gibson had the Gibson Plate of pickled okra and deviled eggs and potato chips. Owen had a bacon and lettuce sandwich. They ate all of their lunches too. I suggested to the pregnant ladies that "Okra" would be a fine middle name for a child of the south.
They were not convinced although Hank agreed with me.
After lunch I opened presents. Owen helped me.
Jessie and May both made me cards and they made me cry and Lily and the boys got me so many treats. A BAG of treats. My favorite beer (Fin du Monde), candy (including Halva which makes me weak in the knees), earrings (which Owen picked out) and a can of my favorite, favorite espresso.
May gave me a copy of a picture of me nursing baby Hank when I was twenty-one, twenty-two? years old.
"Who is that?" asked Owen. He figured it out, but he was a bit amazed that I once looked like that. Lately he's been offering the fact that I was born in the "olden days."
He's right.
What a precious gift.
Then for the cake!
Oh my god. THE CAKE!
May and the boys took it to the kitchen and came back with it and it looked like this.
And then she lit the little candles inside that flower and it looked like this.
The flower opened up, it began to go around in a stately fashion and it played Happy Birthday.
I laughed. I cried.
And the boys helped me blow out the candles after we all made wishes.
When did I start looking like Lois Armstrong? Or Al Hirt? Jesus. Oh well. We blew those candles OUT!
And then this happened.
Best chocolate cake I've ever eaten and I am not kidding. I can't wait to eat some more.
And then we all went to Goodwill!
Now Mr. Moon is home and we're having a martini and I have pizza dough rising because I want a tomato and basil pizza.
Yep. It's been a pretty perfect day in all regards.
I feel like the luckiest and most loved woman in the entire world.
Four children who are as different as they can be but who love each other and make each other laugh. Two grandsons who hug me to pieces. Two grand babies coming soon. A husband who works so hard and who is going to take me to one of my most magical places. Sweet phone calls and Facebook messages and texts and chocolate cake and you name it- I have it.
Okay. Sixty-one will do for now.
Love...Ms. Moon
I saw the candle and the little girl inside me got so excited! That *IS* the best birthday candle ever.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see the picture of you nursing Hank.
Such a beautiful day. Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Mary! Wishing you the best on another trip around the sun...Have to find one of those candles! XO~Sue
ReplyDeleteNothing sweeter than family on your big day. You look wonderful and so happy :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday and I'm glad the day was so special!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad your birthday was happy! Enjoy your martini, your pizza, and Mr. Moon!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad your birthday was happy! Enjoy your martini, your pizza, and Mr. Moon!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Mary. I'm glad the day was just as special as you. The candle wins!
ReplyDeleteWhat a splendid day. Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful birthday with your beautiful family.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to my favorite blogger! I will be 64 in October and also revel in the love of my two precious grandsons. Life in the sixties is gooooood!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like one hum dinger of a birthday celebration! The singing spinning flowering candle just put it way over the top! ha!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy you had a lovely day and all is right in your world.
xo min
Sheer perfection! I've never seen you look that happy. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThat candle is awesome! Where did they get that? And I am so happy that you had a wonderful birthday. Your family is beautiful, as are you.
ReplyDeleteWow, that cake is awesome! And Goodwill too! That really IS the best birthday ever. I love the boys' response to your eye makeup and their assertion that you were born in the olden days. Hilarious.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I am with you on Okra. That would be a great name. I bet it's been done.
PS -- I love that Elizabeth and I both independently employed the overused word "awesome" to describe your cake. But it WAS!
ReplyDeleteLooks like I came back from holiday on the perfect day! Happy birthday (again), and I wish you many more days like that. xxx
ReplyDelete(I will go catch up on your other news I missed now.)
well, wouldn't you know that your birthday came while I was out of pocket. Happy Happy Birthday! You look pretty damn marvelous!
ReplyDeleteand I love the flower candle!!!
ReplyDeleteOH!!! What a perfect day!
ReplyDeleteMay you have many more and may they all be filled with sweetness and love and light.
xxoo
That 'When did I start looking like Louis Armstrong?' comment startled a huge laugh out of me. Too funny :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessed day! So lovely. I read a hilarious post about one of those candles refusing to ever die, eventually getting thrown out a window and stuck on a roof lower down, and playing on til its battery ran out :)
This one seems to have behaved so much better, though, it looked utterly beautiful on that magic cake xx
That candle thing is like magic :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I think Okra would be a fine middle name indeed :)
Happy birthday! It looks like a perfect one:)
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, meant to say I love 'O' names, and Okra is a fine one. I would call a child Okra, totally. Okra May has a nice Southern ring to it, too.
ReplyDeleteThat was just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYou, the cake, the day, the party, your family, everything!
PERFECT day!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to have missed your birthday. Happy belated! It looks like you had a great one. Birthdays are important. So good to celebrate with your family.
ReplyDelete