Thirty-Three Candles

Appropriately, but rather unintentionally, the celebration of my thirty-third birthday was a three part affair.

Part one of the big celebration was Sashimi Saturday.  I'd never tried sashimi (sushi grade raw fish) before, Joe was craving it, and he encouraged me to live on the wild side and give it a try for my birthday.  The Saturday evening before my birthday, we put the kids to bed, set the table, and I had my first taste of sashimi.  

I give it two thumbs up.  It's not something I'll ask for on a regular basis, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I did enjoy it.  The real treat, however, was a fun and quiet evening at home with Joe.

Originally, not intended to be a part of my birthday celebration, I took a cake class the week of my birthday at a local cupcakery.  They taught us how to assemble and frost a cake, make Italian buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache.  It was really quite fun and relaxing to get away for a few hours one evening and have something to show for my work at the end of the evening.  Happily, the cake I made at class became my birthday cake two evenings later.

On my birthday, the girls decided to make birthday cards for me.  After drawing a picture Xandra asked me to write on my card.  "Mommy, write 'Happy Birthday, mommy, I love you'."  I smiled big as I wrote my own birthday card.  I did eventually convince her to write her own name at the bottom.    

After card making and picking daddy up at the metro station, where the girls are still convinced Joe works, we made and devoured some homemade pizza.  Then we got the cake out and joe lit the candles.

I blew them out

all in one breath.

Aliyah happily enjoyed a graham cracker in place of birthday cake.  

Her first piece of cake was scheduled for her 2nd birthday in just a few weeks.

  

Theia and Xandra enjoyed their cake in their own individual ways.

Xandra very neatly.

And Theia more barbarically.

You can bet I enjoyed my piece of cake, as it was my single dessert for the entire month of February.

Part three of the birthday celebration was delayed until early March.  The delay was worth it.  We finished birthday celebrations by enjoying a seafood dinner at our favorite DC restaurant, Oceanaire.  Our friends Tim and Jennifer made the evening a real treat by joining us for dinner.

This life is a gift.  It's good to stop, remember and celebrate that gift once a year.  It's also good to have a husband who indulges his wife much.  Thanks, Joe, for spoiling me rotten.