"It's my Birthday and I'll knit if I want to, knit what I want to..."

Who sang that song? It's an oldie I know, but it was humming in my head as I cast on for my Kathryn Alexander hat. Another project that I have no business starting because I have promised myself "No New Projects!!" until something else gets finished....primarily Jeanne's sock. But it was my birthday! I got to do what I wanted right?

I know all you moms out there must be like me. Most things pass by with hardly a notice. I am very low key about things like this. Birthdays, Mother's Day (blech!), Valentines, not so much into it I gotta say. In fact my sister and I have a promise (and a gift of freedom) to each other that we won't go nuts with holidays and such. If we see something that the other one would love, we just go for it. No waiting and stuffing it into the back of a closet to be held for some "occasion"...where I inevitably forget it's there anyway...blah, blah, blah. I will just add that this does not apply to the kids. Of course they don't miss out, but the adults in our family sort of have this arrangement.

So you can imagine my surprise when I woke up to this!



Knowing that I would head to the bathroom first thing, my honey bunny had a beautiful vase of flowers and card waiting for me. He had left for work but still surprised me with this before he went away.

Then I came out into the living room and found that my kids, a.k.a. "birthday elves", had done THIS:




I was laughing so hard as they told of their middle of the night adventure, trying to be quiet, problems with tape, and hoping I didn't wake up with my chronic insomnia episodes and discover them. Balloons covered the floor everywhere you looked and the dogs didn't know what to make of it all. My daughter told me how her room had been stuffed with them the day before and she hoped I would not come in and discover it all.

I was treated to a wonderful breakfast made by my kids and the funniest cards you could ever read. I received emails and phone calls all day long and I have to say it was the best birthday I have had in ages.... Getting old felt really special this time around!

I can't leave out the Jimmy Beans group. Allie came in with the gorgeous flowers that could not have been more perfect for my vase. Can you see the red barn house on the vase? How did she know that the Lily is my favorite flower? She is Allie, and she knows everything...that's how!!