birthdays

Weird. I have tried to start this post several times over the last two weeks and even just now it disappeared... but here I am! We've had a really great two weeks, so busy and fun with my 35th b-day and Eleanor's 1st! It's amazing to think that just a very short year ago we didn't know who she was, and now she is a crawling, yelling, climbing, daredevil who laughs at everything and keeps us hopping and smiling every day.

I had the best birthday I've had in years (since my 30th, I think) - I had the best day.
Wade and the girls brought me a latte and the cards and pressies that had come in mail in bed in the a.m., then my friends Jana and Reba came to my house and did a spa for me, complete with another coffee (this one from Continental), fresh fruit, champagne and OJ, and a manicure and pedicure. I did actually cry at one point, when Jana showed me the fruit plate, because no one I know would be more passionate about eating huge hunks of fresh fruit and doing a spa in her pjs than Angee Angee (my dear friend, who is doing so well in Australia, by the way) - and noone would have wanted to do it more for me than her - so I had a little cry and Reba said "group hug!" and much joy was shared. Yes, this is all before noon.


Wade and I have been talking about re-painting our bathroom so he painted a huge sign on the bathroom wall that said "Happy Birthday Joanna - I love you!" and then he bought me the cutest bathroom set and wrapped the pieces and hid them all over the house and THEN he encouraged me to go shopping for new towels - by myself, with no kids! And THEN Zellers had 50% off all their towels for one day only - my birthday! So I bought brand new towels for the first time in my life to match my cute new bathroom and I found 3 cute tops that fit me (rare these days and such a gift!) and THEN Wade took me out to dinner (on a gift card we had - whoo hoo!) to an amazing restaurant and THEN we went to pub were our friend Lukas works and THEN my friends Shannon and Cindy unexpectedly walked in and we got to hang with them, and Lukas wouldn't let us pay for anything and Jana babysat (yeah, she's pretty much a rock star) and the kids slept and were awesome!
I know! Shut up. I know.

Me wearing my new shirt with my unbelievable birthday dessert. Yes, that is chocolate cheese cake AND espresso gelle and a really fancy doughnut. And yes, that does say "Happy Birthday Joanna" in chocolate calligraphy. And I am more than a little giddy. As you can tell.

Eleanor's b-day was also really great. On her actual birthday, the 12th, I had a banana bread in the freezer that Angee had baked before they left for Australia, so Angela actually managed to bake Sophia's cake AND Eleanor's cake this year - from across he world. Yes, she is that good.


We had big party for Eleanor on the 14th and we did the little tradition we did with Sophia when she turned one, of having everyone write wishes and blessings on blocks and present them to her. (My friend Mel suggested this tradition - the trick is to give the baby a stainless steel bowl, so she thinks the sound of the blocks going in is super satisfying!)


It was so special, and she was the perfect party host, totally calm and happy. Her cake that day was an Australian Chocolate Ripple Cake which Eleanor's godfather Ben introduced us to the Christmas of 2004. The choc ripple cookies were provided by Ange and Leigh and Uncle Stuart - good thing this girl has so many Aussie honorary relatives - the cake took three packs of cookies and was shaped like a rugby ball by the time we were done! It had matcha green tea truffles from Dutch Girl on the top which we hid from the children and savoured later!

By the way, when people tell me that Sophia and I look alike, I honestly don't really see it, because she doesn't really look like I did when I was little. But in this picture above, I get it, I really get it!

What a great life we lead... thanks everyone who called and came and facebooked and mailed. Love you!