Today is my Birthday!

I got some goodies, some spending money and a nice dinner out with my family.
It's been a good day.

So, I have totally survived the 14th anniversary of my 27th Birthday.

Now, I've never obsessed about my age and I usually feel younger than the calendar and my birth certificate say that I am. The other day I took one of those silly quizzes over on FaceBook. The results really were no surprise to me. My Actual Age on their quiz was 34. Somehow I shaved 7 years off my age.

In the past week I've had the opportunity to talk to two women who are within a year of me in age. That is not remarkable. What is remarkable is that they both have two children WHO ARE LEAVING THE HOUSE. Yeah, as in moving out, going to college, heck the one woman is a grandmother, TWICE!

I've also had the opportunity over the last 2 years to share stories and advice with a woman who has a child the exact same age as Sweet Pea. When I did the math one day, I realized that I could be her mother and grandmother to her child! I've discovered she's wise beyond her years and that I'm not too "old" to learn from someone younger than I am.

My life has taken me places over the last 7 years that I never thought I'd go. I've been downsized by my employer. I've had to learn a new job from top to bottom. I've loved and now lost. I've had not one, but two beautiful babies. I've purchased investment properties and not one, but three different cars. In the next year I will be purchasing a new home. It kinda makes me wonder where I'd be and what I'd be doing if those 7 years really were shaved off of my life.

And even though my girls are at a very, very, very busy age right now and I'm loving every minute of it, I'm ready for the rest of my life to slow down just a smidge. Once I get through this year I'm planning to try to NOT make any changes for awhile.

I Am Speaking English, Right?

The Cop and I went out to dinner tonight...just for the heck of it. We took both the girls and met up with BW and her 11 yo son.

I got to the restaurant first and feeling brave got the girls out of the van and made my way inside. I ask the hostess for, "A table for 6 ~ 2 of those highchairs please," while trying to hold Miss Bee's hand, keep my purse and diaper bag on my shoulder and not drop Sweet Pea (who weighs almost 22 pounds!).

The hostess replies, "Would a large booth be okay?"

Me: "No, we need a table please. With 2 high chairs."

Hostess: "Would a large booth be okay?"

Me: (more emphatically) "No. We need a table please. I need high chairs for both the children."

Hostess: "You can have 2 high chairs at a large booth."

[At this point I am seriously considering homicide AND trying to hold on to a 2 YO who really wants to check out a barrel full of peanuts.]

Me: "We have 2 more adults and another child coming! We need room for 2 high chairs and a booth will not do! I want a TABLE please!"

Hostess: (to the person standing next to her) "Can we put them at 124?"

Now you tell me...was I speaking English??? I'm guessing not since she never even tried to speak to me again.

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Dinner was a blast. They must seat all the parties with children in the same area. There were 3 children in the booth to the left, 1 in the booth to the right and a couple with a baby in an infant carrier were seated 2 booths away right after we got there. Besides a few "happy baby" noises, you'd have never known there were that many children in the area!

I always giggle when they give us children's menus to color. Usually the crayons wind up being an appetizer for Miss Bee. Wonder of wonders, she actually colored with her crayons this trip. No red, yellow, blue or green wax to brush out of her teeth! She did eat honey mustard sauce with her fork...skipping the chicken I carefully cut up for her to dunk in it.

Sweet Pea gobbled her bananas and then drank her bottle all by herself! I handed it to her and she was able to hold it and down it all. Then of course she played with it and dropped it on the floor....heck she's only 10 months, what more could you expect? I snuck her a few tastes of mashed potatoes. I'm not sure if she liked it or not...I'm not sure she's sure if she liked it or not!

All in all eating out with my girls is becoming more and more fun! Remind me I said that if I gripe about it in the future!

Tracye, I promise this is not in response to your comment on yesterday's post! :D