Tacos and Tiaras

It's your birthday indeed

And when the sun rises

We'll have a whole day

Of birthday surprises

Except that it's my birthday, not my son's.  Although he was the one to wake me up well before sunrise.  Not to wish me a happy birthday, per se, but hey- I'll take what I can get.  Especially when was I can get is him to go back to sleep so I can sleep for another hour or two.

Anyway.

As mentioned, today is my birthday, and a very good birthday it was, indeed.  I've been dealing with some Stuff, lately, so the days leading up to my birthday had put me in a very Forlorn sort of mood, to the point where I wasn't looking forward to my birthday at all, and in fact I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be a particularly good- let alone special- sort of day.  This is very much the opposite of my typical, "MY BIRTHDAY IS COMING ALL HAIL MY BIRTHDAYNESS!" frenzy that generally kicks in around March 1st.

But.

After the 0430 False Start, I woke up for the second time and sung very quietly to myself in a sad sort of way as I got out of bed and started my yoga.  About halfway through my sun salutation, Nathan leapt out of bed and rushed downstairs, and by the time I was breathing myself into a deeper pigeon pose, he'd come back up the stairs and placed a piece of chocolate birthday cake in front of my nose with a flourish.

"It's gluten free!" he crowed, and I smiled.  It smelled like Birthday.

I managed to hold off eating it until I finished my yoga, but when I did I found that it was oh-so-delicious, as well as being gluten-free.  Good job, husband!

Thus fortified for the day (he also made me eggs),  I decided to try wriggling into a dress I haven't worn since having a baby- and it fit, which was definitely a Birthday Triumph.  So naturally I decided that what the outfit really needed was red lipstick and a tiara, and thus I applied the one and stuck the other in my pannier.

The ride into work was just perfect- a welcome spring morning after so much rain- and once I got my bike safely stowed I took the time to put on my Birthday Tiara:

Not practical for under-helmet-wear.

By the way, here's the dress:

Feeling all mod like Gwen Stacy.

The Captain came in a bit later, and darned if he wasn't carrying a balloon!  He presented me with said balloon, which was delightful because a) everyone loves a balloon obviously and b) I knew it would make Neeps's entire evening when I let him play with it*.  The Captain also gave me my favorite candy bar (two of them!), a funny card, and later bought me tacos for lunch- because he knows I love them.  Mmm, tacos...

Nathan swung by a few hours later to present my birthday gift (a gift certificate for an hour-long massage!  Woo!) and after that my buddy Jerry popped in to present me with this bit of awesomeness:

Cap'n Tight Pants, Sir

which I cannot wait to get hung, probably in Neeps's room because every boy need a pragmatist-with-a-heart-of-gold idol.

Throughout the day I was bombarded with well-wishes via text, email, and FB, each and every one of which serving to lift my spirits.  People are so kind, and it was just humbling to have so many people reach out to me on my day.  By the time I left early (another gift from my excellent boss) I was feeling quite buoyant, much like the balloon I tied tightly to the back of my bike:

What could POSSIBLY go wrong with this scenario??

Nothing!  At least, nothing that wasn't solved by a quick stop to re-tie it closer to the rack!

Since I was home early, I got to go with Nathan to pick up Neeps, and then the three of us picked up some Birthday Pizza, and then we ate it, and all was right in the Birthday World.

Thanks, World.  Days like today make it easier to ignore Jerk Brain.






*(which, by the way, it totally did, right up until he ripped its balloon throat out and deflated the thing.  Ladies and gentlemen, we have a biter.)

Sharing My World(s)

My boss and I decided to change our office hours this year, and as a result I now get off early on Fridays (why yes, he is the best boss ever, why do you ask?).  As a result, I've been making it into the climbing gym once a week for the past five weeks or so, and I can definitely feel the difference.  Not just physically (although my goodness yes), but mentally and emotionally, as well.  Every time I solve a route, every time I push through trembling muscles to the next hold, I feel like me again.  Like my life has finally settled down enough that I can brush away all the dust that came from carving the new "mom" parts and re-reveal the old "pre-mom" parts.  Is that a simile that even makes sense?  I'm sticking with it, regardless.

Sweaty!

Anyway, the past couple of weeks I've been there, there's also been a father with his young daughter.  She's about five, and he belays her while she top-ropes.  It's freaking adorable, and I can't wait until Neeps is old enough to try.  He's recently become very interested in climbing onto things, so I've been thinking that pretty soon now I'm going to take him in to the gym to see if he wants to do a little baby bouldering.  Heck, maybe I'll even take him in tomorrow morning- it's scheduled to rain, after all.

Today it did not rain, however, so my bike ride back from the gym was glorious, and once I got home I did what I've been dreaming of doing for months and months- installed a toddler seat.  (I finally used my Christmas money and ordered it earlier this week: it arrived last night.)  And then I went and picked my son up from daycare, brought him home, helmet-ed him up, and took him for a ride.

Please note the adorably ruffled jeans, borrowed from daycare after too much playing-in-puddles.

He loved it, but I don't know if he loved it as much as I loved it.  Because for him it was just a new, fun activity- for me it was fun and emotional.  My heart was swelling up and singing joyously, so happy to be able to share another beloved activity with him.  Now we have hiking and cycling that we can do together.  And soon?  Climbing.  And eventually?  Him being able to do all of those things independently.

It's funny how my life has become this combination of super-fast and so-much-waiting.  On the one hand, Neeps is developing at a crazy rate: I love watching him figure things out and use new words and identify connections and basically just self-program his little meat-computer brain.  But on the other hand, let's face it- the past fifteen months have been a lot of me putting aside things I used to do all the time, so that I can focus on what needs my attention right now (poops and meals and naps and stacking blocks and reading Goodnight Moon for the umpteenth time) until I could someday come back to those things- and introduce my son to them, as well.

That someday is getting closer and closer.  And I'm so excited.

Adventure Buddies.

A Girl and Her Boy

It's been a good day for mother-son bonding.

Not too long after getting up and dressed, Neeps "did yoga" with me (this consists of him stretching up in his best approximation of mountain pose, and then spending a lot of time lying underneath me and giggling as I go through the other poses).  Then, after breakfast, he helped me with the dishes (by closing the dishwasher for me) and the laundry (by tossing one shirt into the washer, shutting the door, pushing the detergent tray shut, and giving me a solid assist on holding down the "start" button).  After all of that, we got bundled up and went down to the waterfront for a little walk.

I knew we only had about an hour until the rain hit, so to start things off I strapped him into the stroller and we did a very brisk ten minutes over the land bridge and back.  Of course, during this very brisk ten minutes the rain was like "Ha hah have a little preview of what's to come!"  But it was okay because Neeps was wrapped in his Very Specific Waterproof Stroller Blanket, and I was wearing my newly-upgraded rain jacket.  Anyway, we got back to the car and I released him, stashed the stroller, and (since the rain had ended its helpful preview) let him lead for a while.

He did really great- walked a lot further and faster than I'd have expected, which warms my heart because one of these days he's going to be such an awesome hiking companion.  As it was he only had a few wipe outs, and only one bad enough that it needed Mommy-snuggles to get going again.  We looked at dead leaves and the river and rocks, and pointed out all sorts of people (who were all quite happy to wave and say hello) until I decided it was time to get him warmed up and fed.  So back to the car we went, and on the drive home we decided it would be nice to bring Daddy (who was stuck working) a specialty-coffee-beverage, so we swung by our favorite coffee stand and chatted with the nice baristas.

Once home we played, and then did a video chat with the grandparents, followed by a nutritious lunch that made me feel like a good mom, for a change (nary a Cheerio in sight).  And then?  Story-and-nap time.  And to show my solidarity, I took a nap, too.

An Afternoon With My Self (and also a Friend)

I pedaled on down to the Source this afternoon to get my climb on with my buddy JT.  Not that I can climb particularly hard at the moment, but I did well enough on slab (screaming feet notwithstanding) to feel good about myself.  In fact, we had such a good time that, once we'd both worn ourselves out (entirely too quickly- pesky Real Life getting in the way of regular climbing), I suggested we saunter over to my favorite bar for an afternoon libation.

This is weirdly reminiscent of what it looks like when I stand next to Nathan.  Except I'm shorter.

It had been a long-ass time since I'd been out for a drink with a friend (let alone a spontaneous one!), and I reveled in the freedom of it all- the leisurely cycling, the challenging climbing, the carefree walking, and the raucous(ish) drinking- and none of it with a "gotta get back!" time crunch.  It was amazing, and so freaking healthy for my psyche that you guys don't even know.  Especially coming on the heels of yesterday's glorious hike.

Once I got home I washed the car, then took Neeps for today's walk, during which ]my mom and I had our latest Mother Daughter Book Re-Reading Club Discussion (Dragonquest, for the curious).  At the end of the day, as I catch up on the blog, I find I am left feeling like maybe, just maybe, I'm starting to find true Balance between Self as Parent, Self as Self.

Fingers crossed!

Falling Silver

We've wanted to hike at Silver Falls State Park for a number of years, now- Nathan even attempted it one day when I was otherwise occupied, only he made the mistake of bringing Isis along, and as it turns out, dogs aren't allowed on the trail (not that this seems to stop people- but we're actually responsible dog owners).  Anyway, we decided that for our April Family Hike, the time had at last come to make our dream a reality!  (and Princess Pig got to spend the day on the couch: win-win)

South Falls started our loop off right!

And from the other side!

Basically there were a LOT of waterfalls, you guys.

Double Falls

 At about 4.5 miles into our hike, Malachi decided he needed a snack (and so did we), so I obliged.  After all, I'd already learned that nothing beats nursing in the forest-

...unless it's nursing in a forest with a freaking WATER FALL TO GAZE AT.

We had planned to do five miles, yet somehow ended up doing a little over eight- but that's okay, because it gives me a nice fat cushion for this month's Hike It Baby 30 challenge!

Misadventures of the Past Twenty-Four Hours

I woke up because Nathan had burned some popcorn.

That's what I thought, anyway, as I lay there in the dark, gagging on the stench.  I peered bleerily at my phone- not quite midnight.  I'd been asleep for about three hours.  And the reek was getting worse.

It's nothing. It's just popcorn, I thought to myself, trying not to be That Paranoid Woman.  But then-

That's not nothing- the smell is too strong... and... chemical?  Oh shit what if Nathan is passed out! Thus did I come flying out of the bed and down the stairs, to a living room hung with greasy gray tendrils of smoke.

Why isn't the fire alarm going off? I thought, rushing into the kitchen to find the source of the smell.  There on the stove, on a burner that was theoretically turned off, were the charred remnants of what had once been chicken and vegetable soup, and a heavy plastic ladle that was melting and burning in the thoroughly ruined pot.

By this point Nathan emerged from his office to see why I was stampeding around the house: the closed door had cut him off completely from the odor (not dead from smoke inhalation- yay!).

We got it taken care of, of course, but the house... the smell is literally nauseating.  Even now, after a full day of open windows, it still smells like an ashtray.  It's horrific.  ::sigh::  Tomorrow's activities will likely include me washing walls...

After that adventure I had a hard time getting back to sleep- my brain wouldn't shut up with the "But what if I hadn't woken up?!" scenarios.  And then of course Neeps woke up for his night-feed, which kept me up even longer.

All of this to say, I did not get a lot of sleep last night, which perhaps explains the events of this morning.

I was scheduled to be part of a photo-shoot for a feature on working moms today (a joint effort by the dynamic women behind A Well Crafted Party and Momma Bear Magazine), something I was very, very excited about.  Since the shoot was taking place a good half hour from where I live, I had Neeps packed up and ready to go early enough that we wouldn't just be on time, we'd be a little early.  We'd been instructed to wear what we'd normally wear for work, but I, in my Motherly Wisdom, was bringing it with me rather than wearing it, because we all know that wrangling infants whilst wearing Office Apparel is a recipe for disaster.

Except (I realized just in time to miss the last exit on our side of the river) I forgot the damn outfit.  (also the damn makeup, jewelry, shoes, and hairbrush, all of which were neatly assembled in a bag so that I could grab it on my way out the door.)  And so I had to cross the river, exit, turn around, get back on the interstate to recross the river to get back home and retrieve the bag, and then start out again.  Normally this wouldn't have been so terrible- an extra 15 minutes, max- but traffic had been really heavy and slow on the way south the first time, and on the way south the second time it was at a literal standstill because of course they raised the bridge.

In the end it took me over an hour from the time I left the house (the first time) to the time I actually made it to the photo shoot.  Not my finest hour.  Although to tell the truth I couldn't help but laugh that me having a child didn't actually have anything whatsoever to do with my tardiness to the "working moms" event.

The day went a great deal more smoothly from that point onward- I loved hanging out and chatting with other working mothers- those ladies were inspiring as hell!  And of course I never get tired of hearing people admire my baby.  I'm really excited to see the results of the shoot, and you can be certain I'll link you guys to the feature when it comes out!

No Mommy, No Cry

Ladies and Gentlemen, I survived my first day back in the office, and am officially a Working Mom.  A Mother Who Works, if you will.  A Bad Ass Mother Worker, even.

We've known one another for a while now (most of us, anyway- hi new readers!) so I feel I can Be Real With You, as I have so many times in the past, about how I'm feeling:

Pretty freaking magnificent.

I brought Neeps with me to the office, where he kept me company for a good 90 minutes before his Auntie D came to pick him up.  And those 90 minutes were very important, because they showed me, without a shadow of a doubt, that I absolutely cannot do my job properly with him there.

Once he was gone I was able to really dig in- and it still took me until after 12:30 to get through all my emails.  Which was perfect, actually, because it was about fifteen minutes later that Auntie D came back by with Neeps.  I fed him, and then the three of us took a walk (in the suddenly pouring rain) to go get lunch.  The whole time I just kept thinking how lucky I was, to have such a compassionate woman in my life, helping me ease into my role as a working mother.  And she's not the only one: I have a whole flight of wonderful women who have come together to help me in these first weeks: with childcare, with emotional support, with whatever I need.  Even my boss (aka The Captain) has done everything in his power to make this transition a smooth one.  Lucky, lucky lady- that's me.  I wish everyone could have such an amazing support system.

The rest of the day followed the same pattern as the first half (I'd forgotten how icky sitting all day is), leaving me mentally exhausted but really, truly satisfied.  And in spite of my fears, I didn't actually cry*.  Once Neeps was out of the office I seemed to automatically compartmentalize, completely separating my Work self from my Home self.  And obviously I know it won't always go so smoothly, but I'm so glad to have rock solid evidence that I made the right decision about going back to work.  This really is what's right for me, and for my family.

I'm excited to go back in tomorrow, and tackle what I couldn't get to today.  And I might even go in for a few hours this weekend, to polish any stragglers off, and be truly prepared for my, "So You're Back at Work" meeting with The Captain on Monday.  It's a great feeling to love your job- and it makes going home to giggle with my husband and son that much more precious.







*(Full disclosure; I did tear up during the lunch visit, as I stared into his eyes while Auntie D told me about his morning- but nothing made it past the eyelashes.)

Ruby Slippers Galore

I've already shared the roots of my love affair with oxblood footwear.  Today I shall share the story of my most recent acquisition:

Feel free to chuckle whilst imagining the awkward angle I held my phone at to get this shot.

First of all, I didn't have any plans to go shopping today.  My plans were to take Neeps to visit my Katie, and then come home.  But as I was driving back across the bridge the thought occurred to me that a) I do need new work shoes and b) the afternoon is the best time to go shopping for new shoes and c) I'd already gone through the trouble and effort of packing Neeps into his car seat and d) there was a good shoe store between me and home.

And so I took an early exit, found miraculously close parking, and swaggered in as best I could whilst awkwardly lugging a car-seat-full-of-robust-infant.  This less-than-impressive arrival was greeted with a polite smile from the salesman, along with the ubiquitous, "May I help you with anything today?"

"Yep!" I announced.  "I'm here for new work shoes so my boss can stop cringing!"

This led into a discussion about what I normally wear, shoe-wise;

"Doc Martens and hiking shoes," I said, sticking out a foot so he could see my Merrells.  "Oh, those are great shoes," he said, to which I replied,  "I know: this is my second pair.  I think the last they use for this model happens to correspond with my foot."

what I do for a living;

"I'm an office manager for a brokerage company," I explained.  He smiled and said, "Yes, I can see why your boss might be appreciative of a... change in footwear."  I gave him a cheeky grin in return, "Yeah: I'm damn good at my job, so he's always given me leeway, but I thought it would make him happy if I upped my professional style a bit."

and my personal preferences;

"I won't do heels," I said flatly. (sorry)  This did not appear to concern him: "Okay, we actually have a lot of options for that- maybe some ballet flats, or-" I interrupted with, "And they need to stay on my feet while I bike to work," at which point he just sort of laughed.  I joined in and added,  "I know, I know: I'm a challenge."

He had me sit so he could measure my foot.

"You have very strong feet," he remarked, and I preened a bit at that, because of all my (many) vanities, I am The Most Vain about my feet and ankles.  Hells yeah, rock climbing and hiking FTW.

"Okay, I have a few ideas," he began thoughtfully, but I cut in with, "I happen to love oxblood, if that helps," and you'd have thought I'd told him the Holidays had come early.  His face lit up, and he said, "I think I have just the thing, then!"

He disappeared into the back, and came back perhaps 90 seconds later with two boxes.  He opened the first.

"Nice," I said, eyeing the burgundy loafer.  He helped me put them on, and I stomped about and checked myself out in the mirror.  "They're so cute and comfy.  I really like these!" I said.  And I did.  (I still do.  I may go back.)

"And they'll keep your feet protected from the rain while you bike," he pointed out.  I nodded appreciatively, and took my seat once more.

"I also thought these might do," he said, and opened the second box.

"Ooo," was my visceral-girlie response: the shoes put me in mind of tulips, and I could see how perfect they'd be with both pants and skirts.  Clever man.

I tried them on, and immediately realized that these felt even better on my feet: no slippage.  I said as much, and he nodded.

"I'm not surprised to hear you say that; this brand is known for fitting high arches like yours.  Plus you strike me as an artistic person, and the cut on those shoes really lets you play with fun socks."

I grinned at him.  "Good call: I love fun socks."  I sat back down and asked,  "How much will these run me?"

He told me, and I nodded.  Not cheap, but totally reasonable for what I was getting.  "Let's do this."

And that is how, thanks to incredible customer service from someone who really knows his business, I was in and out of a shoe store with a brand new pair of ruby slippers, in less than thirty minutes.  Damned if I don't love professionals.

(and oxblood)

Oh Happy Day

Today was a great day.

First of all, Neeps slept for 6 hours for the second night in a row, and I'm starting to let myself think about hoping that maybe this is what he does now.  Fingers crossed.

Anyway that apparently put him in a good mood, because he was extra smiley and engaged all day today.  We went to the grocery store(s), and I wore him in the ergo for the first time.  I really loved wearing my nephew Eaglet in the ergo, but now that I've carried Neeps in the moby so often, I'm wondering if I don't prefer wrapping him, since you get such a custom fit.  This requires more experimentation...

After we got back I took him and Isis on a walk, and then left Neeps with Nathan while I rode my bike for the first time since the first trimester!  The weather was too gorgeous not to, and I felt so free, and so happy, and so light-of-heart as I pedaled my way to (drum roll, please) the climbing gym!  I met up with JT and he and I made good on our promise to one another last week, and actually put my new gym-rope to use by lead-climbing.  And let me tell you, thank goodness for muscle memory, because it's been about nine months since I last did that, too, but the body remembers once you get going.  ::does happy dance::  I also tackled an overhung 5.9, which thoroughly kicked my ass, but in the best way possible.  It's so amazing to be able to push my body again, to the point where I'm sweaty and trembling and grinning like a maniac.

And then?  Then I got to ride my bike back home!  Aaaaahhhhh!  I can't believe how much I've missed it!  I started trying to figure out how I can work a daily ride back in (and how old Neeps has to be before I can bring him along).

Once I got home I bundled said cutie up and hustled him over to Boozeday, where he managed to be both adorable and useful:

Because what is the point of that fluffly-cloth-diapered-butt if I can't balance a plate of veggie chips on it?

I hung out with my ladies for almost three solid hours, and It Was Good.  And now the boy is in bed and I'm writing (and sore) and feeling thoroughly satisfied with life.


Next up?  A shower!

Woo!

Autumn's Gifts

After yesterday's lounging, I was adamant that we get out and Do Something today: in specific I wanted to Do Something Iconic, which translated to going and picking apples.  So in the afternoon we headed out to Walter's Fruit Ranch,to pick apples.

By which I mean, obviously, EAT apples.

The part of the orchard we wandered about in had braeburn (pretty good), red delicious (better than in the stores, that's for sure) and golden delicious (my favorite as a kid, and these reminded me why).

I call these Snow White apples.

So we ate more apples than perhaps strictly advisable (Isis included), and then filled up Chelsea's purse with a few more and headed back to sort of carnival that was going on.

As it turns out, lots of things were going on, including baby bouncing:

Whatevs.

Look at how completely calm and collected Eaglet is.  We'd been a little skeptical about him enjoying this one, since he'd protested the pony-ride at a mighty volume, but as it turns out the pony ride was just too tame for his bad self.  Damn, bitches.  Lesson learned.

Also going on was some sort of corn cannon thing:

for fighting off the pumpkin invasion?

Turns out good marksmanship isn't much help when your projectiles are so variable.

Sadly my brother did not win us $100.  But we felt pretty well rewarded, regardless.

still nomming his apple

Waiting for the Photographer II

Today was a very special day, because today was the day that Adam and SCurry got married.

Today was a very exhausting day, because today was the day that Nathan, my Katie, and I acted as Photographer, Photographer's Assistant, and Chief Bossy Pants of the Wedding, respectively.

Today was a lovely day, full of lovely people being lovely.

Behold a Bride and her Ladies

Today was a very good day, indeed.

Things for Myself

I have decided that, in light of recent events, now is the time to very, very nice to myself.  As such, I made a list of Nice Things to Do For Myself Before August.  That list includes things like getting a massage, taking a seaweed bath, getting my legs waxed, and getting my hair refreshed.  You know, all that really nice stuff that we always tell ourselves is too expensive to justify.  Well I'm justifying it.

(I also have a Nice Things to Do For Myself Before November list, which includes getting a new tattoo.  Stay tuned.)

Aaaaanyway, this morning Nathan took me down to Portland to get my hair did (while he took the car to ferry the pig to the vet), and afterwards I took a walk about town.

seen on a walk

Whilst I was wandering (to REI and Lush, among other places), I saw a status update from some friends encouraging people to swing by and see them at the event they were volunteering at.  So once Nathan found me again we did so- and that is how we discovered Reverend Nat's Hard Cider.  They were celebrating the one-year anniversary of their tap room being open, so we loaded up on wooden nickles and then got loaded on tastings.  Well, I did, anyway, because I currently have the tolerance of an anemic hummingbird.

Nathan drove us home, and I sobered up just in time to meet a girlfriend down at a favorite bar and get drunk all over again.  Good times, good times!

(No for real.  When you don't drink for three months there is a lot of catching up to do.)

Sun Pig

It was a good day.  For all of us.

Definitely part cat.

Safety First

Picked up some new gear today

The Secrets We Keep

It's been a really lovely day, and this photo really has nothing to do with it- but I really liked the implied narrative.

where do you wear your mask?

So many good parts about today... ripe strawberries in bed from my husband, an hour-long phone call from a dear friend who is far away, two hours of climbing with an inspirational woman... tonight I shall sleep deeply, and well.

Weekend

It's been a lovely weekend.  Nathan and I both took Friday off, so that we could turn our anniversary weekend into a full on three day weekend.  Usually we plan these sorts of things out, but this time around we were very seat-of-our pants.  I mean, I booked the hotel and that was it.  As such, we had a very leisurely Friday morning, followed by a (inadvertently comic) hunt for a spectacular waterfall called Panther Creek Falls.

That's just PART of it in the background!

 It was gorgeous.  Next time we go we'll bring some rappelling gear so we can get down to the base... (and I guess leave Isis at home because I'm not quite sure how to teach a dog to use a belay device...)

We did another tiny hike on Saturday (our actual anniversary- five years is wood so appropriate!), in the rain, along Starvation Creek, then spent the rest of the day wandering around Hood River proper, charming people with our silky-soft pig (apparently rain-showers do wonder for her fur).  I'm not even kidding: people in Hood River love our dog.  Everyone wanted to pet her, and she kept being invited into stores.  We had dinner at Solstice Cafe (so amazing.  If you get the chance you absolutely should go), where we were allowed to have her sit at the (outside) table with us, and when she got pitiful and I let her curl up in my lap it just absolutely charmed all the people who passed by.

CHARMING

Hood River, people: wonderful place.

Today we got up and soaked in the hot tub for a while (I did "laps" because why not?), then checked out and headed into town to try out Bette's, which the front desk clerk had recommended to us for breakfast.  Well, they must be super good, because the line was out the door and we were all, "Nope," and instead ducked across the street to Nora's Table, which was downright serendipitous.  The food was incredible, so I'm not sure why it wasn't equally crowded, but I'm damn glad it wasn't!

On the way home we did another little hike, up to Emerald Falls:

the falls in question (and photo-of-the-day)

and then drove back home.  Nathan even let me nap on the way, because he is the best husband ever.

Yay anniversary weekend!

Perfection

It was a really good day today.  I got to sleep in, then spent the rest of the morning cleaning the guest room in anticipation of tomorrow's visitors.  Once Nathan got back from church the two of us took Isis out to the farmer's market, where we got lunch and I saw an amazing variety of tulips.

Exhibit A

I literally did nothing to process that photo.  Just took it and posted it.  In fact I almost reduced the vibrancy, because damn.  In the end, however, I decided to leave it as is... I love the tiny little rain drops on the blazing orange petals...

CLOSEUP!

Although I do enjoy the market this early in the season, I can't help but look forward to when there will be more delicious produce for the purchasing.  Especially cherries.  Oh man, bring on the cherry season for sure!

Later in the afternoon I pedaled over to the library to pick up a book, then headed over to the rock gym to introduce some lady friends to the wonderful world of climbing.  As much as I love my climbing bros, there is something really great about the energy that women bring to the sport.  I'm very hopeful that all of them will keep pursuing it, and I'll get more belay-partners out of the whole thing... afterwards we all went out and had a drink together, which was great good fun and I can't wait to take Nathan to that bar because the bartender had a generous pour.

(Not that I'm trying to get my husband drunk, or anything.)

Making It

Dearest Readers, if there ever comes a day in your lives in which you are so lucky as to have someone love you enough to gift you with a tiny, taxidermied teacup duckling, then from that day forward, my friends, you may rest assured that you have, in fact, Made It.

Today was the day I Made It

I've definitely been stretching out the ol' birthday this year.  It's still a couple days off, but I've had day after day of joyful celebration this past week, and I plan to continue it right on into the next.  Today's Happy Events included my boss taking me out to lunch (gluten-free pizza for the freaking win), and of course the delightful, downright ducky surprise that Kara had waiting for me at Boozeday Tuesday.

Really I'm not sure how my actual birthday is even going to compare with this adorable manifestation.  But I aim to find out.

Birthday Cake

Today was just about as perfect a day as a day can be.

Chris and Lara came up last night, so they were there this morning when I got up, and I made us all a breakfast of bacon and eggs.  There are few things in life that give me as much pleasure as cooking breakfast for people who have stayed the night.

Later that morning we gathered up the dogs and all went down to the Farmer's Market, the first of the season.

I am one seriously white woman.

 It was absolutely lovely to be able to walk through friendly crowds again, in the warm sunshine (Lara and I wore dresses: we had fleeces on over those dresses, but we did wear them!), admiring pretty wares and sampling delicious goods.  Isis was beside herself with joy- I hadn't realized how much she'd missed the weekly outing to her adoring public.

Afterwards we came home and Lara and I baked a paleo carrot cake, then left it to cool while we went to the Source to go climbing.  We came home and had a delicious dinner  (Nathan smoked a tri-tip that Chris and Lara brought down), then frosted and ate the cake to celebrate our four-way birthday month.

BIRTHDAY CAKE!

Now it's evening and we're just taking pleasure in each other's company, looking forward to another good day tomorrow.

Fertality

June 21, 2013.  Your period is three days overdue!

"Yeah yeah," I grumble at my app.  "I know, I know.  Shut up."

My period is not actually three days overdue.  It is day thirty-two of my cycle, and although the calendar stubbornly insists that my cycle is twenty-nine days long, it's actually closer to thirty-one.  So, theoretically my period will be showing up today.  It hasn't, which as far as I'm concerned is relatively convenient, since I'm even now sitting in the waiting courtyard of my accupuncturist's office.

(Yes, she has a waiting courtyard.  It's awesome.)

Of course, in all fairness the reason I've been letting this woman stick needles into me for the last six weeks is entirely to do with my wacky menstrual cycle.  And the fact that it keeps insisting on showing up, sort of whenever the hell it feels like it.  And being painful as hell when it does.  Thanks to her I no longer have mid-cycle blood and pain, and my cramps weren't as bad last cycle.  I may not be pregnant yet, but hey- I'm happy enough that my lady parts are back to toeing the line.

She ushers me into my room and gives me a speculative look.

"Has your period showed up?"

"Nope," I say, matter-of-fact.

Her face immediately lights up.  "Have you taken a test yet?"

"Nah," I wave the suggestion off airily.  "My husband and I had to implement a rule that I can't take a pregnancy test until I'm at least a week late, because otherwise I get too excited and then disappoint myself.  I'll take one on Tuesday."

"Hmm," she says, speculatively.  "Do you have any breast tenderness?"

"No."  I am emphatic.  "I definitely do not have any pregnancy symptoms."  Not that it would matter if I did.  I've had every pregnancy symptom in the book- nausea, fatigue, breast tenderness, metallic-taste-in-the-mouth- and never once has it actually been related to pregnancy.

"What about PMS?" she asks.

"I-" I stop suddenly.  "Huh.  You know, come to think of it, I haven't been bitchy lately."

This makes her laugh, but it makes me very thoughtful.  Because... I'm always bitchy right before my period starts.

She lays me out on the table and feels my abdomen, which she says is feeling nice and warm, then places a smaller amount of needles than normal, and leaves me to my epically satisfying nap.

I decide to stop for a strawberry milkshake on the way home, a major indulgence for me.  All that dairy and sugar?  Yeah.  I chuckle to myself.

"Well if I am pregnant, I'm totally giving you the wrong foods."

***

June 22, 2013.  Your period is four days overdue!

I'm laying in bed and I'm thinking.  I'm thinking, I am totally not pregnant.  This is silly.  But...

"But" I really haven't been bitchy.

"But" I believe in a Universe with a sense of humor about me and pregnancy symptoms.

"But" (and this is the one that finally gets me out of bed and into the bathroom) I have friends coming over for a barbeque later, and I'd feel a lot better about drinking if I had a definite Not Pregnant staring up at me from a pee stick.  Gods know I've seen it enough times over the past three years.

It's a new brand- a weird, digital brand that I got on sale two months ago and involves actually constructing the damn thing.  Yes, awesome, definitely I am so glad I'm figuring out how to engineer a damn pee stick while attempting to ignore my overfull bladder.

Not even a minute later I'm staring at the results.

"Holy shit," I whisper yell, my voice high-pitched and strangled.  "Holy shit holy shit!" I am dancing around the bathroom like an agitated cricket.

I have, over the years, put in the requisite number of hours daydreaming about how I would tell my partner if/when I got pregnant.  It's probably a pretty good thing that I never came up with a really fabulous method, because all thoughts of presentation flee my mind as I scramble back into bed.

"Nate!  Wake up!  Wake up!  Guess what!"

I shove the test into his hand and he looks at it blearily, then at me.  He is squinting and I suddenly remember that there's a very good chance he can't even read the results without his glasses on.

But let's be real- there's only one reason I'd make him look at a pregnancy test at seven in the morning, and my man is nothing if not quick.