It's Aaron's birthday. The baby is NINE. (It's seriously time to lose the weight, right?)

For long time readers of my journal, or you folks that actually know my kiddos personally, you know that there have been more than a few emergency room visits over the years. So this morning, after the blueberry scones, the birthday presents and the sunrise ride of the new scooter (that actually causes SPARKS - Wow, was THAT ever a dubious idea) I asked him what he thought age nine was going to hold for him. The above title holds his answer, and my response was to put my head on the table and weep a little. My admonitions to "Be careful!" just fall on deaf ears. Boys, man. What are ya gonna do?

( Age 7... Age 9 )

There was talk about finally exacting retribution on the tree... my advice was not to provoke it like he did the last time. It obviously didn't work out too well for him.

( Testing the toys... )

Today my main job is to make birthday cake! (Chocolate cake with chocolate icing - excellent choice!) And get ready for a sleepover tonight. And if you're so inclined, would you send up a prayer or two for my little sister and her family? She's expecting her third little bundle of joy, today!

Have a great day, all!

He's 10, today. Good grief. He's growing up too fast. I think I'm going to try sitting on him.

( Photographic evidence... )

I just got home from the Elementary School awards assembly.  Is there an award for sitting through both ceremonies? 

Just kidding. 

Mostly. 

Both boys got an Honor Roll award, and Accelerated Reader awards.   And various other an sundry things that may or may not deserve a certificate of recognition.  These ceremonies...  I know they're to recognize achievement, but I'm not so certain that mediocrity deserves celebration.  And some of the parents dressed to the nines, as if they were receiving an award instead of their grade schooler.  I'm proud of my boys, certainly, but I'm proud of their character, the manners, their sense of humor and the way they handle themselves in day to day life.  And there really isn't an award for that.

That said, have a picture or two, anyway.

( Awards... )

When did THAT happen?



( And this is what I got when I asked him what it felt like to be eight. )

tracyj23 , in her last post, suggested a more positive and thankful tone for posting. She wasn't speaking to me personally I don't think, but it was a good suggestion nonetheless.  When I'm not thinking about it, I tend toward the negative.  The sardonic... the sarcastic.

Not that that doesn't have its place. Because you know, I wouldn't be me without all that.  :D

Anyway, today was a good day. Gooood day. Nothing important happened, but I crossed a lot of different things off the to to list, and crossing things off lists is kind of a kink for me. I lurve it. Luuuurve. One of my friends is going to help me with the interfacing for the mountain o' bags (WOO!) and she dropped off an early birthday present for me with a fancy wine glass, herb shears, a microplaner, a new bag and a table scarf. I feel very pampered and loved!

We leave Wednesday evening to spend time with my side of the family for the extended weekend, and seriously? Couldn't be happier about it. Nolan's taking me to see Laughter on the 23rd Floor at the Water Tower Theatre on Thursday, and I finally get to give everyone their Christmas presents.

*happy sigh*

The only thing that would make things better is if I could get my writing groove back. But it'll happen. Everything happens, eventually, right?

Good grief. He was so LITTLE just not too long ago!

( Happy Birthday, Ethan! )

So I'm taking some birthday cupcakes out of the oven yesterday afternoon when I get an hysterical phone call from Ethan:

Ethan. Mom! Aaron fell and there's blood and his eye is OUT!

Me. ... WHAT?!

Ethan. (frantic) We need you to com up here. Uhhh. Mrs. Singleton wants to talk to you.

Me. Yes. Good idea.

So I get on the phone and it turns out that sweet Aaron James had RUN INTO A TREE and scraped his face. I get to the school and his teacher said, "Okay, Carrie, we think it's going to need a couple of stitches. I scoff at this, thinking, He ran into a tree! How bad could it really be?

My father-in-law (whose medical background is being a butcher and an electrical contractor - so...none) happened to be there giving AJ his birthday presents and he peeled back the bandage the school nurse had put on, and put it back quickly, saying, "Yeah, you're going to the hospital."

So we went. Aaron is very subdued at this point, and instead of the emergency room, we went to the urgent care center. When we get into the room, I finally see the gash on my baby's head, and do the all over body shiver. Because, YEAH. He got stitches. Seven stitches on his seventh birthday, which is rather poetic, when you think about it. And although he didn't appreciate when they shoved a four inch needle next to his eye, he handled the rest of it very well. He talked to us about learning about the planets in school, and even patted me on the hand and said, "Don't worry Mom, chicks dig scars." He even said he was going to get a little of his own back today and kick that tree on his way out of school, so I think he's going to be fine.

I, however, really don't care for seeing my babies sewn up. Good heavens, mother of mercy.

His father said he needs to come up with a better story than, "I ran into a tree." Like... there were nine... maybe TEN trees, and they all ganged up on me, but I fought em off...

Click for the pics, but not if you're squeamish about stuff...

( Poor AJ! )

He's FINE. But the drama king in him is eating this up.

What a great birthday!

I got so many lovely emails and posts  and comments and facebook thingys!  Sincere thanks to everyone who took time out of their day to post or call or sing!  BIG love to the f-list.  I got a DVD of Season 3 of Friday Night Lights from sweet Jessica and a DVD of Sweeney Todd and some really cool, cute measuring cups from Celeste, and two charms for my bracelet ( a converse shoe and a purse) and all four seasons of The Office on DVD from Nolan. 

And my sweet husband took me out to dinner.

We decided to have dinner  at Las Brisas, but neither one of us were really hungry, so we thought, 'appetizers and a bottle of wine, and maybe a movie?' So I decided to get a good bottle of wine.  I chose 1999 d'Arenberg Shiraz: The Dead Arm.  It was on the menu, and it was $29, and I thought, "Meh, it's my birthday."

So they brought it out and decanted it, went through the whole ritual of the cork, and the tasting and the pouring, and then the wine steward came out and spoke to us.

I had half a bottle of wine, so I'm not going to do a word for word repetition of the conversation, but suffice to say, the man had a stutter.  A bad stutter.  And he was using words like "the sexiest wine I've ever had"  and "fruit notes" and "wonderful spiciness."  Nolan said that I was going to hell for all the giggling I did.  He's right.  I'm AWFUL.  But it was FUNNY.

After he left, Nolan and I had this exchange:

Me.  A stuttering sommelier!  My birthday is complete!

Nolan.  (frowns)  Sommelier?

Me.  (explains) Wine steward.

Nolan.  Well I didn't think it was a fancy French word for speech impediment, Carrie.

Then we got the bill.  It turns out that wine was $29 A GLASS!  *faints*  Luckily, Nolan said I was worth a $139 bottle of wine.  

YIKES.

Oh, and the Haiku Contest ends tonight at 11:00! 

( So I'm... )

Happy, happy birthday to airmidm! Hope your day was super happy!

Happy birthday to wolfstar07!  Hope it's FAAAAbulous!

die_loreley?  Are you the sweetest girl ever?  The box you sent got put with the thousand other boxes in my living romm and after I read your last comment, I went on a search!  So CUTE!  Lovely.  Definitely inspiration, for sure.  :)  I love it!  

dL sent me the sweetest little personalized teacup, y'all.  *hugs dL*