Celebrating 30 in style

My birthday is coming up in a little over a month. And, no, I'm not sending out a giant hint to all my friends and family. See, I'm turning 31. Blech. At least 30 was a big deal. 31, you're just in your 30s. Nothing special and not even deserving of a big party. I've always had a love-hate relationship with my birthday. Not that I've generally had a problem with getting older (that is a recent life development), but it is when my birthday takes place that causes me such consternation.

It is November 28th, and most years, that places it smack dab in the middle of the Thanksgiving holiday (American Thanksgiving that is). Sometimes, it even lands on Thanksgiving day. As a child, this meant my family mercilessly teasing me by putting four candles in a turkey and insisting that it was my birthday cake. When I got a little older, I could never have a party around my birthday because all of my friends were celebrating with their own families. Even my 16th birthday, which, of course, was on Thanksgiving day, was a total disaster. Think massive snow storm, people not being able to come, and others getting into crashes trying to drive to my house. Just a mess. Do you have a mental image of a sad girl sitting alone with a table full of uneaten food, trying not to cry? If you do, then you are remarkably intuitive, 'cause that's pretty much what that night looked like.

Anyway, all of that back story to say that I've become adept at having very low expectations for my birthday. Last year, when I turned 30, Cory told me that he was going to plan it all. That was fine with me, because then I didn't have to worry about things not turning out right. He far exceeded my low expectations. He surprised me with not one, but two amazing parties. AND, he arranged for childhood friends and family to come from around the country (North Carolina, Oregon, Minnesota and Texas) to surprise me. It was literally my best birthday ever, and totally made up for my disaster of a sweet sixteen party.

Second cousins equal twice the fun

Molly is what I would describe as calendar-obsessed. Perhaps she's learning from my weather obsession. Who knows? Anyway, the following is an example of an all too common conversation in our house as of late:

• Molly: What are we doing after night-night?
• Me: Preschool
• Molly: And after another night-night?
• Me: Dance class
• Molly: And after another night-night?
• Me: Grocery shopping
• Molly: And after another night-night?
• Me: Going to Gigi and Papa's house

As you can see, this can go on for a really long time. A really, really long time. A really, really, really, really long time. We've gone for more than a month forward in time before. She doesn't seem to ever get bored of this line of questioning. The one thing that can terminate it has been reaching Easter. That has been the great end game. Molly has been so excited for Easter because her cousin (well, technically second cousin - her mom, Laura, is my cousin) Penelope was coming to visit. And, this weekend, the pinnacle finally arrived. Cousin Penelope had hit the town!

Penny