Happy Birthday to Mommy!

I turned 29 today and it was one of the best birthdays I have ever had. Today was a wonderful day, but the celebrations began yesterday and will continue all week.  My birthday is also a kind of warm-up for Emmeline's birthday; she is getting good practice at blowing out candles and opening presents.

To kick-off my birthday weekend, yesterday I ran my first road race since the fall of 2005 (I DNFed the Philly Marathon and dropped at the half - 13.1 miles).  Today was only a 5K but it was still plenty hard for me.  I have really only been back into running for about a week and a half and I signed up for the race because I wanted to keep myself motivated.  The race was for Girls on the Run and ended up having 1,300 registered runners.  The program is for girls 3rd-8th grade and has a ten-week training season that leads up to the 5K race, while also teaching them about motivation, healthy living, and positive self-esteem.  I thought it would be a fun way to get back into the running mode and it turned out to be a great road race with a challenging course.  Emmeline had fun dancing to the live music, eating cookies and watching out for me on the course.  Paul prompted her to yell "Yay mommy!  Go mommy!"; it was so adorable.  I think that next year when I turn 3o I would like to run another full marathon.  We are hoping to do a half marathon in September to see how our old geezer bodies hold up.

Yesterday evening we went to Jessop's Tavern in historic old New Castle.  It is one of our favorite restaurants and is famous for their sweet potato fries.  Our babysitter, Christina, was with Emmeline so that we could linger a nice, long time over our scrumptious food (I had roasted duck with apricot sauce) and wine.

Today Paul and Emmeline cooked me a wonderful brunch and we skyped with my parents while we ate.  I took advantage of our beautiful weather as I worked in the yard and got some more things planted while Paul and Emmeline napped.  Then we went to the Birth Center picnic and fundraiser.  TBC is celebrating their 10 year anniversary and new water birth suite.  Their celebration/fundraiser included a silent auction as well and I had the winning bid on a few baby items that will be great gifts for all of those preggos I know!  They also had a clown show, music, and crafts set up for the kids.  Emmeline had a lot of fun making a "jellyfish":

Go easy on the glitter!

Putting on the tentacles.

Ta-da!

The park had these cement tubes (old culverts?) for the kids

to play in; I think Emmeline and her little buddies look

like little criminals plotting their next move here.

Whoa! The big kid slide! This really

made my heart jump...

Tons of fun!

While we were at the picnic, some friends of ours (Martha and Mamar) invited us over to their house for an impromptu dinner and birthday cake.  They live only five blocks from us and Emmeline and Ezra, their son, have become great friends.  We try to get them together once or twice a week.  It is so nice to have regular play dates to look forward to during the week, now that our babies are too old for the Mom's group meetings at the Birth Center.

Martha, Mamar and Ezra just came back from

France on Wednesday so they had some really

yummy cheese to share.

What a spread!  I felt like we were at a little French

bistro!

Wow; what a yummy cake!  The wine was great, too!

I have also never heard anything more sweet than

my little daughter singing "Happy Birthday

to mommy!"

Practicing eating very nicely for her own

birthday cake...

...but being a little bit silly, too.

Handsome Ezra

My mom is arriving on Wednesday and I have it on good authority that she is bringing birthday goodies for me in her suitcase (is it wrong to still be so excited about birthday presents from my parents?).  On Thursday we will be going to Wilmington's annual Greek Fest with my mom and a group of friends.  Kate is making my favorite (carrot cake!) so that we can belatedly celebrate in proper fashion.

I truly am one lucky lady.