Guess WHAT!?
I'm officially old! My thirtieth birthday was Saturday. I attended a party at the home of one lovely and one handsome friend(s), and we drank Sangria and ate lots of yummy appetizers. I am quite sure I woke up the morning of my birthday, and new wrinkles appeared near my eyes. And ya know what? I don't really care. What can you do, eh?
In other news, my new business is rolling! Things are happening! No riches quite yet, but I'm not going to give up on dreaming.
On another topic, the children and I (and then my dad, and then my sister visiting from Chicago and her new boyfriend) were recently were cursed with the gastrointestinal flu. I'm going to assume you know what I mean when I say "gastrointestinal". Let me just say that I was so happy to have lost four pounds in one day!!! (Yes, I gained it back in another day or two.) I recall going down the highway, and my husband, next to me in the driver's seat, turned to me and said, "I've been puked on more times this week than I have in my whole life," and I knew it was no exaggeration on his part. Little did he know he was about to be puked on again twice later that day.
Deep thought: If teens knew how gross, slimy, dirty, and stinky having children would be, I think they'd use a condom more often and give in to unprotected sex less. Somebody should hire me to put together a marketing campaign for abstinence or avoiding unwanted pregnancy.
My campaign would include multiple billboards with poop and vomit on them, I'll tell you that much.
Speaking of stinky little mess-makers, my children are great. Little delights, they are. I am happy to announce a development I've been patiently waiting for since I became a parent:
Child Slave Labor and/or Child Housekeeping!!!
I used to always wish my polydactyl cat, Elliott, would learn how to do the dishes or pick up a broom, but he just never seemed to have any interest in these tasks, so I gave up on him years ago. But, now, I'm happy to report that both children now seem to enjoy using the vacuum and cleaning glass surfaces! Kyra's got a fondness for toilet bowl cleaning, as well. That's my girl. Aren't they sweet? (They have a fresh breeze/sometimes orange scent too!)
Isn't it GREAT when they help??! At the end of a vacuum-session, I let them suck their hair into the hose thingy. They think that's the best thing ever. As for the glass cleaning, one of them will always have to point out how clean & sparkly the window/tv screen screen is, while TOUCHING it with their fingers. sigh.
Posted by: Catizhere | March 17, 2008 at 12:58 PM
I KNOW I didn't look as good as you when I was 30, Gerb. You're aging beautifully.
Posted by: ellen | March 17, 2008 at 08:38 PM
Happy belated birthday! Mine was Sunday and I turned 37. I remember noticing my first wrinkles around my eyes when I turned 30. I broke out the serious eye cream then. I love Skinceuticals eye cream now.
The kiddos are adorable. Glad to hear the child labor in your house is going swimmingly. Mine learned how to clean a toilet when she was 3.
Posted by: Heather | March 17, 2008 at 08:58 PM
I remember yelling at mom becauase "the only reason you and dad had kids was so WE COULD CLEAN THE HOUSE FOR YOU!!!"
This is great. I'm really proud of you. I would instill the same values in my children.
Posted by: Hillary | March 18, 2008 at 09:37 AM
Happy belated birthday! Crows feet are just an rite of passage ;)
The kiddos are adorable! They are growing up too quick!
Posted by: Shalini | March 19, 2008 at 02:52 AM
i could be the poster child for abstinence. seriously. ;)
Posted by: ali | March 20, 2008 at 03:05 PM
O.K. Gerb, This puking thing seems to work in seamlessly with the baby POOP theme, but you should tell your readers not to be eating a sandwich when they visit next time... And I do like the little cleaning exercises that you're teaching the kids... They will come in quite handy when playtime is over... Later
Posted by: Craig | March 22, 2008 at 07:46 AM
You can get the children to "help" with cleaning? Tell me, oh Wise One, when and how can I do this. Most of my cleaning episodes consist of confining the baby in some high walled cage while I endlessly fight with my 3 yr old to give me the vacuum cleaner hose. I would let my eldest son finish the vacuuming but he usually sucks up things that I have to fish out later....like socks....and toys. Sigh, I should just bite the bullet and hire a maid.
Posted by: Mel | April 06, 2008 at 08:58 PM
Maybe you've just moved on? Your business sounds very creative and engaging.
Posted by: Sarah | April 24, 2008 at 12:27 PM