41 Fun

Hello from the month of March!

My last post was written in Austin waiting for Landon to swim at the high school state meet. My parents drove over to watch with us and we were an enthusiastic cheer squad for our school's sole male qualifier.

And he did great! No new best times (he really blew it out at Regionals) but he did well in both his events (100 fly and 100 back), made finals in the 100 back, finishing 10th overall, and gave a strong showing as a sophomore. We're so proud of him.

Since my parents were with us, we celebrated my birthday a day early at Hula Hut, one of my fave classic Austin restaurants. I have many MANY memories here from undergrad and when we lived there again while James was in business school. Veggie tubular taco with queso blanco sauce forever.

James was excited about his gift for me and brought it to Austin so I could open it at the dinner. As soon as I saw the Valentino box, I could see why he couldn't wait, but I couldn't think of what he'd pick out from there.

And then I saw it held the rockstar stud sandals I'd been stalking online for 2+ years, and THEN I realized he must have texted Bonnie. He did pick out the color himself and I absolutely love them.

I did have to go exchange them for a pair two sizes bigger. I have gigantic (size 11 or 12!) feet. But they look so pretty wrapped in the metallic studded sandals I've admired for years!

We said goodbye to Austin and the pool we love (also the pool where we fell in love) and where I have so many of my own beloved memories of high school state and drove home Saturday afternoon after finals. Landon was full of plans of how much faster he'll go next year and the girls expressed their strong support, mostly so they can miss a day of school to go to Austin again.

On Sunday morning I woke up a year older!

I'm 41 and I'm here for it.

James and Landon had a swim meet (which is why we did my family dinner in Austin on Friday), so I woke up lazily, did a workout, and joined some new friends for a birthday brunch that was such a treat.

That afternoon I did some errands (like exchanging my beautiful sandals for probably the biggest size they have) and then had dinner with one of my best friends whose birthday is the day before mine.

When I got home, the boys were back from their meet, Cora was back from a friend's birthday party, and Claire was home too and I had my traditional decorated table, cards, and cake at the non-traditional time of 8:30 p.m.

As always, the kids and James made cards. Cora's was quite ornate. She'd learned an abstract art technique in her school art class and spent many nights laboring over scraps of paper she found in our art cabinet to make my birthday poster. I love how much each kid brings themself into the cards they give.

Landon isn't hand-making cards now that he has a car and a debit card and a successful basketball and football card re-sale business, but he added a note that touched my heart as much as anything a 16 year old can give. (Note: "tiny burbeeeee" is Landon's bizarre but hilarious name for Milo. There is no greater compliment than to say he loves me almost as much.)

And Claire. My sweet 13-year-old who is often both the wielder and victim of her own swirling emotions, but her self-awareness is 10/10. She also bought me a Rare Beauty lip pencil that she told me was my perfect shade and you guys, having teenagers is so fun.

It was a perfect day, marred only by the fact that it had to end and we all had to go back to school and reality the next morning (and I had to get on a plane).

I went back into my archives and found that the first birthday I celebrated on this blog was my 24th. I was pregnant with Landon, had been married for 1.5 years, lived in Chicago, and was surviving my 2nd year at the University of Chicago Law School. I

I still feel every bit of the woman I was all those seventeen(!) years ago when I wrote that- I remember her and she's still here, but man has she grown. It's crazy to think I was typing in this very same blogger box, probably from my couch in West Loop Chicago or the law library (where 85% of my law school era posts were typed; one of many reasons there are so many more of them than there are now), on that day I turned 24 in 2007 and now I'm at my kitchen table in Dallas, 41, definitely not pregnant, just finished with an in-room HIIT workout and about to go on a walk with a coworker and friend while my three children and husband run errands. (Actually, James and the girls went to run errands then he decided to drop off his car to be detailed, so Landon had to go pick him and the girls up and take them to the grocery store to continue the erranding and man is it a wonderful life change to not have to be the only one with a car and license to drive it.)

Last night all five of us were home and that doesn't happen often on a Saturday. We went on a walk with Maggie and then the kids played soccer in the back yard while James and I had the windows open in the kitchen listening to them laugh while we cooked.

"I love hearing them together," I remember saying. And yeah, we knew someone would probably burst into the house any moment to complain about something another one did, but still, I do love listening to them. They're our pack, my crew, and we both love when we're all living the small kid life of backyard play and everyone together that used to be so routine 10 years ago.

We ate delicious veggie tacos (roasted yam, black beans, avocado, and cotija cheese is the BEST combination) and then got in the pool.

Or the very heated hottub if you're me and don't do cold water anymore.

It was just a lovely night that still makes me smile today.

This is 41 and it's pretty great. Happy Sunday to you all!