birthdays of the future

Yesterday I turned 39. Today, Sophie turns 6. Six years ago, she was, by far, the best birthday present I have ever gotten. Or probably ever will.

But wow, hey, forty is looming, right? 364 days away. A friend asked me how I was doing facing it, and oddly, I realized I really feel okay about forty. I have often, for whatever reason, had friends who were older than I, and so have known many wonderful, amazing, talented, smoking hawt, 40 year old women, blazing the trail in my mind for 40 as Not An Age To Be Feared. Women come alive at forty. I’ve seen it happen. So I’m good with forty. Today anyway, right? Ask me again in 364 days.

And, honestly, it would be a different story if I didn’t have Sophie and Luc. I would be hearing The Clock clanging and feeling something I have always wanted to do—have a baby—slipping away. So, no doubt, I’m feeling fine as 40 approaches because I’ve got my two kiddos running circles around me. Baby—check, check. People do ask me about a third, and technically, the factory is still open. In theory it could happen. I wouldn’t turn another soul down if he or she made a surprise visit. But pregnancy is hard. Really, really hard. I’m okay to let the count stand at two.

We hung out at our aunt’s house a lot this weekend with out of town birthday guests (grandma, great-grandma, aunt, cousins). On one aunt’s trampoline (thus the static, see photos below), the kids and I had this great conversation that resulted in making some lists of what we want to do with the coming year. We imagined being on that same trampoline in one year, looking back…what would we be pleased we had accomplished? The kids Ideas were pretty cool, I thought.

Sophie’s things to do list for being six:

*Learn to ride a bike without training wheels.

*Learn to write.

*Learn to use chopsticks.

*Paint more “real looking things.”

Luc’s list for being 4, although he has been four since October, he still wanted to make a list:

*Be able to push himself on the swing.

*Be able to do puzzles with pieces “this tiny” (holding thumb and forefinger up to his eye and peeking through.

*Moonwalk like zombie Michael Jackson

I thought that last one was pretty funny. But after watching “Thriller,” Luc is quite taken with Michael.

Maya’s list for being 39:

*Freestanding, comfortable backbend. And maybe lotus.

*Finish novel #7. Begin novel #8.

*Be a kinder person.

This picture has the amazing strawberry cake our baker cousin made for Sophie, and the amazing cheesecake my Mom made. We are blessed by bakers in this family! Just a small family party this time. After being snowed in so much of this winter, I couldn’t face the work required to clean the yurt for a real party. Thanks to Aunt Nettie for hosting!

And to Aunt Carroll for having this terrific climbing tree:

Climb as high as you want and have fun—that’s a motto to live by, if you ask me.