So this is what 239 feels like

Pearl gets really excited about birthdays - it doesn't matter who's birthday it is either, although she does know that it has to be my birthday then Ricco's birthday before it gets to be her birthday. This time it was mine. After prepping her for a few days, mainly to stop her daily questioning if it was her own birthday - the day finally came. Jeff drug her out of bed half asleep to sing happy birthday to me, which was super cute, crazy bed-head hair and all. Then we tried to tell her how old I was. When asked, Pearl suggested 2 then 5 and at one point that morning, even threw a 20 in there. But when asked at daycare how old her mom was, she told everyone I was 239. I guess it is pretty hard for a 2 year old to understand just how old 29 really is. It's old... at least that's how I feel!

There is an advantage to being 239 though, you get a pretty cool present. A new camera lens - the Nikon 35 mm AF-S f/1.8G. I've had my eye on this baby for several months because all the reviews I've read about it say it's great for low light situations (like anywhere in our house) and I can do some cool stuff with blurring the background of my photos. Jeff took me to the camera store and let me pick it out last week - along with a new camera bag - but with not practicing my photography skills for almost 9 months, I was shocked at how crappy my pictures are and how little I seem to remember about shooting in manual. I figure once Ricco gets out of me and I can actually bend down and chase Pearl around I'll get back into the swing of things. So after a day at work (birthdays just aren't that exciting when you're old, are they?) we went to dinner. Reminder for next year, let Jeff pick the restaurant. I really just wanted chips and salsa so we went to this joint not too far from our house and when we got there, remembered we really don't like the place. Even the chips and salsa were gross. Oh well, at least I didn't have to cook dinner! And Jeff signed me up for the Baskin Robbins birthday club and sent me a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream... yummy! My husband knows me too well (so does Pearl because she got the free scoop as bribery for being good at the grocery store). Then my neighbors brought over these beautiful tulips. They were excited because as their 14 year old told me, now they can just come over next year, dig them up, stick them back in a pot, and their birthday present is done. And then to top things off, only when you turn 239 can you convince your sister and brother-in-law to come over the day AFTER your birthday for cake and ice cream that you make them bring to you. I can't wait to see what next year brings, that is if I make it!