Happy Birthday to Me!!

A picture my mom put on the facebook of me
as a youngun. Some say Wyatt and I look alike...

   Wahoo!! It's not every day that you turn somewhere-between-the-ages-of-24-and-32, and Friday September 14th was my special day!

Having a birthday within the first two weeks of September can be a bit rough. There is so much transitioning that happens during this time of year, particularly with school and football, that it can get shuffled, overlooked, or completely lost. It's something I have grown accustomed to. But when I walked into my classroom this morning, ready to teach the workers of tomorrow all they'd need to know about algebra, what did I find!?

A Happy Birthday balloon on my birthday!? What at treat!!

     I couldn't believe it! Someone at school knew it was my birthday, snuck into my room before 7:20 am, and left this one balloon floating by itself in the corner. ... ... wait, that doesn't make any sense. Oh, right. It was a student's birthday yesterday, and this was left behind. His mom brought him cupcakes and pizza. Oh well, I can still pretend it was for me, right!! Yay!!
   I go through the day, hoping that the topic of "birthdays" will somehow come up organically, but alas. It was not meant to be. Still, what can I expect when I am at a new school, and things are just getting started for the year.
   I go home and check my facebook (which I never ever do at work ever) and there are OVER TWELVE HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!!! I'm so glad all my friends remembered and took the time to think of me!! I am not great about doing that for others, so it's appreciated. But, even better than facebook: When I got home, my mom and baby Wyatt were there. The house was cleaned, including the hadn't-been-touched-in-four-days kitchen, and mom had gotten a carpet cleaner to take care of all of our new baby-induced stains!! It was sooooo appreciated. Cara had been wanting the house and carpets cleaned for quite some time, and now they were!! Yay!! But then something even more magical was about to happen!!


    What's this?!

   A package for me on my birthday!? Coming in the mail and arriving on my birthday?! That's the most exciting thing imaginable!! Oh, wait...

Ha! I almost published my address on the internet. But no!

   It was for Cara. She got a new dress (for my birthday I guess). She's going to be in a wedding soon. I should have known.
   Speaking of my wonderful wife, she had to work hard all day at her pharmacy, from 9 'till 9!! What a long chunk of work. I appreciate all that she does for the family, which includes making this absolutely fantastic cake that I pretty much ate all by myself and didn't want to share:

Chocolate cake, thick chocolate frosting and raspberry jam between the two layers. Killer good.

   My brother Garrett texted me asking what kind of Blizzards Cara and I like. He was going to drop them off for my birthday, which was Friday. Now, both of us having worked at Dairy Queen in high school, Garrett and I know our way around a Blizzard. My favorite is Raspberry Cheesequake, and Cara is fond of anything chocolaty like a Reese's or Oreo Blizzard. I told Garrett I didn't want anything, due to cake-induced stomach pains, so he just got one for Cara. What a guy!!

   Now, picture this: Cara comes home. The house is clean. The carpets are clean. She has a box in the mail containing a pretty new dress. Someone randomly got her a blizzard. I had made dinner. Happy Birthday to Cara!! I wonder how I can top this for her actual birthday, knowing that I pretty much gave her my birthday!

   In all honesty, that's what I would have wanted most. A clean house, happy baby and a happy wife. I got all of those things, so I went to bed very happy.

Here's a picture of Wyatt because that's why you are here!!

Eating ribs at his Grandma's house!!
Cara's brother Kip who we love despite his hair color took the picture.

My mood: post-holiday depression
Wyatt's mood: pre-party excitement!
Listening to: one of my Zelda soundtracks