A New Year

My birthday was this past week. In elementary school, a June birthday meant that I never got to go to school on my birthday and bring treats. Although, I do remember every now and then having a teacher who sought a way around this. One had all the summer birthdays celebrated on the last day of school. Another teacher assigned "unbirthdays" to all of the summer birthdays. My half birthday is December 26, so that didn't work for an unbirthday to be celebrated at school, so I was just assigned one randomly: March 1. That was as good a day for an unbirthday as any other day. 

A summer birthday also meant that I was often on vacation for my birthday. This was usually fun.

One thing I always liked about my birthday, though, is how it is almost exactly in the middle of the calendar year. I feel that it is a good time to sit down and evaluate how I am doing so far. I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions, but I still do want to improve.

2013 has been a pretty busy year for me. I have sold a house, moved twice, had a baby, gone on vacation, gone on a road trip from Ohio to Utah and back, seen all of my siblings and all of my husband's siblings, and even made dinner a few times.

I am not pleased with how I've been doing in terms of losing my temper, but I feel like I am getting a better handle on dealing with three children, so I hope to see improvement in that area soon.

I am slightly tired by how much energy it requires to make friends. Everyone here has been so nice and welcoming to me and have made it as easy as possible to make me feel at home, but I still am so worried all the time, that I'll say something wrong, that I'll come across as crass or awkward, or that I'll seem boring. I envy how easily Jill makes friends and how at peace with herself she is. I wish I could be as comfortable in my skin as my four year old is.

Danny decided three days ago that he was done wearing diapers. He's doing pretty good so far and loves wearing his "undie dundies." I kept calling them "panties" by accident, just out of habit from Jill, but I am doing a lot better now in using the more manly term.

We went bowling today. One of my new friends told me about a bowling alley here that has free bowling for kids during the summer. You get two games per day, and you just have to purchase the shoes. It was really fun. Jill actually bowled a strike!! (We had the bumpers up, and she was using a ball slide, but I still found it pretty impressive.)

Jeff leaves on a trip tomorrow. He's going to Santo Domingo. His London trip was postponed. I guess Wimbledon is making the hotels too expensive; something is making them really expensive at any rate. So he gets to go spend time on an island for the next three nights and four days. Wish me luck! I am glad that my first time being at home without him is a short trip.

Here are some pictures from my birthday. It was a great day, and I am excited about being 28! (Check out how mad Alice got at the end. I guess she missed the flame?)