Happy Friday from Springfield, Missouri, home of Cashew Chicken, Bass Pro, Brad Pitt, and also where my parents live. We’re here for a few days visiting them and celebrating Jackson’s 4th birthday, which is today. When I asked him a couple months ago what he thought he might want to do for his birthday, he said he wanted to visit his grandparents. I told him him he could do that AND have a party, but he was adamant: no party (he gets a little social anxiety when he’s the center of attention in a large group of people). We had a big party for him last year (size-wise, I mean; it wasn’t anything fancier than a shin-dig in the park with bagels and cake), and he spent most of it trying to hide from his guests. So, I asked him if this year he might like to have just three or four friends over for a small party at our home, and he said no to that too (and not because he doesn’t have friends — he has plenty). I asked if he wanted to have two friends go get ice cream with him after school and even that was met with a “Maybe next year.” The kid really wanted nothing else besides visiting his grandparents, so here we are. And my own grandmother and two of my aunts and an uncle will be joining us from St. Louis tomorrow to help extend the birthday into the weekend. We’re also hitting a fall harvest fest tomorrow, complete with a pumpkin patch and corn mazes and hay rides and kettle corn and stuff like that. A perfect day for a brand new four-year-old, and not too shabby for the rest of us either.
I hope it’s a lovely weekend where you are, and that you have enough plans to look forward to but not too many to overwhelm you. Cheers!
![\"\"](\"https://d5nxst8fruw4z.cloudfront.net/atrk.gif?account=r/y/j1a0Sn00OI\")
Moneypenny October 9, 2015, 7:42 pm
Oh my goodness! That’s so cute about Jackson’s birthday wish to see his grandparents. Happy 4th to him!
I am walking my feet into the ground all over NYC! Today I walked 9.8 miles, to the Transit Museum, to window shopping in soho, to getting rained on in the west village. That doesn’t top yesterday’s 12 miles though… Not to mention I got to meet Wendy on Wednesday along with the lovely Joanie! Which was such fun and such a treat. 😀
Tomorrow I plan to go to the Brooklyn Flea Market and more exploring if my feet can take it…
Diablo October 10, 2015, 2:22 am
Currently, M and I are in Edmonton visiting good old friends for Canadian Thanksgiving. It’s past 1 am and everyone else is asleep, but we went out for some superb Turkish food tonight, and I had turkish coffee, so my eyelids keep snappin’ up like rollerblinds. My friend K who was the first friend I made in grad school, before I knew M, in 1987, has a top floor west-facing condo in the heart of downtown. We love to watch the sunset from it, but right now I am watching the city buzz Friday night of the long weekend. It’s warm for October. Overage skate punks taking out their aggression on the concrete features, drunk girls in herds trying to hail cabs, cabs defying all the laws of traffic and courtesy, ignoring the girls, young men revving their engines, also not picking up the girls. I’m finishing my last drink of the night, with a nice buzz after a long and positive week at my job. Not always, but sometimes the world can seem pretty sweet. Hope it is for you too.
Regina Chapman October 11, 2015, 1:55 pm
You got that sentiment across exactly:). Ever think about taking up writing? Happy weekend!
TheLadyE October 10, 2015, 2:39 am
Happy Birthday to Jackson! That’s so cute that he knew just what he wanted. 🙂 Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
.
I got back from a 2nd date about an hour ago and we have already both said we want to go out again and that we like each other. This is so easy it’s kind of freaking me out. It’s usually so hard, so complicated, so unsure (at least, that’s what I’m used to) and this time this flawed and idiosyncratic but really adorable, sweet, and fun guy actually likes me and I don’t really know what to think. Huh.
.
Tomorrow – well, really today – I am going to a good friend’s wedding and will hang out with my good friends from work all night dancing and having fun. I should probably get to sleep. Have a wonderful weekend all!
MissDre October 10, 2015, 8:49 am
Sounds like your second date was exciting! Lucky you, I have no idea where to even meet people.
TheLadyE October 11, 2015, 3:25 pm
Aww thank you! I met him on OK Cupid. Highly recommended, even if it takes awhile sometimes to find someone. 🙂
Crazy_Pug_Lady October 10, 2015, 3:42 am
It’s Canadian Thanksgivings just like Diablo said, so to all my fellow Canadians Happy Thanksgiving. 🙂 Mr.Crazy_Pug and I are getting up at this ungodly hour to go on a boat cruise of the muskoka’s to see all the lovely fall colours with his parents, sister and his lovely grandmother who just turned 89 and I adore. Then a delicious turkey feast afterwards including home made pumpkin pie! Sunday we have another dinner with my family, and Monday I have to prep for a terrifying 6 panelist interview on Thursday. Happy Birthday to Jackson!
MissDre October 10, 2015, 8:48 am
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Diablo and all my other fellow DW Canadians 🙂 Can’t wait for homemade Pumpkin pie!!!
Pamplemousse Rose October 10, 2015, 10:25 am
Happy Thanksgiving!! Our dinner is tomorrow at my BIL’s. We’ve been fighting illness in our house all week, so we’re going to have a bit of a quiet weekend, though we are going to get the rest of the furniture for baby’s room. On Monday we’re going to get Swanson Turkey TV Dinners (a tradition in my family).
honeybeenicki October 10, 2015, 7:17 am
Happy birthday Jackson!
This weekend we have a few things to take care of around the house, but right now I’m snuggled up with the baby because he appears to be getting his first cold. He was pissed about the nasal drops, but now he can breathe to sleep.
But seriously, I need to get my graveyard put up this weekend. We aren’t having our huge party for Halloween this year, but I have standards 😉
Jane63 October 10, 2015, 10:34 am
Happy birthday, Jackson!
Kate October 11, 2015, 1:30 pm
I just went to Target and they have a lot of cute stuff. Lots of plaid flannel shirts and henleys, sweaters, ponchos. And Steve Madden makes a line of kids shoes and boots called Stevie’s which are really cute and you can wear if your shoe size is up to about 7.5. I got riding boots with a wedge. Also a Maybelline lip gloss that was in Allure Best Of Beauty, called “caramel infused” which is a pretty pink with brown undertones.
Regina Chapman October 12, 2015, 4:06 am
Wendy, I think it’s great that you listen to Jackson so much and take his wishes for his birthday into account (and a sweet birthday wish it is – Happy Birthday Jackson!!).
.
As a kid, these kinds of social occasions were always filled with tension for me. I wish my parents had at least showed me there was an opt-out, and that it’s normal for some people to not think of a lot of hustle and bustle as ‘fun’. I suspect that listening to him and making him feel that whatever he chooses is perfectly okay, will help him so much to become a self-confident, balanced adult. Ace! 🙂
Dear Wendy October 12, 2015, 9:03 am
Thanks! The way I see it, the birthday party is entirely for him (I’d be happy never throwing one as I find the whole thing pretty stressful and tedious), so if he doesn’t want one, why push it? That said, if he DID want one, I’d be very happy to try my best to give him the kind of party that would make him happy. Anyway, we’ve been at my parents for the last few days, having an extended birthday celebration for jackson, and he’s been happy as a lark.
Cleopatra Jones October 12, 2015, 10:51 am
That’s how my son was growing up. He never wanted a party,ever. Only one year, I was able to talk him into a party, a paint ball party. After that, he asked me to stop asking him because he’s too old for parties. 🙂
.
Now my daughter, that girl starts planning her b-day party and cultivating her guest list around January. Her birthday is in the middle of the summer! But now she’s at an age where I don’t have to do anything but order & pay for the pizza.