Where'd I Go, and Happy Birthday to Me

I didn't fall off the planet, I just went back to work. I guess that's sort of like falling off the planet. In addition to returning to work 3 days a week on March 31, RESOLVE had its big Family Building Conference on April 12 which I had somewhat ambitiously agreed to chair last fall when I was doped up on pregnancy hormones. The conference was a success, but a ton o' work, and not without it's headaches. It felt good, though as the chair I spent most of the day of the event talking to hotel staff about AV equipment, tables, chairs, signage, sandwiches, drinks, elevators, lighting, table skirts, outlets, parking, etc., etc. All of the absolutely mundane details that make a large-scale conference work, but provide very little soul-feeding, which is part of why I do this stuff. There were definitely a few "touched people's lives moments" which I'm not up for summarizing now, plus it's easier to just link here where it's summed up much better than I could do. At any rate, it's over, glad I did it, need a big fat break. Since that event, I have been indulging myself in my family and haven't had a chance to sit down and write about it.

Today is my birthday and the last year of my 30's, though Steve likes to tell me that I'm in my 40th year. I can't really wrap my brain around that fact, kind of like I can never remember if we're in the 20th or 21st century. It was a fabulous birthday that started with Graeme serenading me with Happy Birthday Mommy at 8AM (Steve and my mom let me sleep in which was nice because I drank way too much wine the night before at a great, I mean "tight" dinner party - did you know that "tight" is the new "awesome", or so I'm told by the 15 year old son of the hosts). The serenade was followed by an immediate card and present opening fest. Graeme could not contain himself with the presents and insisted that I read his card about 42 times. Steve gave me a fabulous dress - he really, really, really always picks the best clothes for me - and the boys gave me a cool necklace. After breakfast and a good run with Graeme in the jog stroller I showered and then did something totally crazy, but it was rather fun, I think, maybe, no not really, it was hell, but I did it and never have to go again. I took Graeme (and Ian) to a 3 year old birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. What the h--- was I thinking? It really deserves a post in and of itself. In exchange for allowing Steve to nap while we were at the party Graeme and I took a long nap this afternoon. We then had a family BBQ and ended the day with a walk to Maggie Moos. It was really one of the best birthdays I can remember. If the RESOLVE conference didn't remind me that I'm a damn lucky girl, than today did.