Birthday Blessings

My Birthday was Thursday.  As I mentioned before I am a big birthday lover.  So I'd thought I'd share with you some of the blessing that I noticed this birthday.

* I woke up before the boys and was able to spend some time in prayer and Bible study before I got them up.  This alone gets my day started off right.

*The boys ate breakfast in less than 35 minutes.  Which is not just a blessing, it is a minor miracle.  They generally view breakfast as a marathon.  Actually most marathons are run in less time than it takes them to eat 3-5 bowls of cereal and drink endless cups of water.

* They played together for 30 minutes while I got dressed and did not squabble once.  This miracle ranks right up there with water into wine.

* Free Tazo tea at my Morning Bible study.  I can almost understand why Starbucks charges so much for it.  All that yummy and calorie free too.  

* I had to drive West.  It was cloudless.   The snow-capped Rockies were almost breathtaking in their splendor.  I grew up in their shadow and am still overwhelmed by their majesty every single time I see them.  It just doesn't get old.

* Dairy Queen's new 4 items for 6 dollar menu.  Nothing says Happy Birthday quite like cheap onion rings.  I sincerely hope there are deep-fryers in heaven.

* When Sprout launched two full out tantrums in the DQ the senior-type ladies sitting next to us shot me sympathetic smiles instead of the glaring condemnation I often get.  The sympathy is like cold water on a hot day.

* For some reason giving a child a spanking in the DQ washroom caused me a fit of giggles.  Maybe because I realized the whole "this hurts me more than it hurts you" thing is a total crock.  It doesn't really bother me at all.  Please don't call social services.  Please.

* We had Bible study on Wednesday night so the house was as clean as it gets in a week and we ate lunch out which preserved the state of cleanliness for another hour or so.

* There's something restorative about short spanking and a long nap.  Sprout was a new man in the afternoon.  A fun, chatty and gregarious little man.

*Way Cooler took Spud to swimming.  Oh Happy Day.   So, Sprout and I went for a long walk in the 12C degree sunshine.  

It was so nice out I nearly did a  backflip.  But I refrained.  Because a visit the emergency room was not high on my birthday to-do list.

*A frosty drink at Starbucks with my favorite three year old. I paid for it with a gift card (so cool) and then read the paper while he explored the basket of broken and beat up toys.   I can't quite tell who had more fun.

*  On Friday the boys got to go to camp Poppa and mommy and daddy had a 24 hour date.  Complete with many gift cards.  It just doesn't get better than that.  Oh wait, yes it did.  I picked up a Tims after dropping off the boys and broke my 5 year losing spell at RUTR.  I got me a free coffee.  

See why I love my birthday?