My Birthday!

 We started the day by hopping on our bikes and heading out for breakie at Shakabrah.  Note to self:  A giant omelette is not the best prelude to a 15 mile bike ride.  I'm 37 - I should know better, but I'm powerless in the face of a breakfast menu!  

 We haven't been out for breakfast in ages, so even M, the anti-breakfaster, was in good spirits.

 N was thoughtful enough to transfer my water into my coffee cup, strawful by strawful.  I think we actually squeezed in half of a conversation as a result of this miraculous distraction.

 See note above about excitement over breakfast.  I guess we need to do this more often?

 Next we headed towards downtown and took a new route since we've been poking around at different neighborhoods and looking at places we might, maybe, possibly be interested in moving.  N told us to stop looking around so much, since we weren't riding fast enough.  You know it's bad when the 6 year old with only one gear is lecturing you on your speed.  Along the way we found this magical tree that was certainly the scene of a blow-out fairy party.  Notice the glitter on the ground and the menagerie of trinkets in the tree.   A truly exciting find, if you are my kiddos!

 But, alas, the show must go on.  So we continued on.

 So long fairy friends.

 Since it was my birthday and I got to make the agenda, we popped by this kid's boutique that had intrigued me on our last bike ride.  Turns out that S's life was sadly incomplete before she had these completely awesome sunglasses.  Thanks Papa.

 How could this vest not come home with us?

 Next we headed down to the toy store, since they were having a special pottery workshop that I've been secretly wanting to do ever since we've moved here.  I fancy myself a genius potter, even though every time I have ever tried it I'm actually pretty lousy at it.  But there was an actual (battery powered, kinda cheezy) wheel there, so for-the-good-of-the-kids, we went to the pottery thingy.  

 We're waiting our turn.  The tension is building...

 Whippee!  It's so fun.  I almost pushed N off the chair trying to get my hands in that clay.  Turns out it's harder than it looks, and I'm still pretty lousy at it.

 These capes, they really do serve every purpose.

 Okay.  Back away from the wheel.  Let the kid do some pottery already.  Fair enough.

 Hands-on art.  Yep.

 What a great birthday so far!

 We got to make beaded necklaces.  N's is entirely pink and full of flamingos.  Wonder who that one is for?

 Here's S's final masterpiece.

 The tacos gave me a bag of edible candy legos for my birthday, so we got to snack on those throughout the ride.  And they really do stack!  You could build a candy airplane and fly it right into your mouth.  Seriously, there is no better time to be a kid.  So here we are in the midst of riding through the port.  Doing this on the weekend is amazing, since we can just ride around like we own the joint.  Doing this during the week would be a nightmare, since we'd look like little ants to be squished under the heels of those giant big rigs.  

 Next stop, since it's my day to flit around with abandon, was the Tinkertopia shop which just opened downtown.  We filled that whole bag that S is holding with doodads and thingamajigs and even the tiny little hammers that strike the piano keys. Seriously, the place to go for everything you didn't know you needed.

 Put your hands in the air like you just don't care!
It's time for the downtown block party in Opera Ally.  Can you see the umbrellas hanging between the buildings?  It was so charming... is this in Tacoma?

 Home brewed root beer.  The best I've ever had, and even better sipped while listening to live music.

 Hula hoops.  Crows of people.  Always a good combination.  It was all part of the challenge.

 This big hoop was surprisingly easy to hula.  Until I smacked S in the face with it by accident.  Oops.

 I'm outa here.

 It's my party and I'll hula if I want to!

 Community mural painting station.  S just swooned when she saw this.

 Here's those umbrellas, and my little maestro.

 She could just paint all day.

 That building behind S is a photography studio.  They did a free dress-up and photo-op and hopefully we will get some silly pics.

Are we still here?
Are the tacos STILL painting?
Am I just drooling over these buildings?
The answer is yes.

 Under penalty of death, do not get paint on your new vest!

 After this long, the tacos had drawn quite a crowd.

 Even I got in on the gig.

 M got this $5 t-shirt screen printed with the block party logo.  How cool is that - I've never seen anything screen-printed before.  Neat-o.

 He then proceeded to lose it on our epic ride home, which involved many hills, a slowly leaking tire, a completely flat tire, a tire hanging off the wheel, me sitting on the side of the road singing campfire songs with the tacos while M peddled furiously home on my bike with a sleeping baby, attaching a bike rack to the car while trying to keep said baby asleep, driving in the dark to pick the rest of the troop up off the curb.  People were friendly and kept checking on us.  I heart Ttown.

 Finally home.  Baby asleep.  What's next?  Cake, of course.  We were all exhausted, but who can say know to cake?  Not me.

 37.
That can't be right.  Is that right?

 Singing that song never gets old!

 What did I wish for?
8 hours of uninterrupted sleep?
That laundry to miraculously be folded and put away?
The basement remodel to be completed?

A day that ends in cake is always a good day.  Here's to another year of good times!