The Birthdays Are Coming! The Birthdays Are Coming!!

YAY. Every year since I was little I always started getting excited about my birthday right about now. I think of it like my own personal New Year. There'll be even more anticipation and fun-fun-fun know that I've a partner in my birthday game, namely the Toddleator. Her birthday is the day after mine, oh, goody-goody-goody! I made Fiona a birthday wish list, things that I've seen her find Really Useful in playtime at others' houses or the Kids Club. She would also love more musical instruments and silky scarves a la Music Together class. The pretend play is just beginning, I've seen her 'cook' and feed her stuffed friends, 'talk' on the phone, and have entire conversations with a crowd of carefully placed critters. A baby doll is in order at some point in the future, along with all the accessories...but then I'm not sure that a doll will ever take the place of Little Bear in Fiona's snugglin' arms. As it is she seems to enjoy puzzles and games. I always have wish lists (read: shopping lists) for her on the two toy sites I like best, Oompa Toys & Moolka, shopping isn't the problem for me, it's staying within the "we-wanna-buy-a-house" budget that's an issue. The Internet is great for window shopping, super-easy to gather information and toy reviews before actually purchasing anything. To be sure, I research play-worthiness, quality, and price exhaustively before deciding on anything to add to my shopping lists, let alone actually invite into my home for my child to adopt.

Now, I have to decide whether or not to have a party for her. In 20 years we'll make a weekend of the event, but for now an hour or 2 with cake & balloons will suffice. For MY birthday, I get to race in the St. George Tri, which isn't actually on my birthday, but the weekend after. I'm not sure it's a gift in the classic sense of the word, I can think of at least three friends of mine that would argue the usage of gift in this context. Training is coming along nicely, it's all working out ok. Lately I'm just grateful I have a car to get me where I need to go in a timely manner, and I'm grateful for the simple ability to train the way I have & eventually participate in a race at all!