31

On Friday I turned 31. As with turning 30, which was not that different from 29, 31 is not that different from 30. Except I kinda wish it was. I guess in some ways it is. I recently bought a house, J is awesome, I feel settled in at work, I have actually made some friends in Philly blah blah blah. So in those ways my life is different. However, I have not been on a date since oh...maybe October. And every time someone at work sends around pictures of his or her new kid, with pithy captions about how dad isn't good at feeding him or her, how mom rocks, how dad tries but doesn't get the diaper on the way mom does, it does make me wonder if this is more fun if you are doing it with the person you planned to do it with.

Then I remember life with MSTBX and I don't regret leaving him. Even with the impending arrival of the boohoo and the knowledge that this was going to be how I would experience being a mom for the first time. Without the captions, without the support of a partner, without someone who remembers my birthday. (MSTBX didn't bother to say happy birthday. Not surprising as even when we were married and I was pregnant, he forgot my birthday - that was 29). Not sure why this is bothering me today. Maybe because I am still not divorced, MSTBX's girlfriend is moving here (her presence in my kids life irks me beyond belief), maybe because I am tired of all the options in the work cafeteria. Who knows? All in all, everything considered, I still have it pretty good. Happy posts soon - promise.

Anyway, let's pretend that these are pictures of J shopping for my birthday present. Of course she did not get me anything, as she has no money and is only two feet tall. Those are both big challenges when shopping.

Oh and an update to last year's birthday post - I still have not run a marathon. So that goal is accomplished for another year.

I just like this picture....

Reminds me of good times, bizarley and I having fun during a break from pole dancing....and yes, there is booze in our cups and that is a dollar on the floor. Thanks to justsomeguy for the photo.

She Shoots....She Scores!!! And other items...

Jillian has a toddler basketball net, that unsurprisingly came with a toddler basketball. The ball, however, is not nearly as interesting to put through the hoop as Curious George. My father thought it would be HILARIOUS to encourage monkey abuse by showing J that George can be thrown into the basket. Since she is a quick learner, here she is showing off the fact that she has game. Watch out Carmello Anthony, et al. I am going to send her to the courts in West Philly to cut her street ball skillz. Though she may get beat up when she tries to convince everyone to use a stuffed monkey instead of an actual basketball....hmmmm parenting - so full of tough decisions.

Also in J news, the other morning I was getting ready for work and she was downstairs with the nanny of the century (her nanny). She was repeatedly yelling up the stairs (where I was) "MOMMY!!! DOLLAR!!" I can only assume she wanted a dollar? Not sure what for. She has been hanging out at the dollar store lately and got a rubber chicken there. Maybe she wants another one? Or maybe someone told her about mommy's pole dancing and she wanted to fold the dollar lengthwise?

Then this morning, J was putting on gloves (a pair she keeps in her pocketbook) and could not get one glove on her right chubby hand. So she took the glove, threw it, and shouted "BROKEN!" Hilarious.

Kids Are Weird.

See above. Not sure what she was trying to accomplish, except making me wrangle a naked child before bath time. Or perhaps she was trying to get to Elmo. Either way, nekkid pack and play scaling is weird.

Kickin' it Old School

This weekend, because I had so much work to do, I had to go home to NJ so that my parents could watch J while I worked. Apparently, for the past 30 years, they have saved a collection of toys that I used to play with. They brought these out for J to try out. Here she is shoving a fence into an old school barn.

You will also note in the background a cash register circa 1979, and a "happy apple" that has long since been taken from the market due to ridiculously pointy leaves. Despite the dangers of the happy apple, I had two because I loved it so much. Oh how I long for the days when a smiling, fat, round apple that made noise when you shook it was enough to make me happy.

Missing from the picture is the chomping Mickey of death - a Mickey mouse that has a string one can pull to make Mickey's mouth chomp up and down while saything pithy things. Man we had it good when we were kids!

Oh and an update on Noah of a few posts ago (who has a plastic white beard). Jillian handed him to me the other day and said "Santa." So any attempted secret religious education by my parents is clearly not taking.