Lapful of Love

Birthday celebrating for Leah started a week early when David and Judy were out visiting.  Mark continued the celebration all week up until the big day— big, because that number of candles just keeps on getting bigger, no matter what we may try to do to stop it. Ben did think that Leah was turning twenty.  She made sure to correct him and let him know it was actually her twenty-fourth birthday (at least that is the number she feels inside).  

Aside from the fifteen minutes at Sunday brunch, when Clara gave us a preview that the three’s may be more challenging than the two’s (and gave us a scare that the teen years may just do us in), it was a week filled with happy moments of love, a date night, tulips, chocolate croissants, valuable artwork from emerging artists, an abundance of cuddles and thoughtful care. 

Many of you wondered who makes cupcakes for Leah on her birthday…well, for our early celebration (which was for Miss Clara too) Leah baked a chocolate-chocolate cake per the littlest birthday girl’s request. Clara rightly declares her mommy, "my chocolate, chocolate buddy." For Leah’s actual birthday, Mark bought a batch of ice cream cake cupcakes from Cold Stone Creamery.  Ben adored them and gleefully proclaimed, “Mommy, you need to make these for every birthday!”  Gee Ben, thanks for appreciating all the from scratch, filled with love and real buttermilk goodness that your four-and-a-half years have brought you.

Birthdays are always a moment to step back, assess the past year and desires for the next one.  When both kids wiggle to find their “cozy spot” in your lap at the same time, you wrap the full length of your arms to hold them close and are thankful you can still fit both of those little bums (barely) on the "mommy chair."  Smelling the sweet mango scent of their Toy Story shampoo, feeling the warmth and weight of growing bodies, growing minds, growing hearts, listening to knock-knock jokes without a punch line and looking up at your husband who is attacking a sink load of dishes while listening to NPR, that single moment is all you need for clarity.  Your desire is simple, yet feels completely extravagant— more, just give me more of this.