Summer Fun - Weekend 11 - Summer's Over

The last official weekend of summer!!!!  More importantly Thursday, August 23rd was the last official workday of summer!!  The kids were to all be back to school on Monday, the 26th!  Work has been crazy, hectic all summer.  I can't even articulate how busy we were.  I was so looking forward to summer being over! And yay!  It's over!

Our fun began Thursday!  I was given a mini-early birthday celebration at lunchtime with this very yummy cake!!  Isn't it just beautiful? 

Thursday evening we joined everyone for the monthly Southwestern Happy Hour. Tate had a blast, and I had a much deserved, much needed glass of Pinot Noir.  There was a great turnout, so my sister who is one of the organizers, member of the Alumni Board, was thrilled.  Tate was super excited because a girl from his gymnastics camp class walked in right behind him!  They colored and 'chatted' for a good portion of the evening.

 

Friday morning Tate and I lazed about a bit, but we had to get Vinnie off to the vet for his annual exam!  Sweet Tate was so worried about him and was so cute at the vet's office, asking if we were going to go back with him and hold his hand.  He was slightly distraught when the nurse came up and took Vinnie away.  I had to promise him we'd be back soon to get Vincent!

Then we were off to swim lessons!  Last lesson for this session!  As always Tate did great!  They worked heavily on his backstroke...he's coming along really well.  We got his little report card, blow-pop (sigh), changed and we were on the road to get me my new phone!  I dropped my 4S a few weeks ago, and was just waiting til I could get a new phone.  Longest 3 1/2 weeks ever! :)  It wasn't worth it to me to fix the 4, so I just waited.  The guy at the AT&T was nice enough to transfer all my 4S data to my old 3, so I did have a phone.  I bought the 5 on Friday.  Yes I opted to not wait for the 5S.  I have no need for a faster, better, more techy phone.  I'm unimpressed by new technology.  The 5 suits my purposes just fine and works as fast as I need it to.

We ran home for some lunch then out to one of my salons to get my brows waxed.  Tate patiently waits while I have the hairs on my face ripped out, with little to no sympathy :).  We then went off to get his haircut.  As always he hopped up into the chair happy as could be, but when Mr. Kirk went to edge him up this time Tate was way too ticklish and wiggling about :(.  He even started crying.  Neither one of us could believe it.  He's been getting up on that chair all by himself since he was 14 months old (I didn't have to convince him at all that first time!!  He was such a big boy!).  Kirk has been edging him up for the past year.  I tried to hold him a bit to get it done, but he was having none of it, so we just moved on and let him hop down.  He was back to his happy self within moments.

We came home and just hung out.  Tate's favorite place to be!!!!!

Saturday morning came with some trains on Mommy's new phone as I turned back over and tried to desperately get some more sleep or at least snooze...which I did until almost 8.  We ate breakfast, got my hair washed and house ready for the birthday luncheon celebration!  My mom (whose birthday is August 27) and I had decided to do lunch at my house...she made a yummy cake and I made chicken spaghetti.  Everyone else brought food and drink as well.  Even Aunt Shelley came over to hang out and eat with us...love  her so much!  Tate was sooooo excited for the birthday parties and he had his own decorating ideas.  He ran around pulling things out and getting the table ready for my mom and me. 

Some people question why I opted to cook, but I would cook for my mom for her birthday, so this works great, and she enjoys making cakes for her kids, so this works for us.  We had a lovely time!  Tate spent most of the day calling me Jennifer....so very cute.  I have not a clue why!

Just hanging out for the afternoon...

Tate and I hung out the rest of the afternoon.  I couldn't have dreamed a better birthday celebration.

We had a very lazy Sunday morning which was my 46th birthday!  Tate even slept in!  Until 6:44am!!  It drizzled and rained, so we stayed in our pajamas as long as we could.  We then went off to have a playdate with a new friend (for both of us!).  We are going on a Disney cruise soon with a friend I made during Tate's swim lessons late last summer.  I'm very excited about my new friend as she's a black woman, and I really think it's important that Tate and I both start spending time with other black families.  I want him to have a diverse community of friends, and I desperately need some diversity in my friend community, so this has been so great.  Anyway, N mentioned early this summer that she and another friend of hers had just bought tickets for a cruise...would Tate and I like to go?  It's just going to be N and her daughter, no husband;  her friend is coming with her family (2 kids, husband, nanny and nanny's husband).  I immediately jumped on the bandwagon and bought our tickets later that same afternoon!

We three woman have been emailing a bit about the cruise and the other woman suggested that I have Tate and her son (turns 4 in September) have a playdate.  As I was reading her email with her signature I realized that I had met her last year at a private school diversity luncheon!  I verified that with her and she said yes that was her!!  Yay!!  She had given me her business card last year so we could get the kids together then, but per my usual I never followed up.  So, I was really glad we have reconnected!!!  Tate and I made our way to their house, and the boys did well together!  Tate's favorite toy was this of course.....

Later that afternoon after we returned home, I checked my email.  Lo and behold, I had an email from this guy...

I knew he wouldn't forget!

My Tate had promised me 100 hugs for my birthday and 10 kisses.  I collected on the hugs spontaneously on Saturday as we were on the floor reaching into a cabinet to get plates and cups for the lunch celebration.  Tate told me he wanted to give me my 100 birthday hugs.  He wrapped his beautiful baby boy arms around my neck, nestled his head on my right shoulder and hugged and hugged and hugged me while counting slowly and methodically to 100.  I was in bliss.  So much love from my sweet boy and so very proud of him counting to 100!!  He only misspoke two times .... at 71, 72, 74, but went back to 70 all on his own picking up 73 and did the same thing at 90, realized his mistake on his own and went back to 90!  But the hug...a-ma-zing.  Complete with an "I love you". 

Who needs anything else for their birthday? 

Sunday he did give me lots and lots of kisses and many more hugs.  Just what I needed!  Sunday evening we had a birthday dinner at 'The French Fry Place' with Aunt Lindsey. 

A perfect way to end a perfect birthday.