Thirty-six

Today is my birthday! I am 36 years old today, so here are 36 things you never needed to know about me:

1. I was born in the tiniest state in the Union.
2. My mom's pregnancy (the one that resulted in me) was both unplanned and (at least initially by one of my parents) unwanted. These things happen when you're young-ish and on vacation and drunk off your patooties.
3. Now I've probably made my folks sound like irresponsible, reluctant parents. But in fact they were incredible and I find myself holding myself up to the standard they set in my own parenting. And I've never in my life seen them so much as tipsy. Perhaps ending up with a baby took the thrill off of that particular activity.
4. Given that (a) my mom didn't realize she was pregnant at first and (b) it was the 1970s, it wasn't the most pristine prenatal experience. So it was interesting to be faced with those godawful preference forms during the adoption process and realize that checking off  "no alcohol during the entire pregnancy not even a drop no way" would mean refusing to adopt me. And I'm one amazing cookie.
5. I've worn glasses since I was four years old. Walking out of the opthamologist's ophthalmologist's office that first day, I said, "Oh, Mommy! The trees have leaves!"
6. I'm a little perturbed that "opthamologist" isn't recognized by spell-check. ETA: Or, spell check just shrugged at my completely incorrect spelling.
7. One thing I like about being terribly nearsighted is that I can sort of turn off the visual world at night. When I take off my glasses everything around me disappears into a softly multicolored blur.
8. Left to my druthers, I think reading would have been my only after-school activity in elementary school. "Bookworm" is putting is mildly.
9. For pets I had a series of hamsters, one mouse, and a fish won at the state fair that lived for way more years than any penny goldfish should.
10. As a teenager I donned sequin-spangled spandex and performed with a dance troupe in a Japanese shopping mall. Oh yes, I did. Our opening act was a country singer.
11. One of our routines was to Neil Diamond's "America". Oh, good heavens, the two-decades-post shame.
12. Beginning in junior high and running throughout high school, I kept a list of every outfit I wore. So that I wouldn't wear the same thing twice in x number of weeks. (The number of weeks got longer as time went on.)
13. Last week I wore the exact same outfit two days in a row. Teenage me would have been horrified.
14. I'm a little afraid of dogs. Even the tiny yappy ones.
15. I cannot stand the sound of other people chewing.
16. I almost always choose fruity desserts, like pie, over chocolate.
17. My favorite cake is lemon coconut. My grandfather died when I was three and a few years ago I found out that lemon coconut was his favorite, too.
18. Black licorice is vile and you will never convince me otherwise.
19. I wear Danskos. I love my Danskos.
20. My graduate degree was in Biblical studies and theology, if anyone ever wants to throw down some theology geek talk.
21. No, I have no idea what I'm going to do with my degree. I think I mostly missed being in an academic environment.
22. Also it's pretty much expected in my family of origin that you'll get at least one graduate degree. So I did. Family dynamics are interesting.
23. I bought a ticket to go to the BlogHer conference in August.
24. I am beyond excited to meet some of my online friends in person.
25. I am already wanting to hide at the thought of my introverted self being surrounded by all those people and the weird fixation on shoes that pops up in every communication from the conference organizers.
26. I started blogging not to better myself or chronicle my life or contribute something good to the world, but out of spite. Worst. Reason. Ever. Thankfully I got over that pretty quickly.
27. My favorite color is yellow.
28. I love tulips and daffodils.
29. I'm calmed by clean spaces, but am hopeless at actually keeping a space clean.
30. I am a night owl.
31. Right about here, I'm wishing I were only turning 30. Thirty-six turns out to be an awfully long list.
32. I still spend more time than I'd like to admit wondering whether our official family is finished at four.
33. Mari is almost three and getting more independent every day. We went out to eat on Saturday and both kids kept themselves occupied and happy through what turned out to be a longish meal. It was so nice. "But, but, but," says my brain, spinning in a hundred directions.
34. My ratio of posts-written-in-my head to posts-published is about 4:1.
35. I am munching on salt and vinegar kettle chips as a birthday treat.
36. For my birthday, I want mhowardkarp to deem me a righteous smartypants. Could there be a higher honor?

Open Adoption Roundtable #23

It's the third week of the month, so it's time for another open adoption roundtable.

This one will be a little different because (1) the prompt is actually at another blog and (2) a number of you have already written your posts.

Jessica from O Solo Mama is an adoptive parent via international adoption (and a fabulous writer). She's been listening to us tell our stories (especially those who participated in last year's interview project) and thinking about open adoption--why it sometimes seems to work, why it sometimes seems not to work, what's really going on for those of us living it. The other week she asked seven questions of those of us in open adoptions. Seven really, really good questions.

Rather than reposting the questions here, I'm sending you to her blog. I think it's important to read them in the context of her entire post.

• If you've already answered O Solo Mama's questions and would like to list your post here, leave a link in the comments.
• If you haven't answered them yet, go read the questions, write your response, and come back here to give us a link.

They've sparked some thoughtful discussion already and I'm looking forward to reading more!

***

• Meghann (adoptive parent) @ Everyday Miracles
• Lori (adoptive parent) @ Write Mind Open Heart - part one, part two
• Marisa (adoptive parent) @ Sheeps Eating Me
• Luna (adoptive parent) @ Life From Here - part one, part two
• Megan (adoptive parent) @ 27 Hours
• Racilous (first parent) @ Adoption in the City
• Heather (adoptive parent) @ Production, Not Reproduction
• Cat (adoptive parent) @ Cat's Litterbox
• Spyderkl (adoptive parent @ Evil Mommy
• Lady Stape (adoptive parent) @ Stape's House
• KatjaMichelle (first parent) @ Therapy Is Expensive
• Dawn (adoptive parent) @ This Woman's Work
• A Life Being Lived (first parent) @ Carrying a Cat By the Tail
• Lynn (adoptive parent) @ Open Hearts Open Minds
• A (adoptive parent) @ Not a Visitor
• Robyn (adoptive parent) @ Chittister Children
• Thanksgivingmom (first parent) @ I Should Really Be Working
• Kristin (adoptive parent) @ Parenthood Path
• Sara (adoptive parent) @ Unofficial Mom
• Melissa Mae (adoptive parent) @ Melissa Mae
• Harriet Glynn (adoptive parent) @ See Theo Run

So You Want To Throw a Lego Party

My computer went and broke itself. (How dare it, right?) It's with the computer nerds-for-hire (hopefully) being fixed. Meanwhile it's rather tedious to peck out long posts on my iPod, so we're going to do some exploring in the drafts folder. I hope you enjoy this bit of birthday fluff.

Like many a child, Eddie is a lover of Lego. When it came time to pick a birthday party theme he deliberated for roughly a nanosecond before picking Lego. So Lego it was.

My personal rules for young kid parties are: keep it small (you get to invite as many friends as you are old, so Eddie invited five), inexpensive, and busy. Keep those shorties occupied!

I make no claims to being a brilliant party planner. You'll find no sunlit photographs of beautiful dessert tables worthy of an Ohdeedoh feature here. I just figure that someone else may be looking to throw a DIY Lego-themed party for a preschooler and might appreciate some inspiration. If so, read on!