Getting older, Moving up

In the middle of last year i had a very long conversation with K about us turning 35 next year. It was long we talked about big ideas and great plans because 30 was a blast and 35 deserved to be just as special. When TOM and I got back together i said the same thing to him how it was my plan to have an epic party or vacation. I got engaged and this year seemed epic. Then all the bad stuff started happening so i put it all on the backburner. When i got the email that C1's 8th grade graduation would be on my birthday i figured, that's a sign to stop celebrating me birthday again.

I didn't used to do birthdays and so clearly the universe is trying to tell me something, i'm not sure what its something. I decided to just accept that and look at my birthday as not any other day but as a celebration of a long crazy journey of middle school.

Graduation program 100 students

I got to wear my new shirt from Threadless for my birthday. When in doubt vote Ninjas or else.

Vote Ninjas 2012 or else

I convinced C1 to not wear her hair in a tight bun.

C1 after the ceremony

Its the little things.

Its funny how life throws you curveballs so you make the most of it. I was on the only one in the audience for C1. My parents were in Turkey, my grandmother instead of coming up threw a small party for C1 at her beach house, and her father... he neglected to even acknowledge her graduation. But i was there happy that not only did we pull off middle school, the source of a lot of my hair falling out, but that she managed to get really good grades and an award for ethics. Ethics, so apropos for a kid with Autism who sees so many things as black and white. We had a great IEP team all 3 years, the staff at her school was beyond wonderful and she had the best Language Arts teacher all 3 years who i will sorely miss.

So my 35th birthday i guess was a bit about me, i could take pride in the fact that we both survived this stage of life. High school is a bit scary but i feel like i know where i'm heading and where she's going. I can look at it as stage complete. There's life lessons in everything if you stop and reflect.

-