adulthood and other myths
Hi Sweet Ones,
We had a super fun “woodsy” for Col’s birthday.
A woodsy is when you go to the woods not so much with binoculars and journal, but more with friends, beer and elk stew.
If you don’t see many children, it’s because they’re all shoehorned around the cake in this photo.
I think Col has blown out every year’s birthday candles in my arms; he says when everyone sings to him it makes him a little nervous but it’s me that scoops him up unsolicited. If you need a boost when you turn 47, Col, I’m totally here for you.
Junction creek was completely frozen over and the kids only came off the ice to grab hunks of baguette.
Have I told you about the Colorado sun yet? Sunny days are so prevalent here that everyone gets sort of excited on grey, overcast days, finally feeling justified to stay home, drink coffee and do a little pleasantly melancholic journaling. Also, being 6512 feet closer to the sun, even when it’s listing to the south, counts for a lot. It also allows you to have a woodsy in January.
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On another note, and another birthday, Dan recently turned 40! I made that acorn meal cake with chokecherry frosting and damn, it was good.
There’s no better birthday present than kid art, right?
I also published a little story called Adulthood on Mamalode about Dan’s birthday and the craziness of turning 40 when you still remember all the lyrics to Blondie’s Call Me, from 1980.
an exerpt:
Somehow I thought it would be different, this adulthood, like you grow up and the oceanliners “self-confidence” and “competence” anchor at your dock forever. I don’t even have an ironclad parenting philosophy; you know—the kind you wear on your belt, flicking open to produce an array of efficient and appropriate tools to get out of any bind.
You may remember that Mamalode is that site where I get paid based on the number of unique clicks the story receives. And I wish that instead of explaining this detail every time I write for them, I had a code word I could drop. It could be like on Portlandia (which Dan and I watch on Netflix, crying with laughter), when the pink-haired girl wants a way to say “stop” to her sex-crazed boyfriend and comes up with the code word “cacao.” And then she goes a little overboard, hissing “cacao” when he puts his hand on her shoulders, or just texting him the word “cacao.”
Anyway, check out Adulthood, share with your friends and be well,
Rachel
ps: Mamalode is a great site, with excellent writers and a cool mission, that you should check out anyway.
pps: thanks for crying and celebrating with me on this post.
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I’m so glad you keep reminding us that you get paid when we click, cuz I figure I have time to click even if not to read, and then at least you get paid, but then I get drawn into your writing and it’s just so good, Rachel. Really. So you’re doing all of us a favor when you ask us to do you a favor. You are the lodestone of mamalode.
This was an excellent post. I enjoy reading your blog very much.
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Rachel,
I so wish I could sit down and have a cup of coffee or tea with you. I think you would make me laugh. You are a great writer, great mama and an inspiration in all aspects. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Rachel, I will absolutely check out Adulthood! Col’s birthday looks divine! I honestly can’t imagine a better way for kids to celebrate a winter birthday than by being out in the midst of it! http://amysreallife.wordpress.com
Yes, kid art is the best gift – love those creatures!
and delightful account of the “woodsy” for Col’s 7th
beautiful energy!
friends, beer and elk stew for 7th birthday :))) in the woods!!! Love it!!! :)))
(and I can relate so much to what you’ve written about Col and about adulthood – strange and wonderful times those lives of ours)
happy birthday to both your boys! i want a woodsy for my birthday. heading over to mamalode now…
That cake looks delicious and the fun on the ice looks good too :o) Rosie doesn’t care what time of year it is …a hula hoop is always fun :o) …
One year our oldest had us hum the happy birthday song. The following year we were upgraded to a whistle. She lets us sing now :).
I loved your Adulthood story! So true, so true. I laughed when you mentioned poop so I must not have quite reached adulthood myself yet :)
Oh my, Ben says he can’t believe you got Dan to watch “cacao”! I can tell you are hooked now. If you ever get stuck on a story, just put a bird on it – it’ll all be good :).
I just watched the first few episodes of Portlandia a few nights ago! Hilarious. Love the woodsy and all that sun you get down (up) there.
That sounds like such a blast of a time. I am going to have to do that with my group of friends down here on the range soon. In fact Landon’s first birthday is just around the corner, and this sounds like the perfect way to celebrate :). Happy Sunday.
I definitely would love LOVE to know your recipe for that cake!! Lucian’s birthday is coming up on the 14th and it would be an EXCELLENT surprise : )
oh boy. Woodsies sound exaclty like what I’d like to be doing on our birthdays. That frozen creek looks to be a BLast for little guys!!
and chokecherry icing?!
nice! love yer blog.