It was brought to my attention yesterday that I have neglected to talk about my birthday here! So, for those who are interested, here you go... My birthday was on Thursday of last week and it was a fun day! I was given the wonderful gift of having a few hours alone by my friend Ellen. She came over around 11 a.m. and took Lila off to play group with her. I was able to have a lunch date with *myself* and go shopping.

The shopping trip was at the Gap, where I used another birthday gift - a generous gift card from my parents-in-law. I got an outfit that I absolutely love and feel very pretty in. Skirt, shirt, and shoes - all for less than $25, thanks to a coupon and the gift card! :) After Doug got home, the three of us went to Marie Callendar's for dinner where I ate way too much. After a month of doing portion control (which has resulted in the loss of about 8 lbs for each of us!), that was a major shock to my body. I felt way gross! I recovered though and still enjoyed the rest of the evening.

Doug's gifts to me were a t-shirt from Chuy's (which i had been dropping not-so-subtle hints that i wanted) and the game Scene It: Harry Potter Edition. Because I am, without shame, a major Harry Potter nerd! To add to my Harry Potter glee, my friend Anne gave me a t-shirt that says, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." on the front and "Mischief Managed" on the back! :)

I also got some money from my parents which I plan to use on at least one chair massage at the gym in the near future. Oh, just thinking about it makes me long for one! Ack! Anyway, I also received a number of cute little things from parents and grandparents. Despite this detailed list of what I got, I mostly just love getting attention on my birthday. It's the little kid in me that loves to feel special!

Many thanks to those of you who sent cards and emails and phone greetings. They made me smile. :)