Celebrating 31 Years and 35 Days

Papa Elliot is 31 on the 31st.....and Malcolm just turned 35 (five precious weeks) so we had a party to celebrate these milestones. Here's (forgive me...) "Malcolm In The Middle!"

Mama Ali bravely took her first outing alone since the birthday...to the beauty parlor. Somehow, she looks even more beautiful!

When I was a baby, all the father's wore hats. I called them "Frank Sinatra Hats." Seeing this hat at at Marshall's, I couldn't resist. Elliot loves his Father Hat.

Kissing Malcolm is something his parents do all day (and sometimes much of the night!) long. What a kissable boy. Here, Mally is kissed by Mama, while Papa reads him some Dr. Seuss.

For our Birthday Luncheon, Grammie Pat, Ali's Mom, made her mother's famous and delicious Danish Kringle...poppyseed and raspberry...for the birthday cake. Grammie Yogie (me) brought special candles from India, as well as the tablecloth.

We spent much of Saturday as a family, sitting in the cozy house, watching Malcolm, listening to Malcolm, smiling about Malcolm, loving Malcolm. What a life!

Inevitable Inpermanence...thank you!

My first memory of wishing so hard something would not end was the Fourth of July fireworks. The Kiwanis Club of Kalamazoo (Michigan) my hometown, sponsored the show, which to a girl of 6 or a bit older, was as magnificent as this New Year's display over Helsinki.

What I recall so vividly is around the half way point of the show, I began to feel a rising sense in my belly that "The Big K" was going to light up.

The fiery capital letter signified the generous Kalamazoo Kiwanis July 4 Celebration had ended. How I wanted to postpone the Big K.