to jackson: on your 1st birthday
my most precious one,
today is your day. though all days seem to be your days because the world and everything in it revolves around you, today is your day. you are one year old.
one year ago, this morning, you were brought into this world… into my world… and gosh, you’ve made it so much better than it was before. you have taught me more in the last 365 days than i could’ve ever possibly dreamed. you have challenged me to the point where i have thrown my hands in the air, begged for help, and wondered if i can put one foot in front of the other.
you have loved me.
and today especially, i celebrate you. because you have changed my life. you are one. one. and i am left in awe of you and of that fact.
you are one.
the magoo’s 1st kegger
to all of you waiting with bated breath for pictures of the drunken debauchery that took place this weekend, you’re goina have to settle for these… for now. i am uploading, collecting, and viewing literally hundreds of photos from family and friends.
without further adieu… jackson’s 1st birthday party (eh, whatthehell, first keg party) started out like this…
on what was the most glorious saturday afternoon i have seen in annapolis…
continued like this…
and ended with this…
(more pictures to come as i collect and then create an album for you all to view).
our magoo will officially be 1 year old on wednesday. i plan on crying and getting sappy about it at that point in time. until then, i will just talk about how crazy the party was and how proud i am of the keg-stand my son did.
*** update*** thanks to jackson’s auntie amy for this link to some killer cake pictures!
my kind of package store
so i went to the package store yesterday, because that’s what you do in preparation for your son’s 1st birthday party. (ok, well that’s what I DO). paul and i frequent this package store as it is on base, and thus cheaper than your “civilian” package store, so we’ve come to know curtis, the manager. also, we have a kegerator and curtis keeps our kegerator full and happy. basically, we give curtis a lot of business. (i swear, we’re not drunk all the time!)
yesterday was a disgusting day. rainy, windy, cold. just nasty. and this is what took place…
Curtis: “ah, back again… whatcha got for me now?”
Me: (pulling out list) “6 of corona light… 6 of heineken… 12 of sam light… paul’s getting the keg tomorrow.”
Curtis: “and…..”
Me: (smiling) “yes, wine too… chardonnay for my mother-in-law… lotsa pinot grigio for me and a dear friend.”
Curtis: “ok well if you get 6 of the big bottles, i’ll give you 10 percent off.”
Me: (raising an eye-brow) “well then YES… 2 big bottles of chard… 4 BIG BOTTLES OF PINOT to make it 6.”
(we walk up to the register after loading my cart with these items.)
Curtis: (ringing me up) “what’s the occasion this time?”
Me: “jackson is turning 1… we’re having a party… both sets of family… eek!”
Curtis: (husky laugh) “well then you’ll need something to get your through the next few days… how about some hawaiian beer for you and paul to share tonight?”
Me: (perplexed but in love and hearing steel drums in my mind) “hawaiian beer?”
Curtis: “yup. just got it in. i’ll give you a taste.”
(goes back to fridge. pulls out bottle and two plastic cups. we stand at the counter and drink together….)
Me: “i’ll take it.”
Curtis: “that’s my girl.”
(he rings me up… FINALLY, and as i put the hood on my rain coat up, he says to me, laughingly.)
“DON’T LET IT BE SO LONG BEFORE I SEE YOU GUYS IN HERE AGAIN!”
ps- it was noon.
only days left…
our magoo’s 1st birthday party will be saturday, though he will actually turn 1 on april 22nd. both (i repeat BOTH) sets of families arrive tomorrow to celebrate with us all weekend long. let the chaos commence, people!!! may there be constant merriment and delight as we celebrate the 1st year of our precious jackson ray… i, for one, could really use a celebration right now.
i have a feeling blog updates over the next few days will not be taking place as i will be juggling families and glasses of wine… but trust, dear readers, a full recap of “the event” will be posted next week.
cheers!
with beauty and wonder
with the beauty and wonder that only a child can have, jackson discovered my favorite flower on easter sunday. so gorgeous that they look unreal, too good to be true… and yet they are…
dear jackson,
in 8 days you will turn 1, and over the last year i have seen the world with a new set of eyes… a set of eyes that marvels at the delicate, waxy-feel of a tulip… a set of eyes that lights up like fireworks when your daddy walks in the room… a set of eyes that is honest in discovery… thank you for teaching me about beauty and wonder.
i love you,
mom
it seems only appropriate that the bed of tulips i sat jackson in were the most magnificent shade of purple i have ever laid eyes on. and it seems only appropriate that they tapered off into a bed of bright yellow tulips, as though maddie herself were lighting up the world with her smile. madeline’s funeral is today… and it is with true beauty and wonder that i admire the strength of sweet maddie’s mom, heather, in reading her blog post from yesterday.
Have a Sip
