Happy Birthday to Me

This week I turned thirty-three.  A year ago I turned thirty-two, so it wasn't a big surprise when I woke up one morning and was thirty-three.  It doesn't bother me at all to be thirty-three and a year older than thirty-two (or four years older than twenty-nine); in fact I'd much rather be thirty-three than twenty-three and I'm looking forward to being ninety-three one day (but maybe not one hundred and three.  I'll probably be ready to be finished by then).  I like getting older.  I like having the added experience and patience that comes from spending another year alive and dealing with life and all of the good things and difficult things that come with it.  Maybe I'll feel differently about getting older one day, but for now I like it.
This year I got to spread my birthday out over the whole week.  I started out my birthday week by having a holiday.  Brandon was off work and my housekeeper was coming, so we left the children and went to lunch.  Our car is here in country but the registration wasn't finished on Monday, so we just walked to lunch.  Dushanbe is a very small city with reasonably maintained sidewalks so it makes for some pleasant walking if you're not in a hurry.  I'm quite looking forward to pleasant summer evening walks; there are very few things I enjoy more than a high summer evening walk.
It was nice that the walk was pleasant because the restaurant, which claimed to be serving Egyptian fare, wasn't.  I chose so I can complain.  If you're looking for authentic Egyptian, don't go to Al Misr restaurant - come to my house.  I'm not claiming I can do it as well as an Egyptian, but even I know that baba ghanoush does have tahina and doesn't have green peppers.  Or pomegranate arils.  Maybe somewhere else, but not in Egypt.
I had very responsible plans to hold school on my actual birthday since we had already skipped school on Monday.  Those plans lasted about half an hour into my morning chores when I lost my moral fiber and cancelled school.
I had a pleasant morning talking to my littlest brother, internet shopping for my presents (thanks, Mom and Bobbi!), and hanging out not teaching the children school.  The children were happy to play, take care of the baby, and make their favorite lunch - peanut butter sandwiches.  I spent the afternoon napping and reading a book while the children took care of the baby and chopped vegetables for soup.  It was very luxurious, like taking a sick day without actually being sick.
Our family has evolved a tradition of Birthday Saturdays, where the birthday person chooses the activity, which can cost money.  Brandon and I drove our newly registered car home Friday night (filled with lots and lots of packages - none of which were my birthday presents, which got sent to the wrong pouch address) so I decided to take a drive up into the mountains for my own birthday Saturday.
It was snowing so everyone put their snow clothes on before piling into the car.  We stopped when the roads started looking bad and got out to play in the snow.





Everyone had a great time and we're all looking forward to doing it again.  Probably next Saturday.
Today we finished out my birthday week with cake.  Brandon insisted on putting all thirty-three candles.  I couldn't find any matched or lighters, so Brandon stuck some paper towel into the toaster (plugged into the 220v outlet) and used that instead.  Everyone sung, I blew out the candles, and we had some delicious chocolate cake, baked by Brandon.
So, as always, it was a wonderful birthday.  It's pretty hard to have a bad one when I have six people who keep me company, remember my birthday, bake me cake, give me kisses, and generally make my life great. 
Happy Birthday to Me!