Happy 21st Birthday to my other half!

I know. You're thinking I've lost my mind. You know that my other half turned the big 40 today.

So why am I saying happy 21st?

That's easy. That's how many birthdays of his we have spent together. It's almost hard to believe. I remember 3 years ago when we had spent 18 years together that I told him, "Do you realize that from this year forward we will have always known each other longer than we hadn't known each other". Now we have known each other more than half our lives. Crazy.

I remember when we first met. Jeff's friend, John, and my friend, Jennifer, had dated for a while. I had told Jennifer that I needed a date for our senior prom and did she know anyone that I could go with. She told John that she thought Jeff and I should meet. So John told Jeff , you know to reel him in, that I was, let's say, well endowed. Jennifer told me that Jeff had a black Jeep Wrangler.

Hello. What were your priorities at 17 and 18 years old. Geez.

On April 20, 1990 was our first date. We doubled with Jennifer and John. We went to see "Pretty Woman". At the end of the night, and Jennifer NEVER lets me forget this, I told her,"Well he didn't talk to me much so I guess we'll just go to the prom together and that will be it."

It has been almost 22 years since I met that boy. He certainly learned to talk more.

I don't have those boobs anymore and he doesn't have that black Jeep either. I guess we found out other things to keep us together.

To my darling other half, or as he has turned into some days, my other 3/4's, I wish you happy birthday. I hope we spend many more together.

Oh, and don't forget, we have spent 1 more of my birthdays together than we have of yours. So lucky you, in December, I will be turn 22. I'll be older than you.

Watch out for the traveling circus train

Now if I go somewhere that alot of walking is required, which for me is over 150ft., I have to ride in a wheelchair. It's certainly not the mode of transportation I always dreamed of, but it works. It is what it is.

So yesterday I went to the mall with my mom, my sis & the Honeybadger. Trust me when I tell you that the mall involves more than 150 ft. of walking. Therefore I'm using my wheelchair. The Honeybadger is only 5 months old so obviously he can't walk 150 ft, either and he gets to ride in his stroller. Picture this: 2 women walking with 1 pushing a stroller & 1 pushing a wheelchair and there you have our traveling circus train.

My mom claimed that her knee was really hurting so she made my sis push me and she pushed the baby. I personally think she doesn't want anyone to think she is old enough to have a "baby" my age. She denies this.

Here's the back story as to why I call us the "traveling circus train".

We were getting ready to throw my sister's baby shower and trying to decide about decorations. The baby's room has a jungle animals theme. My mom suddenly remembers that she still has the Fisher Price circus train that belonged to my sis. She now just has to find it.

If you truly know my mom you know that she is extremely clean and tidy. But she has a dirty little secret. She has 1 room in her house that my sis & I have named, "the room of no return". It's upstairs and she always keeps the door closed so you would never even know it's there. It could easily qualify for an episode of Hoarders.

And this is where she has to go to recover the circus train. I thought the poor unborn grandchild might graduate from high school before getting this as a gift.

Low and behold, she finds it. The engine, the caboose, the cage car, the animals and the most important part of any Fisher Price toy, The Little People.

Now she wants to know how we can be sure we have all the parts. I tell her, why Ebay of course! You can't believe how much old school Fisher Price stuff is for sale on there. Everything from complete boxed sets to individual pieces. Incredible. I'm looking at a set that has the box to do a checklist of the pieces we have.

We have all except one. The clown.

The clown had a cute pointed yellow hat. My sis put everything in her mouth when she was little. I have no doubt that the hat made a wonderful chew toy for her.

My mother then says, "Are you sure we are only missing one person? Because I have the engineer and the ringmaster but there are 4 seats on the train. Who's the other seat for?".

I told her that they must keep that seat open for the kid who wants to run away and join the circus. Now we are killing ourselves laughing. It's about this time when the other half walks into the room & is listening to our conversation.

My mother tells me that I MUST try and get a clown for our circus from Ebay. She pleads with me and says,"our circus can't be short a clown". My other half hears me tell her that I promise to bid on a clown so that our circus will not be short a clown.

After I hang up with her the other half looks at me and say, "if there is 1 thing your family will never be short on is clowns".

I'm sure he is right. Although maybe that explains it. My family is crazy because we're 1 clown short of a circus.

Go figure.