A Real Scorcher

So, Sis2 is officially a year older. She's officially pushing 40 really hard. (She's 38.) And how weird is it that my sisters and I are creeping on over towards "middle age"? I mean, other than the craptastic body I'm stuck in, I still feel like I'm 16. Maturity-wise, anyway.  Sis2 and I were talking about that the other day. How we still feel young but our bodies are like, "Nope." We've put some hard miles on these earthly shells of ours and thus, we walk and move like 90-year-olds. Seriously, though. My 80-something-year old Granny JUST RECENTLY started have knee problems that have slowed her down. I've had knee problems since I was 30. I haven't been able to get up out of the floor like a normal adult in six years. I have to roll over and get up like a toddler. A big 200-something pound toddler. I'll just be over here sucking my thumb.

*sigh*

Anyway, yeah. Sis2 had a birthday Friday. Naturally, I took off work to spend the day with her and the kids. It's become a tradition since they moved back here.

I started my day off a the vet's office getting Libby's nails trimmed. Girl has cat like claws if grown too long and she won't let me mess with her feet. The stinker.

As we were leaving, I managed to capture this actual kitty trying to trap a bird.

I couldn't catch him doing it, but every few seconds, he'd lean down and stick his paw in the front hole of the birdhouse. I don't know if that meant there was a bird in there he was trying to catch or if he was just being funny, but it was cute. Bad, but cute. haha

A trip to Wal-Mart and Starbucks later, I finally made it to Sis2's house where we sipped coffee and watched the kids play like monkey's on the swingset. It was a cool and overcast day so it made for great sitting outside sipping coffee weather.

Efan picked flowers for everyone because he's a gentleman like that.   

 

He's all about some bike tricks, too. He had to put on a bike show a few times before we left for lunch. I tell you, those kids get soooooooo annoyed with me and their mom because we get lost in conversation while they're putting on whatever show. Bike show, truck show, Barbie fashion show, etc. We can't help it, though. We don't get to hang out and chat all the time. One day, though, we'll look up, they'll be grown and they won't WANT us watching their every move. The catch 22 of life.

 

We ended up at our favorite burger place, Mugshots because neither of us ever get to eat there. We had to coax and bribe Efan into going, though, because apparently a particular piece of art they have on their wall frightens him. It's strange what scares kids but I remember being irrationally scared of things, too. I'm STILL irrationally scared of step stools, ladders and Madonna's biceps.

 

Sure enough, the first table the hostess lead us to was RIGHT BENEATH the painting that scares Efan and he got upset. The painting seems innocent enough, but it's of a green alien looking thing hugging some kids, so I get it. Kinda of random for a burger joint. The hostess was not thrilled that we asked to go to the upstairs dining area instead but whatever.

 

After lunch we strolled around downtown, visiting the children's consignment shop and the bookstore. We would have walked some more but the kids wanted to go to the Dollar Tree before dessert so, you know. The kids overruled us. ;-)

Dessert was worth the wait. We went to our favorite frozen yogurt bar (I guess is what you'd call it) and loaded up. I went straight for the cake batter. And it does taste like cake batter! Yum

I topped mine rather simply with some crushed Reese's cups and a sprinkle of crushed Butterfinger. And then of course I took a photo of it and texted to E, at work, who also loves cake batter fro-yo. Because I am mean and according to her, I am  hateful. haha

In case you couldn't tell, Efan ate chocolate and played with blocks. ;) #chocolateliplinerftw

Alyssa ate a mix of chocolate and vanilla and according to the cashier, she beat us all in the weight of her cup. Atta girl! ;-) I asked her if she ever got tired of me taking her photo and she assured me she doesn't mind. She's jus got such a sweet face! I can't help it!

 This boy, tho. smh He's a stinker. I can't quite remember what he was telling me here but it was probably something profound and fun.

Annnnd of course I stopped by Panda Express on the way home and self medicated on some orange chicken and Beijing beef. Of course. (I did only end up eating half of it and saved the other half for lunch Sunday.

If you notice the chopsticks, I did actually use them. I've always wanted to know how to properly use chopsticks but in rural Mississippi one does not just naturally pick up on that sort of thing. One rarely has the opportunity to learn.  But thanks to YouTube, I've watched a couple of videos and have been practicing so that now I can eat an entire meal--even the noodles!--with chopsticks. *pats self on the back*

 

I do have a friend who has proudly used chopsticks whenever we went to Panda but she always used a fork for her rice. I'm pretty confident that I could use chopsticks for rice so ;-P to her. lol (I'm petty and small, how are you? haha)

 

I'll hafta pick up on part two of this birthday weekend saga tomorrow. Or next week. It's taken me three days to get THIS far, after all. Eep!