Best Birthday Gift and Bring That Baby Out!

My actual birthday was a frigid day with bitter, strong winds. We had plans for a morning hike followed by a trip to the Museum. We ended up all sleeping in and the only thing I felt like doing was sipping hot drinks and parousing my new reads. Then in the afternoon, I brought my two boys to the thrift store. They rarely get to go to stores with me except Weaver's Way. Anyway, the serendipitous energy that I find around thrifting, I find, they also share. We found an authentic mariachi sombrero as well as a dressy wool fedora-style hat BOTH in BOYS' sizes! Also, we found an unopened boardgame called "Batman's Rooftop Rumble" to which Benici responded, "I have always wanted a game like that!" and as we made our way through the store he said, "Mom, I just can't stop thinking about that game we got!" Manny really wanted this turtleneck to look like "Freddy from School of Rock" and this red crew neck sweatshirt that says "California: in the same font as "Coca Cola." They make these careful and funny selections. Manny found a VHS tape of animated William Steig stories. It was so fun.

While we were mid-store, this middle-aged woman stopped us. "You have the most well-behaved and engaged children!" she said. Our interaction went on. I was polite and grateful. Then she asked, "Do you go to the Coleman branch of the Free Library?" I said, "Honestly, I have been avoiding the library bc I have about $20 in fines." Anyway, she happened to be the branch -coordinator for the Northwest neighborhoods and offered to remove our fines. I couldn't believe it. I live for little coincidences like this! What were the chances that I'd be in the store at the same time as this person and the chances that she'd OFFER to remove my conscience-binding fines and the fines that I unscrupulously incurred on my kids' cards? But she phoned on Saturday morning and Geoff said she was chipper and said the fines were erased and said, "Welcome back to the library!"

Yes, that photo is me jumping rope in the backyard yesterday. Just trying to jostle things around for the little bambina in there!