Birthdays, Canada, and Bluey

 M ~ 

Happy 2024! 

Courtney (from San Diego) was back in town briefly and the new year started off with a spontaneous visit with her and her friends for Dad, me, Marisha, Kelly, and Ashley. (Youbwere home gaming with friends and holding down the fort). The picture below is of a few middle-age folks pretending like they're back in college again. Lol

On leap year we decided to go get smoothies together and talked about your upcoming birthday and social anxiety and friendships and school...we kept going on a much longer drive because I adore when you let me in to your world and tell me how you're truly doing. I love our conversations so much. 

breakfast with Memaw and Papaw

One day you asked Daddy if airplanes have horns. *giggle* Now your random questions are starting to sound like mine. Ha

The kitties were loving on you lately, too...even Pip!

Your birthday finally came in early March. It was a big one. 16! But you decided you didn't want any big celebration, just smaller, more intimate recognition and of course, our traditional birthday breakfast surprise for you. 

Ms Lisa at school surprised you with a very thoughtful gift...she special ordered
all blue airheads just for you.

I let you play hooky on your birthday. You're such a great student that I never worry about skipping a day of school here and there. We went to lunch together at a restaurant where customers are served by robots. It was pretty cool.

You agreed to let the family have a birthday dinner for you and chose Olive Garden.

Later in March, it was your spring break for school (woot woot!). We decided to head north to freezing cold Canada, Toronto specifically. A strange spring break destination  for some but this one was special because we combined it with a trip to meet your long distance friend, Julia, from Canada. It was amazing to be able to meet up with her, see her in person, and allow the two of you to have this IRL time together. Julia is so sweet and I was so happy to facilitate this and hope that it brings a new level of bonding to your friendship.  

gotta stop at Grandpa's Cheese Barn if you go up 71N

we made it!

you and Julia's first picture together...
and Mom making it awkward, haha

We had to hit Chinatown while in Toronto, to add it to the tally of all the Chinatowns we've seen so far. I think we only have a few left before we've seen all of them in North America. Toronto's was pretty amazing.

I tried to get you in my obligatory Canada picture with a bear,but you're
way too cool for that

The following were from a really cool spot called Graffiti Alley.

of course I needed a pic of me with a raccoon, 
especially considering our roommates
under the deck at home.

We also went on a wild goose chase for a store they only have in Canada and a few places in the states...Uniqlo. You've been wanting to shop here for quite a while and we tracked one down in a mall there. You were over the moon and we went a little crazy but it was worth it.

Then we were hungry so hit up the most ridiculous restaurant we could find. The Poop Cafe. It was mostly desserts but very cute and funny. We sat on toilets and the treats were potty inspired. Unique, for sure.

One of our last nights there we ate dinner with Lao Lao's friends from work at a really fancy restaurant inside a tower, overlooking the city and which rotated 360 degrees every hour. A unique experience.

And finally, although you are now 16, two years away from being a grown-ass adult, you came home from work one night, talkative as usual, but also asked if I wanted to watch a few episodes of Bluey with you before bed. You climbed into our bed and we did just that. This show is just as much for parents as it is for little kids so it was interesting and sweet that you wanted to show me. Picking the episode called Baby Race about how parents cope with the feelings that they're not doing a good enough job. You said it would make me cry and it did. Then another night, we watched an episode called Ragdoll. (which was equally as good). You've been showing me quite a few episodes lately and I love when I see you pop your head in my room or downstairs and ask to do so. The show is actually really sweet. I don't know where this came from but I adore you wanting to share this with me, snuggled in our bed or on the couch, just like the old days. 

Love, 

Mama