11 Great Things About My "Real" 11th Birthday

Yesterday was Leap Day. How did you celebrate? Did you do something you've never done? Did you use that extra 24 hours to do something fun? Was it your birthday, too?

I spent yesterday with a big old grin on my face. It was a beautiful, sunny day and nearly 70 degrees. I can't remember the last time I was in short sleeves on my birthday. It was awesome! Here are 11 things that helped to make my 44th/11th birthday great:

* A dear friend came by with a sweet card, some delicious cookies, and a great hug.

* An early morning phone call from my parents in which I was serenaded with a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday." This is a tradition that started when my brothers and I left for college. Now my parents do the early morning phone call for their children, their daughters and son-in-law, and grandchildren.

* Spending the day doing things I love, like fixing up furniture I found at GW and browsing in some stores.

*All the wonderful birthday wishes I received from friends and family on Facebook.

*Having my kids get up nicely for school with no griping.

* Birthday cards. Particularly the one for "someone who's 11" from my Supah Jeenyus brother that has 11 fun facts on it. My favorite facts: James K. Polk was the 11th U.S. President,  a rock that weighs 11 pounds on the moon would weigh 66 pounds on Earth. Also loved the fact that two of my birthday cards addressed me as "Birdlegs" (the name my father called me as a baby and which, sadly, no longer applies).

* Complete strangers wishing me happy birthday.

* Secretly leaving Post-It notes with the phrase "You are uniquely beautiful" on people's windshields, on the mirrors in bathrooms and dressing rooms, and on different products in the Ulta store and then watching people find the notes.

* Calls from my brothers to wish me happy birthday. The message from the brother my kids call Uncle Grumpy said this: "...hope you get a few seconds of your own time to really conjure on the fact that you have to be more than halfway through life and that the end of the line is just a black hole of nothingness. Maybe. Or! Maybe it's jellybeans everyday. One can dream...."

* Having dinner out with my beloved at a place that wouldn't dream of serving grilled cheese. And if they did, it would be goat cheese. Or brie. In fact, the fried goat cheese that came with my spring greens salad was amazing and I know for a fact that none of my children would touch it. Perfect place for a birthday dinner.

* Cake. Chocolate cake with chocolate icing, to be exact. Oh, and the Chocolate-Amaretto Flourless Torte that the restaurant gave me last night. Yeah. That was pretty awesome as well.

All in all, a pretty great way to spend my birthday. Gotta live it up because the next one doesn't roll around for another four years!