31 -- or now I'm in my 30s.

30 felt, of course, like a fairly significant milestone, but I think from here on out the numbers will all feel very underwhelming until I hit 40.  Now I'm just "in my 30s".

BUT, I do still relish a birthday.  I love the birthday of any person I love, and I love my own birthday too.  Like bridal and baby showers, they have at times made me feel guilty or sheepish or like I'm on attention overload, but now they are a hoot and a holler.  I'm sure this is to do with being a mom and not having days off -- it's nice to have a day of "I'm the birthday girl.  That's right -- ME."

As it was, though, this year there was not a babysitter available in a 15 mile radius, and all my close friends were out of town, so I just dragged the boys along to do what I wanted to do and did not feel guilty a snitch.  And now I can't even remember all the details.  I do remember it started off with a favorite.  Now it's officially a tradition that Jeff whisks us all away and we go get breakfast at a local Panera-type place.  I get the vegetarian breakfast burrito.

Then Jeff went to work and I think my little boys and I went to the mall to cash in on some bday goods....and I just ran indulgent errands and went to Sonic and the park (which was for me in a way to keep Jude happy because a happy Jude means a happy me).  All day long people were texting me and asking what Jeff and I were doing that night.  I would always answer, "I don't know, but I hope it involves See's Bridge Mix and if it doesn't I'm going to go buy my own."  Well my darling husband waltzed in the door after work with a rectangular package in black and white checked wrapping and I knew he loved me and knows me like the back of his hand.  He asked if I wanted to go out to dinner with kids or stay in and get take out.  Hmmm -- after 0.1116 seconds of careful consideration I chose to skip the restaurant meltdowns and he went pick up Thai food.  We watched The Bourne Legacy on Apple TV and ate more than half the bridge mix.

And, as always, I milk my birthday some more with an Eaton celebration at my parents' house a few days later, and then a week after my bday when all my friends were free and/or back in town, we went to Nordstrom Cafe for one last hurrah.

This year I felt the love.  I wasn't pregnant and grumpy.  I have 3 wonderful boys that put an extra spring in my step.  I have a lot to be thankful for in life, and here's to another year of it!

Me and my besties at Nordstrom Cafe.

JUDE & LYLA'S 2nd BDAY PARTY

For Jude's 2nd birthday I actually pulled through and threw him a party!  It was easier to do because I shared the duties with Lyla's family.

Sometimes Ladera Ranch is more CUTE than I can bear, but cute does come with a lot of parks.  We sent out an evite, reserved the gazebo at a neighborhood park for $25, got a decoration package from Minted, brought drinks and homemade cupcakes.  Really, I feel like we simplified almost as much as we could.  The decoration package was probably the best part.  I have thrown tons of bridal and baby showers in the last few years, and each time I wander Target aisles trying to piece together decorations that are cute, cohesive, and cost effective.  I never really feel like I nail it.  With the Minted decorations, it looked way better than anything I would have thrown together, and cost less than what I've done in the past.  

Then the park aspect worked for everyone.  I got anxiety just thinking about trying to get a group of toddlers to participate in, let alone enjoy organized games.  This way, the parents chatted, and the piglets roamed their park turf.  

Jude had a great time, I let him eat as many cupcakes as he wanted, and really, Jeff and I felt lots of love and support from friends and family as we celebrated our babies.  I can't believe I've been a mom for over 2 years now.  Good days, bad days, I always know I'm in the middle of my absolute favorite thing.  Being a mom makes me happy.

You won't believe how much sugar was on the inside and outside of my son this day.  He's like me and is really in it for the frosting.  The cake can go to blazes.

Nursing G at a park is so much fun.  At least I'm not as uncomfortable as I was with Jude.

My dad was out of town, but Mimi made it.  Jude saw her before I did, ran over and into her arms.

YAY!

Singing the birthday song pulled a sweet bashful smile onto his face. 

"Do I have something on my face?  There, did I get it?  No? How about now?"

Here they were taking turns leaning down to Graham in his car seat and saying, "HI!!" Then belly laughs ensued after a few rounds, because duh that is hilarious stuff!

Jude is 2!

How do I have a 2 year old?  Truly a baby no more.

We are having a joint bday party in a couple of weeks with Lyla, so besides cake and presents tonight with Dad, I wasn't stressing out too much about today's activities.  I do have a newborn, after all.  But some magic happened and this boy went from one Jude-approved activity to the next.  First, my Dad texted me this morning asking if he could take Jude on a "toot" (adventure/jaunt/errands).  By 9:15 they were on their way to Home Depot, where Jude got to push the cart himself, and check out lawn mowers and stacks of wood.  At 10:45 when they got home it was straight to the park with the Gharrings.  10 minutes after arriving home from the park, Amber and Violet waltzed into the house with Chick-Fil-A.  Violet and Jude exchanged about 17 smooches and squealed and laughed (almost) the whole time.  Then not long after they left, Mimi came over to play.  A nap was had, and then I took Jude to the park/on a walk again while Mimi stayed home with Graham.  Afterwards, Mimi gave Jude a bath since he was expressing intense disapproval of me nursing Graham and unable to party. And then Dad came home.  Mimi left, our friends brought dinner over to be awesome and helpful, and we had cake and presents.  We knew we had winning presents: train tracks, coloring books and crayons, and a book that Jude had swiped off the shelf at Target yesterday (Richard Scarry's Things That Go book) and refused to let go of.  I picked it up for him because I have a hard time saying "no" to a book, especially the day before his bday.  Jude flipped over the cake, blew out the candle himself without being coached, and dug in happily.  Then he flipped over his presents, especially the train tracks, and did several "throw your hands in the air and growl-scream for joy"s.  

What does one say about one's Jude?  He is full of high-octane enthusiasm alllll the time.  He surprises me with new tricks and interests daily.  He's got a big, phatty heart and a clever, sometimes sneaky brain.  I feel like the world's leading expert on Jude but sometimes I look at him with a bit of trepidation, knowing that he could pull any sort of crazy, previously unheard of stunt on me at any moment.  :)  We love him, and that will never change. 

Happy birthday, Jude.

34 Years

of Jeff!

Happy birthday, honey.  We love, love, love you!

3-0

And I'm 30!  So far so good.

Jeff had to leave mid-day for work in San Fransisco, and even though I completely understood, I think he felt a little guilty (sweet) and so he turned it into Birthday Week (which I totally ate up).

On the actual day, Jeff scooped us up and off to breakfast at Cinnamon Productions (which we did last year, so does that mean this is a tradition yet?  I'd be good with that!).  Then upon returning home he gave me the Expedit 2x4 book case from Ikea that I'd been craving, and a couple of other gems.  He always leaves me feeling spoiled and hoping I made his birthday was as good as mine.

Then it was off to the office and SF for him, and Jude and I went for a run and did some bday shopping with some cash I'd been given by various patrons.  I gave myself the gift of a heavenly sugar rush with a 1 pound box of Bridge Mix from See's (as my mom would say, "Let's See's/Seize the day!").  Luckily Jeff was home by the next day to save me from myself as I repeatedly attacked the box.

Then while Jude napped I listened to a movie Jeff would not enjoy while putting together the Expedit (which they said should be assembled by no fewer than 2 people but in my old age I'm learning to ignore advice given in Swedish instruction pamphlets).  It's now in the nook/reading corner; pictures to come.

After naps it was time for a quick GNO at Nordstrom Cafe with some of my favorite gals.  One of the husbands watched Jude (along with his baby) so I could sit back and relax.  So nice.

I ended the evening talking on the phone to sweet family, friends, my cute husband, eating bridge mix, watching tv, enjoying Merzy Time, and I fell asleep on the couch.  Such a fun day, and it made me feel warm and loved.

Last Day of my 20s

In an hour and 19 minutes, my 20s are no more.  I thought I would feel weird about this, but no, it feels like time.

I'd just like to record here and now that I am satisfied with the decade that is marching its way out the door.  A lot of it was filled with college, a mission, travel, dating, introspection, figuring out what to do with my life, wishing a heavenly host would come down from the sky to tell me what to do,  etc. etc. etc.  There was angst, there was sorrow, there was joy, there were nostril-flared laughing spells, see what I'm saying?  It's about what I think it should be.  And I was very lucky to fall in love with the right guy about 70% of the way through my 20s, and because of that I have good reason to be excited about what's going happen in my 30s (and 40s, 50s, etc.).  I'm sure there will also be bouts of sorrow, and joy, and nostril-flared laughing spells, but a healthy and loving companionship enhances all the good and makes the bad easier to swallow.

I'd also like to record I spent a good chunk of the last day of my 20s at your favorite place and mine, 

Hours of my life (and Jude's), but I thought I'd better get my license renewed.  It's just one of the many lessons of responsibility that were solidified in my brain during my 20s.  

Survival of the DMV with a wild man was made possible by stroller straps and buckle, lots of food, my iPhone and a miracle.  Jude took some artistic photos of the glory that surrounded us.

And here I am with one of my all-time favorite products of my 20s.  

Welcome, 30, welcome.

Last Weekend

Yes, this is my son crawling on the table of a restaurant last Friday night.  That was the last time we will take Jude to dinner with us, even if it's before bedtime and he's taken good naps!  He was just born to wiggle and scream if wiggling is not allowed.

Speaking of naps, Jude is doing funny things with his, resulting in maybe 45 minutes of sleep for him a day, which is resulting Mom-o-la going BOOOONKERRRRRS!

Luckily he is doing cute things to compensate.  However I am not giving up on the naps.

Also, my Dad had a birthday on St. Patrick's Day!  We celebrated with the traditional corn beef, cabbage, and ginger cake!  Erin Go Bragh!  (And cue our Scottish ancestors spinning in their graves.)

Other than that, Jude is close to walking, finally drinking from a straw (I have random reasons for really working on that with him that I'm too lazy to explain), we're redoing the to-be guest room that for the last 2 years has been a "storage dump room" with poop colored two-toned walls, Jeff is finally watching Downton Abbey with me and while he won't admit this, I'm 100% sure he sees its value.  

Today is just one of those days.  This is Grump-a-tron Meredith, signing off.

Jeff is 33

You wanted me to broadcast your age to the internet, right honey?

Jeff rang in the new year with some friends and a cake.  He'll do more ringing in Hawaii, so all in all, I'd say he's got it pretty good.

Growing up, my mom would make our cakes in the theme of our choosing.  I had about 8 piggy themed cakes, because that was my favorite animal.  We weren't allowed to be in the kitchen while she was frosting them, and while the cakes cooled she'd cover them with a dish cloth.  Even though we knew what she was doing we pretended not to.  Jeff totally botched this surprise and saw me cooking up the whole thing, made comments, asked questions, but now he knows that is verboten for next year.

I love making cakes, but unless they are really dense I don't love eating them.  The fun in a cake lies in making it pretty, because brownies and cookies are pretty much one style and their earthy tones aren't that thrilling.  I got the recipe for a lemon poppy seed cake on Pinterest and copied my friend Lauren Phelps' idea of fading shades of blue in each layer of cake.  I had a blast doing it and it turned out pretty well (toot toot my own horn!).

33 things about Jeff:

1. He is my husband, which means out of all the guys I dated or could have dated or knew, he's the one that I chose to hunker down with, and who chose me, and I'm so glad I (we) did.
2. He will always, always return the shopping cart to its little rack in the parking lot.
3. When we go to Costco and take a sample, he always says as he walks away, "Oh that's really good!  We should get some!" just so that the person working the sample table doesn't feel like they did a bad job.
4. He has a sweet tooth that could beat up your sweet tooth.
5. He's such a lawyer.  In any situation, conversation, he's always mindful of the opposing opinion, argument, what's provable, what's faulty, etc.
6. When we're watching a movie and something is totally unrealistic, he reminds us all, "Willing suspension of disbelief."
7. He is the most loyal son, brother, nephew, uncle, cousin, grandson, etc.  He is so protective and respectful.  It's so admirable.
8. He love olives.  (Dry heave)
9. Most of the time he hops out of bed to get Jude first in the morning.
10. He minored in French.
11. He majored in Political Science.
12. He's still never told me what he scored on the LSAT, and even though he'll deny this I know it's because he's bashful about how well he did.
13. He LOVED Law School and has a special place in his heart for those 3 years.
14. He has great friends and one thing I've loved about being his wifey is that they are now MY friends, too!  I love them!
15. Jude can do no wrong in his eyes.
16. He's very risk averse and is very gung ho about getting things set for retirement (even though that's like 2 million years away!).
17. He tells me all the time that my blog is his favorite thing to read :).
18. He always gives my mom a hug when he sees her.
19. He has written about 3,000 off-the-cuff songs for Jude and me that regularly get stuck in my head.
20. He loves Joni Mitchell and other actual musicians but in his car listens to a lot of rap and hip-hop (which has to be kicked to the curb when Jude is along for the ride).
21. If he hadn't been a lawyer he would have been an architect or a real estate developer.
22. He's his own worst critic.
23. He wishes he had more time to read and surf.
24. He has very specific opinions about the garden.
25. He hates dark chocolate, prefers milk, and I'm the reverse, so we're good for each other like that.
26. He kept saying, "You're so brave!" when I was in labor, which made me laugh later, I thought, "What was brave about my screaming at the absolute top of my lungs??"
27. He doesn't like bananas.
28. He picks up other languages like it ain't no thang.
29. His favorite movie is Big Fish.
30. He hates period pieces.
31. He's very private (until I spilled all this info onto my blog).
32. He needs new running shoes.
33. He is FUNNY, and I think I get to benefit from that most of all.

Happy Birthday, Jeff.  Many happy returns!

A Potpourri of Blog Post Topics

- A little Jude lovin because I can't not post about how terrific it is to have him....

- I was on NPR a couple of weeks ago! No, I will NOT get out! They were talking about Netflix raising their rates a bit and and I called in and voiced my opinion that paying $5 more per month is still better than $120+ for cable, but I did expect them to increase streamable content as a result. I'll be signing for a book deal any day now.

- Since my baby weight loss stopped happening about 2 months ago, I had to change something up. I am on a new diet. When this book, Eat to Live, arrived in my mailbox a la Amazon, I shrieked in both excitement and devastation. It has since removed all fun from my life, but I'm on day 4 and so far I'm feelin good, considering.

- We're going to UT next week and I am SO EXCITED. Uninterrupted time with my boo. Seeing family. Jude's first flight. It's going to be epic.

- My cousin that caught my bouquet just had a ring put on it. I would say the bouquet catching had some influence but she's way too amazing to rely on mystical floral powers for husband ensnaring. And this means Jude's 2nd flight in September for the wedding!

- So I had a birthday! I tend to have better odd-aged years than even-aged years, so I welcome 29 with open arms. July 11 dawned, and once Jude was up Jeff whisked me (us) into the car and we drove toward a little strip mall. He said, "Oh, we're getting gas and then we're going home," nonchalantly. Ah, but I knew he was really taking me to Cinnamon Productions, and there I had my first fountain diet coke and vegetarian breakfast wrap of my 30th yea-- I mean of being 29. I'd love to say I was one of those people who loved and lived life to the fullest in any situation, but I'll be perfectly and scrumptiously honest: birthdays are MUCH better being married! Also I like extending my bdays as long as I can tackily get away with. I had a couple of friend lunches over the week and then 2 weeks after the day we had a family bday (when everyone could sit their bottoms around the same table). I couldn't decide what kind of cake I wanted so I let my mom (the cake maker) decide. She did a great job.

I wished I could eat the whole thing and not gain any weight.

Happy Birthday, Boo!

The Ladies' Man

Happy bday to my favorite husband. You make 32 look good!

Love, love, love you.

2 Sisters, 6 Cheers

3 for each!

The smallest one you see there on the lap of my mother (with the awesome toddler pea coat?!) is the girl who turned 24 years young yesterday. My hearty congratulations and woop woops.

And this one, the darling sister-in-law Michelle, is going to get herself to the chapel (temple!) and going to get herself MARRIED!!! We met him, love him, they're perfect together. My hearty congratulations and woop woop.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birfday to the King Bee

To my Dad, Happy Birthday.

Long may the Jimmy Eato banner wave!

Were you in town, I would give you one of these as well as a birthday cake:

Until next time!

This blog will now belatedly honor the birthday of my Jeff.

To that man among men who effortlessly memorizes a song word for word after hearing it once, who makes me laugh with my mouth wide open and my nose crinkled up, who makes my life more full than I ever considered it could,

happy birthday. Here's to millions more.

21.

When Elizabeth and I found out we had just got ourselves a brother, we woop wooped and did cartwheels around the family room. Sarah probably grunted; she was just barely 2. And actually, I never could do a true, honest cartwheel, but these glad tidings moved me to further attempts.

Thank goodness next time the anniversary of the Cameron Cartwheels come around, we'll have him to squeeze and pinch as brothers should be. I love and miss him more than I can say.

Happy Birthday and Happy Trucking to Cameron McOmber Eaton in the far away land of Ecuador, and many happy returns.

Bday Post II: A More Quick Wrap-Up Than the Narcissist in Me Would Like

Because my co-worker decorated my desk on Friday, the entire firm knows that last weekend I celebrated a birthday, although they (mostly) do not know my name.  Therefore in the last 48 hours I have answered more times than I am able to count the question, "How was your birthday?!"  I say something very cheerful but measured, because if I don't take care I will turn a conversation-in-passing into a 20 minute expansion, loaded with details of the front and centers of my life, how cool it was to open up my 5th tube of lip gloss of the day, how much junk food I ate etc., etc., etc..  

My favorite moments were......

- When my dad cooked a Saturday night family dinner that could not have tasted better if it were at the most swankified restaurant in town.  Obama doesn't eat as good as we did that night.  Betcher Bama dollar.  :)

- Eating cherries and home-spun oreos and ice cream in the Lake park at the heart-warming and tasteful party/picnic that Shauna and Lindsey threw for me.  It was way more than I deserved, but I'll take it gladly. 

- Getting a bike!  I LOVE that bike.  LOVE it.

- Hearing "Favorite Thing About Merzy" from those around the Saturday evening table.  I LIVE for that moment of the year.  I'll practically do anything for a compliment, and on m' birfday I don't even have to hint or cue or beg on my hands and knees for an ego fluff.  By the way, my dad called ME a chatterbox on the way to the San Diego Temple earlier Saturday.  If Jim Eaton ever calls YOU a monologue fiend, man... I mean, where do I go from there?  I've out-rocked the proverbial Bono.

- I shared the bday with Mike Cunningham for the first time this year, and as ever, with Annie Garlock Reynolds and Brie Gassin Jenkins.  Sharing is caring.  Sela Ward and Armani also celebrate with me, but they don't know it.

- I loved opening up my email from Cameron on Monday and reading his reminder that (totally strange but true) many of the "Gone Too Early" entertainers of the world went at 27.  Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, River Phoenix, Jonathan Brandis, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Ron McKernan just to name a few.  Horrible.  I don't have a drug addiction (Diet Coke doesn't count) so I expect to make it to 28.

I had a wonderful time.  For photos check out Facebook or maybe I'll have the energy tomorrow.  Goodnight!

Bday Post I: My 3 Cakes

Work Cake

Family Cake

Friend Cake

Manly gathering

Tonight was my friend Zach's "Manly Bday Party." Lots of sugar. More creatively endearing than your 3-year-old Halloween costume. Good job, Shavs.




This is me taking pictures of the glorious, flirtatious crowd. I'll expect no fewer than 73 nuptial unions to arise out of this bonding over brownies and diet coke. Boo ya.



I may or may not have blogged this entire post just because that Mike on the left said, "Oh man, you are SO addicted to your iPhone, Merz." I had no choice but to start blogging then and there from my telephonic device.

Boo ya.

-- Post From My iPhone

It's your birfday, it's your birfday, we gon party like it's your birfday.

It's Sarah's 23rd bday! An auspicious girl and an auspicious occasion.

I'm quite on auspision overload.

Love you, Sar.

far too quickly doth he grow.

my darling nephew turned 6 today. for reasons of privacy and to respect his mother's wishes i shall call him mr. bungaloo. 

mr. bungaloo is the finest of the bungaloos that ever were. during my time in vegas he was such a little companion, often giving a hug, a zerbert/raspberry, a "joke" (4-5 year old original humor...oh heaven help us all), a request for a youtube video (see below...our favorites were the "3 laughing babies" and the how does she know song? from the movie enchanted.)

when bungaloo's mother lets his hair grow, he has these lush, dark-blond curls. several women have stopped elizabeth as they go about town and said, pointing to his mane, "oh that's going to be trouble someday." 

bungaloo knows himself so well.  he's thoughtful and deliberate.  he gives me advice on whom i should marry, and loves that dog of his.  he is to the young social scene as paul mcartney was to the beatles, and makes friends faster than you can say "bob's your uncle." perhaps best of all, he's a sweet-hearted boy and has many deep and profound brain waves moving around in his head that help him see all the incentives to being a good child (unless his sister has been left in peace for far too long).

bungaloo, on this your 6th bday, i give you an auntie's salute! many happy returns!  i love you ever so.

happy birfday to the king bee

in my family, st. patrick's day isn't just for pinching. it is for the commemoration of my who's your daddy, james/jim/jimmy eato.

*dad loves to cook. loves. to. cook. he's tres good at it, too.

*songs that remind me of him are do ya by ELO, ex-girlfriend by no doubt, any song from the robert plant/alison kraus collaboration, goodnight by the beatles, anything by miles davis, and of course, goin down slow by muddy waters. he has terrific taste in music and i always feel proud of myself when i show him something he turns out to like.

*he took me to an albert king concert when i was 7. he let me get as many shirley temples as i wanted, and it turns out i wanted about 49. i remember thinking, "eef thees ees torture, CHAIN ME TO THEE WALL!"

*when i was 6 and elizabeth was 8, my mom went out of town for a weekend. over a couple of slices of northwood pizza elizabeth casually asked, "hey, dad, can we get our ears pierced tomorrow?" "sure!" upon her return to irvine, mom was shocked to say the least, but eh, ear piercing was inevitable in any case.

*his midwestern accent has faded quite a bit, but you can still hear a sliver of it in the words "soda pap" and "barbie dall."

*he hates peanut butter frozen yogurt, loves peant butter. go fig.

*i think he misses heidi, our dead dog, every day. she was dumb as a rock, but dad saw something special in her, and he half-seriously calls her his "angel."

*if you're lucky, he'll bagpipe at your wedding or funeral.

*he worked hard, hard, hard to bring home enough bacon to keep us in tutus, piano lessons, little league, rugby, choir dresses, gassed up for trips to palo alto several times a year, a few trips to chi-town, etc. it's been a good life.

*he's got a freakishly brilliant political and religious mind.

happy bday dad, we love, love, love you.