My Birthday

Five really is an awesome age.  42 not so much.  But C was on a mission to make me feel super special.  About a week before my birthday she made me a beautiful bow, complete with gems, and decorated my bedroom door with it.  She also drew a picture of me with a princess birthday hat, surrounded by flowers, hearts, the sun and a donkey.  Because of course no birthday would be complete without a donkey.

She was bubbling with energy all week and couldn't wait for it to be my birthday so that she could give me my presents which she hid in my room.  Craziness before bed on the eve of my birthday.
  
You never know what you'll get from the K & C Room Mall, but boy did I make out like a bandit.  I received a squishy octopus, a few puzzles, a lovely easter bonnet, a hot wheels car (which K decided to claim back a few minutes after I opened it) and the piece de resistance - Elmo!  It was very sweet that they were willing to part with some of their toys.  I also loved the handwritten card from C, signed for both of them.

Before heading off to work we had a family breakfast at The High Road Brasserie.  I've been wanting to visit for quite a while and after one glimpse of the fun patchwork floor, I knew this place was a keeper.


Over breakfast, C told J she wanted to make birthday cupcakes for me so while I was at work they baked. My usual policy is to not work on my birthday but this year I decided against it since I was just back from a 2 1/2 week holiday.  However, I won't make that mistake again.  I love making my birthday special - going places that I love and doing things that I enjoy.  And being at work for 8 hrs. leaves little time for that.

After work I met J at The Kensington Wine Room, where you use a debit card to choose samples of different wines that were lined up against the wall.
 
Then we had a lovely meal at The Shed in Notting Hill with my brother Brian and niece Katie.  It was quite the dining experience - we sat around a big barrel and ate small plates of very british, nose to tail, dishes.  It was best not to think about what you were eating and just enjoy the flavors.  The next day, we saw The Sound of Music at the Open Air Theatre in Regents Park.  It was an amazing performance in an amazing setting and C still hasn't stopped talking about it.  After the show we had dinner at home with KK, MM and Chiara and after dinner, ate the birthday cupcakes that C made.  So all in all, a fun birthday weekend, even if I did have to work.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes and cheers to another year of fun adventures!