love is in the air...

oh, what a night.
today, our oldest turned 11. 
it was a good day, but also a day that left us wanting a quiet night together...
this was a "please turn our water into wine" night... we were on empty before dinner started.
gratefully, we made it through.  we celebrated, enjoyed and successfully bedded the masses.
drew took this picture of the professor.
it's his "put down the camera and get into bed" face.
no children were harmed in this production.
honestly, it turned out to be a nice, bonding night.
the professor did kids and i did kitchen.
both were equally daunting...
because jakob wanted spinach noodles, brocolli and chicken for his birthday dinner.
what kid wants SPINACH NOODLES for their birthday dinner.

but, ask and ye shall receive...
mmmmm.
actually, they were nasty.
the last time i made them, they were really good.
thus all my kids were so excited when we sat down to eat.  they all had heaping portions on their plates.
this time, i didn't have WHITE flour, just home-ground wheat flour.
jakob said it best when he said, "I don't remember them being so sandy."
mmmm.

mmmmm?!
breakfast was yummy...
eleven pancakes of course.  with buttermilk syrup.  so good.

 

and, what was the great excitement of the day???

  can you tell?
he got an ipod.
yes, an older ebay model... but, he is SOOO excited.
and so am i.  i love when my kids are happy.
we gave him $10 to spend on itunes...

jakob is a GREAT kid.  i really love him and, i REALLY like him.  jakob makes parenting hopeful.  ya know, you can look at your oldest and see what a great kid he's becoming and think... maybe i won't ruin them after all.    wow... ELEVEN YEARS.

hee hee... this is a real-live action shot.  i think the professor was only half enjoying himself.

and... we even took a little time to love this monster of a child.  oh, my sweet baby girl.

yup.  tonight... love was in the air.
as i held my first born in my arms this night, eleven years ago, could i have ever imagined a life this full?