Happy Birthday to me.

It's Mitten City around here. Mittens are my new socks. I'll be happy when the pattern is completely memorized. Almost there.

My birthday sharing friend got me a book called Loose Leashes that I had been admiring at a scholastic bookfair. HOLY ANN GEDDES OF DOG PHOTOS. My new favorite thing.

I picked up my balloons and birthday cake today. Mr. Sophanne's knee is once again under the weather. The pick-up could have been the most pathetic thing I ever did until I saw a favorite student and had her help me put 24 purple and lime helium balloons in the car and then put some on her mamaw's car. That was some fun. She wondered what I could possibly do with 24 balloons not understanding the man ordering world of "more is better."

Also now that I think about it, one birthday I was doing laundry and went to dinner with a guy doing laundry. Not in a Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks kind of way. More in a Helen Hunt-Jack Nicholson kind of way.

Some 3rd graders were making jokes about being birthday paddled 44 times. One kid very innocently said "We'll need a bigger paddle." You got that right. My 44 yr. old a$$ is likely twice the size of my 22 yr. old one.

Liza the Dog has been with us for two years now. Whatever did we do pre-Liza?

There were many thoughtful cards and gifts. I am a lucky dog.