It is Caitliln's birthseason
eighteen years of this funny little sprite
laughing
mimicking
never still
what a gift!
So for our first celebration
we went to Bay St Louis MS
where my sister in spirit lives
Stacey
mother of Ian
born one week after Caitlin
we have pictures of us with pregnant tummies touching
they like to say
they were friends before they were born
we always celebrate the passages of life together
on the beach
watching the fire flicker across well loved faces
I think of all the cups of coffee
all the stories told and retold on porches late into the night
all the noses wiped
all the children tossed into the air
and I am so proud of the family we created
as I see our children growing up
and loving each other like we taught them to
BTW, Elvis is alive and well in a cardboard cut out at the rest station at the Mississippi state line!


Caitlin's actual natal day we spent quietly
watching Breakfast at Tiffany's
shopping for a cute dress and "hurt my feet shoes"
Mariah cooked a birthday dinner
I baked the traditional funfetti cake
my mom came and ate.

Teh next weekend it was time for birthday celebration number 3
The girls had tickets to "so you think you can dance " tour
I tagged along for the ride to visit Paula and Dana
other members of the tribe
in FL
so off we go
we are late
we are lost
tension in the car is high
since I am the mom
it is somehow my fault
I get out of the car at a Tom Thumb gas station
adn refuse to get back in.
I do this with the absolute certainty that Paula or Dana will come get me
even though I have no idea where I am
What friends I have!
So it's a margarita night
a pier sitting morning
and I am ready for whatever may come this week!