an acts-of-service birthday celebration

Josh's birthday is this week, and I have a confession: I've struggled in the past with how to throw him an adequate birthday week celebration. I've had birthday gestures that have flopped simply because I think about what I would like instead of what my husband would like. So this year I turned to his love language: acts of service.

{Mr. Wilson and I on our Valentine date this year in downtown Portland.}

Instead of writing him love notes (which would make this words-of-affirmation girl swoon), I'm making his favorite meals this week. I tell him to go ahead and play one more computer game with his friends. I rub his back and make banana chocolate chips bars at 10:00 at night because I know he really loves them.

I research the perfect cobbler recipe instead of trying to fool myself into thinking he'll like cake better (because he doesn't). And I find an ice cream recipe that will go perfect with cobbler. 

When he tells me that he wants to have a LAN party with his friends, I say, OK! Let's buy you darlings nerds a bunch of pizza! Because here's the thing: this week is about Josh, and yeah, we're different. And I'm so grateful for that. When he turns 30 on Friday I want him to feel loved and appreciated. Maybe this year I'll do his birthday right, the way he likes it. And I like it best that way.

said around here

Now that Asher is a full-blown conversationalist, I spend most of his waking hours talking with him. It's pretty much a never-ending conversation about planes, helicopters, and the little carts at Trader Joe's. Some days I kiss him goodnight and am so mentally exhausted by so much socializing that the thought of conversing with another person makes me want to hide. Most of the time his little words and sentences make me smile, even though we usually talk about all the same things every day. 

In case you were wondering what it feels like to be in the Wilson home for any amount of time, here are some conversation snippets for your enjoyment: 

:: "Yisten, Mommy! Yisten!" Listen. He says this when I'm telling him something he doesn't want to hear. He thinks that if I listen I will agree. Sometimes I do, but sometimes I don't.

:: "Um, me fine." Usually said in conjunction with "yisten, mommy."

:: "Waysing when Daddy g'home from wok!" Racing when Daddy gets home from work, referring to our now nightly Mario Kart races. Asher holds a non-functioning remote while Josh and I compete. Josh almost always wins, and we always congratulate Asher on his triumphs.

:: "Push yeettle cars a Tra-er Joe's!" Pushing the little carts at Trader Joe's is, so far, a lifetime highlight.

:: "Car pomming!" Car coming, said in mild panic anytime he has to think about walking through a parking lot. So instead of holding his hand, we usually end up carrying him.

:: "Mommy go kishen!" Mommy go to the kitchen. This one typically comes out when Josh gets home from work and Asher is hankering for some guy time. He sounds misogynistic, but he's really not. Promise.

:: "Watch Ar-hur?" Our morning routine consists of breakfast, watching Josh drive away, and then settling down for an episode of Arthur. Asher knows all the characters.

:: "Ash-uh Wiw-son." His name. I love it.  

:: "Me sil-yee!" Me silly. Yes, little boy, yes you are.

:: "A, B, C, F, G, K, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z now-know-ABCs-ness-time-seen-wi ME!!" The modified alphabet.

Asher makes me laugh on a regular basis, and even when I'm exasperated it's hard not to giggle sometimes. I will leave you with one of my favorite Asher-isms: "Seeya!"

hello, Monday

:: Hello, Monday.
:: Hello, neglected blog. Hello, hello, hello.
:: Hello to February and clean slates.
:: In the same breath, goodbye to January. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.

:: Hello to grocery lists and checked-off boxes.
:: Hello to both skillet cookies and kickboxing.

:: Hello to a solo weekend trip to Utah.
:: Hello to flying on a plane with a bag full of books and without a lap full of toddler.
:: Hello to running away to my sister, at least for the weekend.

:: Hello to sanity t-shirts and nap-time sewing.
:: Hello to hoping and healing and maybe even a little bit more writing.

What are you saying hello to this week?

Joining in with Lisa Leonard in her Hello, Monday post today.