Put Me In The Zoo

Did you know that Kyle and my brother Tom share a birthday? They both turned the big four-oh on December 9. It couldn't have happened to two nicer guys ;-)

After the Mother's Corner Christmas Party (previous post), we headed to the Zoo for dinner. Yep, the Zoo. 

The Opel Zoo is very close to us and houses a great restaurant called The Lodge. It's really a beautiful restaurant with an elegantly rustic interior that overlooks the outdoor habitat for the giraffes and zebras. 

Gone are the birthday dinners that start with a dirty martini before you get around to ordering then flow from course to leisurely course over shared bottle of wine and talk of aging and the year to come. 

Nope. We are blissfully at the birthday dinners that come with car seats and booster seats and wipes and blankets. Birthday dinners full of lap sitting, transformers via iphone, cutting chicken into small pieces, using a fork all by yourself, breastfeeding, the occasional sip of wine and bite of filet.  

Knowing that bedtime was looming and wanting to avoid a meltdown, we divided and conquered as we often do. You get the kids. I'll find our waiter and get the check. Here are the keys. I've got your phone. I'll get the our coats.  Where is our waiter? You dropped Nate's hat. Where did you put the keys? No mommy can't carry you. Come back here. Let's put on your hat. Shh----inside voices. No, I think the Zebras are sleeping. Do you have her binky? 

As we drove away from dinner with half of our bottle of wine still at the table, I asked Kyle if this is how he imagined his 40th birthday. He smiled--a content, happy and satisfied smile. 

Happy birthday! 

Nate, Evy and I advanced dinner by having lunch at The Lodge after one of our Tuesday music classes.
We decided it was a great birthday venue :-)
See the zebras in the background?

Lunch with zebras

My best cake yet, if I do say so myself :) 

CAKE!

May all your wishes come true

 :) sbc

PS: If you look at the cake and the cover closely, you'll notice that there's a little dent in the frosting and smudging on the cover. After his nap, I showed Nathan the cake (dumb, yes). I told him that it was Daddy's birthday and Daddy's cake and we had to wait until he got home from work to eat the cake, so on and so forth. After asking for cake 35,679 times, he lost interest. About an hour later I was feeding the dog. Nathan was quiet. I asked what he was doing. I came into the dining room to find him on his hands and knees on top of the table. He was supporting his body with one hand and lifting the cover with the other--while dragging it across the cake. He looked at me and said, "Happy birthday!" Nothing comes between this boy and his cake. He is more like his father every day!