Our girl is 7! Her birthday was last Friday the 15th, and we had two full days of celebrating. Everyone here is still recovering, and I’m getting over a bug that left me with a fever upwards of 103 last night. Friday morning we were at school for her class’s birthday circle, then we left school for a day at Ikea (she asked for a new desk for her birthday) and Emerald City ComicCon. Saturday morning was her Wild Kratts-themed birthday party, and Saturday night we went to Monster Jam.

I know I’m not a working librarian anymore, but the American Library Association had its annual midwinter conference here in Seattle over the weekend. Which was really exciting since this is where the announce the Newbery and Caldecott books every year! I didn’t go to the awards ceremony, but I did spend Sunday afternoon walking around the exhibit floor.

And H and I marched, in Asbury Park. With one of my lovely quilt friends, Natalie, and her family. Originally Adam was considering coming, too, but then H decided she wanted to stay home. I was going to be on my own. But then as I was getting ready to leave, she changed her mind and wanted to come protest. Adam was still in his PJs, with a healthy to do list for an afternoon planned watching the small human, so the girls went solo.

So Kathy co-wrote Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook with Prodigy from Mobb Deep. The book’s release was this past Tuesday, the 11th, and they had a book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. I am so stinking proud of that lady, she is just the best.

As a Mother’s Day present to my mom, I bought tickets for H, my mom, and I to go see Sleeping Beauty with the New Jersey Ballet. They were doing matinee performances at Mayo Performing Arts Center this past weekend, and it seemed like a great chance for a first ballet for H.

Easter is a bit of a strange holiday for us around here. We’re kind of haphazard in how/if we celebrate it each year, so this was the first year that we took H to an Easter egg hunt. We went to Allaire Village for the 10,000 Easter Egg Hunt. Despite being surrounded by disappointed parents and kids who didn’t find any eggs, H managed to get 4 in the “baby corral” (and we gave some away to toddlers who didn’t get any).

H’s school was closed for spring break this week, so we decided to drive down to Washington D.C. last weekend to see the sites. Neither Adam nor I had been to DC since we were kids. We were only there from Friday night through Monday, and there was so much we didn’t get to see. But we had such a marvelous weekend; gorgeous weather, lots to see and do, tons of fun with the toddler. We’re already anxious to go back.
My birthday got off to a rocky start this year, but in the end it became a month of celebrations. After being sick on the day of I was pretty down about the whole prospect of birthdays and endless winter.
But it definitely had its shining moments.