The birthday boy is dumping out the contents of the plastic container cabinet in the kitchen, and Accalia has fallen asleep upstairs. Cory and I just finished eating supper, and as I look out the office window I can see the weeping willow tree we (mostly Cory!) planted today along with Cole's placenta :)

I think it's been a pretty good first birthday for Cole - not that he really knows anything too special is happening. Accalia helped him open gifts this morning. She did most of the unwrapping while Cole sat there ripping apart the discarded paper, saying "Ahhh!" as he ripped each piece. He says "Ahh!" now whenever he does anything - takes a drink, nurses, puts a toy on the table, etc. etc.

I made cupcakes for Cole's birthday treat, and they were sitting in a container on the dining room table after Accalia had decorated them. Apparently they were close enough to the edge for either Cole or Lucy to grab them, because I walked into the dining room and there were Lucy and Cole surrounded by cupcakes. Lucy was quite rapidly eating and licking up as much as she could, while Cole was happily covered in sticky chocolate frosting. We salvaged one cupcake so I could put a candle on it, we sang "Happy Birthday" to him, Accalia blew out the candle, and Cole promtly tossed the cupcake on the floor. LOL!

So that's been our day. Oh, I think I'm rather ticked off at the children's consignment store. The owner (a woman about my age) is becoming increasingly snobby each time we go there. She seems to have a real problem with the kids testing out the toys that are covering the floors, boxes, shelves, etc. That's fine. I understand that, and I've told Accalia that the owner doesn't want her touching the toys. Today I went in because I wanted to grab up a winter jacket for Cole that was just $3, and I told her I had a few things for consignment. She looked at me and said they really didn't have room for anything else. Okay, that's fine. The place is stuffed full; it really is. Then I just mentioned that we had a garage sale and had things left over. Her reply: "Oh, well then those wouldn't be things we would want anyway." I muttered a few choice words after we left the store.

Accalia has a catch phrase. We really should try to patent it or market it or both. I've heard it too many times today, but she will say "Not again!" for almost everything - doesn't even mean that it's something we really do over and over. Now she just needs to add a hand palm to her forehead and she'll be ready for the big time :)