Three years ago this week, here's what I looked like:

Just a few days after this picture was taken, Martin was born.  And it's been super busy every since.  This week, we're preparing to celebrate my dad's birthday (he turns 60 on Wednesday) and Martin's birthday (he turns 3 on Friday).  Martin said that he wants it to be his birthday on Wednesday AND Friday.  And today.

I was reading Martha Stewart Kids magazine over the weekend (you don't have to tell me, I know that's part of the problem in and of itself), and there was a section on birthday themes for kid parties.  It made me want to have a super cool party, but yet I felt a real urge to rebel against the "theme" idea.  This is some kind of irrational rebellion, I'm sure.  Sort of like my desire to rebel against scrapbooking, although I do like "art books".  This is the same way I feel about the birthday themed party - I definitely don't want one, but am kind of planning one anyway.

We're having a "building party".  We'll have a hot dog buffet, baked beans, cole slaw and a dirt cake made to look like a construction site.  I've ordered construction hats for everyone, despite the fact that only adults are attending.  Is this a theme?  I guess so, but I'd like to think of it more as a collection of Martin's favorite things... most of which seem to be about construction and tools.  Marty said that if I wanted it to be more like a real construction site, we'd all just go down to SuperAmerica and get two hot dogs for $0.99 and eat them on the curb.

On the table tonight:  Nutty pasta toss with shrimp