Birthday Ben

Sunday was Benny Boo's 23rd birthday. It took everything within me to believe him when he said a family dinner is all that he wanted. The fact that I wasn't squirming with surprises and secrets killed me. The more people I get to celebrate with on my birthday, the better. (Ben and Rose threw me quite the birthday-kidnap surprise last February and it was fabulous). We had birthday waffles for breakfast and then celebrated in style with a take-and-bake pizza for dinner- Ben's favorite from Mama MiMi's - and a "Tasty Cake" baked by his sweet mother. Ben's mom is fantastic in the kitchen and the poor woman gave birth (23 years ago) to a boy who has the most bland taste buds in the world. She could make just about anything, and he requests a Tasty Cake - yellow cake with a layer of peanut butter, topped with chocolate and then chilled. The very same Tasty Cake that he requested for his groom's cake just nine months ago. The same cake that he set down in reaction to the white wedding cake that was shoved up his nose... and the same cake that was snatched up within seconds of his attending to his frosted face, thus, leaving the poor groom without even a bite of his own Tasty Cake on his wedding day. But alas, now there is an entire Tasty Cake in our refrigerator and a content twenty-three year old in our living room.

In light of the recent event, I thought it appropriate to share with you twenty-three of my favorite things about birthday Ben. (the following are in no certain order).

1. His mad guitar skills

2. His mad writing skills

3. His undying commitment

4. He's super strong when I'm super weak

5. His ability to reason in stressful situations

6. The way I fit just right in his arms, and just right under his chin

7. He smokes a pipe

8. He remembers crazy facts

9. The way he quizzes me every time a song by the following comes on the radio: The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Jack White.

10. His story telling - sound effects included.

11. He loves me more than I ever thought possible

12. His affinity for all things flannel

13. His new affection for sweet tea

14. His leadership

15. His collection of vinyl records

16. The way our dinners together often become lecture series.

17. His mad dance moves

18. His big brown eyes

19. His brown turtle fur toboggan

20. He's a fisherman

21. He's good at building fires

22. He uses a typewriter

23. He's gunna grow old with me.