Happy Birthday Marc

I like birthdays. Not just because you get cake, but also because I think it's a beautiful idea to take an entire day and just celebrate the fact that someone exists. I never dread my own birthday - even though my next one will be the dreaded thirty nine. It's a whole day to just be happy to be alive - or to celebrate that someone else is alive. Today is my husband's birthday - and if there was ever anyone who truly deserved a whole day just be celebrated, it would be him.

It's not just that he's my husband and my best friend. It's not just that he's unfailingly kind and considerate and sweet. It's not just that he's staggeringly brilliant in ways that continue to amaze me. It's not just that he's the father to five amazing, wonderful children. It's all of those things. He's just awesome, in really, every way you could imagine.

When I was a little girl, and I used to think about my Prince Charming (because yeah, I totally bought into that whole myth), he was tall and smart and kind. And I'm happy to report that he's literally the kindest and smartest man I've ever met. Also 6'3, which is pretty cool too.

We all come into marriage and parenthood with a certain amount of baggage. I'm no exception - and one of the many things Marc has taught me is how incredibly important a dad is. I didn't know, until I saw my own children with him, how much I missed out on. How much my siblings missed out on. I didn't know, until I had my own children, how incredibly hard it was for my own mother to do this on her own. Because I can't imagine parenting without Marc. He's the yin to my yang. He's my balance. They need both of us.  I think he makes me a better mom and I like to think I make him a better dad.  Our relationship is more than just being parents together - but being co-captains of this ship - of raising our family together, it makes me achingly aware of how lucky I am to have him by  my side.

There's an element of wonder, when it comes to raising children. There's a lot of wonder, now that I think about it, but the one I'm focusing on is watching your children mirror your spouse. Jessie is a lot like me, temperment-wise (Marc says she is me with no impulse control) but she's got the oddest little quirks from her dad. She's much, much more organized than I. Very specific about arranging things, she likes them a certain way and derives enormous pleasure from that. That - she gets my from my husband. Samilicious Boy is much more like his dad, with the same level of intensity about certain things, a love of all things physical and a sweetness and purity to his love and devotion. And Julianna Chocolate Chip - she's got this goofiness that I can trace directly back to her dad.

I'm grateful today for my marriage - for finding my Prince Charming and such an incredibly awesome dad for my children. Happy birthday Marc - I love you more than you'll know.