Together and Still

Jeff and I were born one week apart. Today is his day. Mine was last week. We both enjoyed the little things on our birthdays, such as:

• doing laundry with John;

• a moment when Clara and June held hands on a log, and then fell into a lake;

• a ballet show with earnest performance expressions;

• an end-of-the-day hike, for me (and 4 kids);

• a soccer game with 20-somethings and only one pulled muscle, for Jeff (and 4 kids);

• homemade books and homemade cakes. Will does the cover, and the girls fill the inside with pictures. Jeff chose a slightly inappropriate theme: "Mom is the Bomb." (My kids now know how to decorate a cake with green and red bombs.) We countered with "Rad Dad" on a surfboard. Dorky terms slightly above the kids' heads are somehow a great source of humor.

• Dinner at Chipotle;

• A family dance party. The dance party is most indicative of the time: One dancer wears brown loafers, one takes pictures, one does ski jumps off the couch in a homemade Harry Potter robe, one attempts handstands and backbends, one twirls in a fancy dress, and one just wears a dumbfounded, exhausted stare.

The night before my birthday, we all went out to eat. Walking back to our car, we passed a reflecting window and everyone indulged me with a picture. The texture is kind of strange, but I like it. I like June's winter hat with her size 2 dress. I like John's fancy shirt. Clara is in a Clara pose, and Will has a smile. Family photos for us are rare, but I appreciate having one on my birthday. Just the chance to see us in front of some turquoise truck, clumped together and still.