and there was a party…

My baby girl turned one yesterday.

And she’s growing a curly mullet.

But that’s beside the point. The point is that we had a party, and a delicious one at that.

Since I had just feted husband a few weeks ago, I was party-pooped. So my dear Ma, being the gracious lady that she is, offered to host and put together a gorgeous table.

Oven roasted wings with a blue cheese remoulade, herbed parmesan cheese straws…

…a fruit tray that only my mother could make look pretty (if I had made it, it would more closely resemble something that the Chiquita banana lady would wear)…

…and a cheese platter with a fig spread that I could have eaten gallons of.

My contribution?

My favorite shredded cuban pork…

…served with lime, cilantro, sour cream, and…

…tiny, tiny tortillas. I cut them out of their parent tortillas using a doughnut cutter. They made the cutest dang mini-tacos I’ve ever seen.

But what about the little lady of the hour? What did she eat?

Celery. Lots and lots of celery.

She also tried a slice of Ma’s carrot cake…

…and then got pissed that we tried to make her wear a paper hat.

…and then really pissed that we tried to make her wear a purple hat. Do I look a little too delighted in the torture of my firstborn?

Yeah, probably. But for 40 hours of labor, she can afford me a little laugh.

She melted Grandma’s heart wearing the same sailor dress that I wore on my first birthday.

And I, once again, laughed.

It was a lovely party and a lovely day. Probably more fun for us than for Lucy.

That dynamic will change when she wants to go to Chuck-E-Cheese for her 6th birthday and we’re forced to chaperone. Then it will be her turn to laugh at me look like an idiot playing DDR.

Thank you to my wonderful daughter for keeping me laughing, even when it’s at her, and my lovely Ma for throwing such a fabulous first birthday.

Happy March!

-RDG