What is it about this time of year and birthdays? It’s like a national holiday today – Happy Birthday Day. We know several people who have their birthdays today, or yesterday, or tomorrow.

Our good friend Glenn’s is today. One kid in Little Miss Sunshine’s playgroup has his birthday today. Two kids in her preschool class have their birthday today – the only birthday that is shared by two non-twins in her class of 24 kids. Two of Sir Monkeypants’ cousins have birthdays today. MyFriendAgi’s birthday was yesterday, shared with MyFriendJen’s youngest daughter; our next-door-neighbour’s birthday is tomorrow.

A few years ago, when Dani was pregnant with Lucas, she had a contest to guess his birthdate. I went with February 8, because it’s THE birthday to have, it seems – even though it would put poor Dani overdue by something extreme like 10 days.

One guess at his birthday, And I didn’t even win her guess-the-birthdate game, because two other people also chose February 8, also because they or someone close to them had a birthday that day.

It’s James Dean’s birthday today (so cool), John Williams’ and John Grisham’s too (prestigious). Also, Gary Coleman’s, Vince Neil’s, and Seth Green’s, which are slighly less glamourous, but you know, still funky.

It’s also Jules Verne‘s birthday. Google has a special logo today in honor of him that is awesome, as if I needed to tell you that. New contest! How many years before the word “google” is listed as a synonym for “awesome” in the thesaurus? “We saw the latest Cameron Crowe movie at the theatre last week and it was google.”

But my point here is that amid all these birthdays, there’s one that stands out. Today is Sir Monkeypants’ birthday. He is 40 years old. He wouldn’t let me have a party, so if you see him today, at least do me a solid and embarrass the hell out of him by yelling HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OLD MAN at the top of your voice, will you?

Today I was driving to skating lessons with the Little Miss and I saw a car with the plate CRZEBTFL. Instead of contrating on the road (SO overrated, am I right?), I spent the whole drive trying to figure that one out. Cree-zeb-tee-fil? Cruz-eb-tiff-ell? Maybe one of those things where every letter stands for something – Come Run Zippily Ever Being Truthful For Love?

Then I realized it said CRAZY/BEAUTIFUL. I’m ready for Bumper Stumpers.

I was going to say that my days with Sir Monkeypants are sometimes crazy, and sometimes beautiful. But actually, every day is crazy and beautiful. It’s insanely busy around here, but oh so fun. There are soccer balls under the couch and Barbie shoes all over the floor, but there’s singing in the air and giggling around every corner. There’s sparkle glue permanently etched onto the kitchen table, and twinkles in the eyes of three wee faces when either of us comes home from being away.

It’s a good life. Here’s hoping we spend the next 40 years being just as crazy and beautiful.