Happy Bday Mommy!

Pablo and I woke up early, jumped out of bed and dove into a game of Sorry! Our mission this morning was to let Jo Ann sleep in—a tradition on mommy's bday. The mission tradition worked. After our Sorry! game (nobody won; we both got bored and opted to end the game), we made a pot of coffee. The first cup was for the birthday girl quietly crept down the stairs (Pablo loves creepin'), and dropped a hot cup o' joe on mommy's bedside table. As we were leaving the room, I said to P, 'Maybe the smell of coffee will wake her up.' When Jo Ann did wake up 20 minutes later, she came into the kitchen and asked if I said that line. She thought it might have been a dream.

After the coffee drop, Pablo and I returned to the kitchen to mix our pancake batter. Pablo stirred in his special mix of love and cuteness—12 whips with the whisk. We made some delicious flapjacks for mommy on the All-Clad griddle Jo Ann's mom gave her for xmas. Our fave cake was in the shape of a giant 'M' for mommy. Pablo taste-tested the goods before Jo Ann woke up. 'These are good Papa!' was his rating. That's a hard mark to get from our little expert. He loves him some griddle cakes. Mommy loved her giant 'M' and the second course—a traditional circle pancake.

Now we're all in a birthday pancake coma.

Harry and Patricia and the kids are en route to Houston. We had a great time hanging with them and sharing our debut family LAXmas with them. Their visit was capped off with Jo Ann taking them to the Grove Saturday afternoon, and Fred and I taking Alex to Saito for sushi last night. He ate everything that Saito put in front of him. Except the octopus. Don't blame him—I never touch that stuff! Monday, after a few hours at home, the Houston crew will drive to New Orleans to celebrate the holiday with Jo Ann's grandparents and cousins and their families. We will be there in spirit.