When Celeste said she just wanted to have a few friends over to swim at her dad’s pool for her birthday this year, I was thrilled. It was a simple and affordable choice. (Plus, it wasn’t MY house.)

She didn’t want to plan anything too big because her Uncle Rod and Aunt Brenda’s first baby is due any minute and she wanted something she could easily cancel if he came early. She’s determined to be there when that baby arrives. (They live in Pittsburgh.)

It turned out perfect. There were several of Celeste’s friends, her grandparents, aunt, cousin, one of our neighbors, me and Geoff, and Mitch, his girlfriend, Pam, and two of her kids (her youngest wasn’t there). Oh yeah, our pup was there, too. Wore himself out. I don’t think he understood the concept of doing laps since he did his around and around the outside edge of the pool.

This is cousin Hunter, age 8, standing next to the newly-9 Celeste. (And no, he’s not holding up his middle finger. That’s his index finger. He was trying to get me to hurry up and click the picture already.)

I’m glad Mitch and I get along so well we can do things like host a party for our kid together without it being awkward or strange. I think the world of his girlfriend, and her kids are fantastic.

Several people gave Celeste cash for her birthday, enough that she was able to buy herself something I’d be refusing to get–a cell phone. It’s one of those prepaid minutes kind, not something we have to pay every month. (Sometimes I get the feeling I’m the last person on earth not to have a cell phone.) She’d been lobbying for one for ages, using such persuasive arguments as “it will teach me how to budget.” I’m not really sure who she plans to call on this thing, but she couldn’t be happier.

I still can’t believe my baby is 9. It’s going too fast.

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