Happy Birthday Mom and Dad!!!

My parents' birthdays are just one day apart. When I was little, I thought that's how you knew you had found the right person to marry. Ella celebrated their birthdays with this video:

Since I'm not as cute when I sing, I celebrated by compiling a list of the top ten things I like about each of them. Since mom's a few hours younger, I'll start with her:

10. Trained me for years to have all-day shopping stamina
9. Made a lunch for me almost every morning
8. Loves reading
7. Can't resist cookbooks and cooking magazines
6. Screamed classically when she discovered the mouse that we put in her canoe
5. Always had a not-so-secret stash of See's bon bons on hand
4. First person to expose me to NPR
3. Throws the best dinner parties
2. Not afraid to live in another country or speak another language
1. Took me to the theater

Now for dad:

10. Earnestly believes that almost any job can be accomplished in 10 minutes or less
9. Taught us all how to downhill, cross country and water ski
8. He loves a challenge
7. He loves technology, even though it rarely loves him back
6. When we had sleepovers, he still "let us sleep in" until 7 am on Saturdays then assigned chores to our friends as well.
5. Words like "spiro-gyra" in everyday vernacular
4. Still within 8 pounds of high school graduation weight
3. "A bad jelly bean is better than no jelly bean at all"
2. Practicioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police daily exercise plan
1. "Chris, I have 40 minutes between cases. Get the boat and come pick me up."

We love you mom and dad and hope you had a great two days.