Backtracking to November, the Month that Never Was on this blog, we find that Ian turned 34. Happy Birthday, Mr. Johnston. It was fun celebrating with car-themed cupcakes and car-themed party favors and a pizza party with Issac, your November-birthday-too brother.
And although the festive birthday time is now long past, I thought I would just take another moment to remind you that I really, really like you.*I like you, Ian.
I like you even when you’re tired and grumpy and say things like “I can’t do that right now because I might die.”
I like you even when you’re tired and grumpy and say things like “I can’t do that right now because I might die.”
I like you even when I’m tired and grumpy and you cheer me up by saying to the puppies, “Mama is having a hard time, let’s go give her kisses and snuggles.”
If the world were a giant dish of our new favorite holiday flavor ice cream (spumoni) and you were the green, I’d want to be the pink so I could be right next to you forever and ever. I know we’d both not want to be the chocolate. I like you because of that, too.
I like you because when I’m having a junk food crisis and want to eat half a bag of Trader Joe’s kettle corn at 10pm on a Tuesday, you don’t judge me. You say, “That looks good; I want some, too.”
I like you because when all the Tech Gods conspire against my cell phone or ipod you just know how to fix it and you try not to make me feel dumb for forgetting, for the tentrillionthbillionth time, how to do it myself.
I like your little dances around the house and how they usually end with some silly spastic slap-low-kick.
I like how I can spot your “bluffing” face during liar’s dice, or anytime, really.
If I am feeling like sitting on the couch and watching all the Thursday night TV shows with the puppies, a blanket and a heater, I know you will come in and watch them with me and let me have all the blanket and be sure to angle the heater so that it gets me too, even if you’d really rather be looking for deals on Craigslist.
I like how when you got your new church assignment into Young Men the first thing you did was make sure your old assignment of caring for a special buddy in Primary was going to be covered by someone as patient and loving as you because he is your special buddy.
I like you because sometimes you will text me from work just to tell me how good the string cheese you are eating is, and then you will thank me for buying it, even though I always buy it.
I like that when we go sailing you are sublimely happy and all is right with the world.
If we go to a movie and you eat too much popcorn you will always say, “I’m never getting popcorn again. Next time I’m bringing nectarines!” but you know that I always want popcorn so you will get some next time, too, even if we have nectarines at home.
If you are reading a magazine in bed and I let the dogs leap up for bedtime and then they jump in your face and crumple your magazine you will stop what you are reading and kiss them and get them all settled in. Some people would push them away or be annoyed or refuse to let them sleep in the bed or shout “Why did you let these monsters in here?!” to their partner, but you would never do that and that is another reason why I like you.
If it is a rainy sleepy Sunday afternoon you will build a fire and want macaroni and cheese and a nap, which is exactly what I want on a rainy sleepy Sunday afternoon, and you don’t even have to ask.
I like how when you go to Costco you will almost always remember to ask me if I need anything. When you forget to ask and we end up with dinner rolls and asparagus when we actually needed grape juice and paper towels you will almost always offer to go back.
If I get into bed and my feet are freezing cold ice cube feet I like how you will always let me put them on your legs to warm them up even if you are a little cold too.
I like you because when you wrap a present you use whatever wrapping paper roll you touch first, even if it is snowflake paper in the middle of June, or sparkly flower paper for a boy’s birthday, or pink and brown cupcake paper for Christmas, but then you will agonize about what color ribbon to use and it always makes me laugh.
If you are feeling reflective you will sigh and say, “Pumpkin, I was thinking…” and I like that, too.
I like you because you have very definitive opinions about dental floss and not many people understand the importance of a good dental floss but you do because you floss every day and you know the difference.
I like that I could write a list like this every day because there is so much about you that I like.
And I like that you like me, too.
I like you, Ian.
Happy Birthday.
If the world were a giant dish of our new favorite holiday flavor ice cream (spumoni) and you were the green, I’d want to be the pink so I could be right next to you forever and ever. I know we’d both not want to be the chocolate. I like you because of that, too.
I like you because when I’m having a junk food crisis and want to eat half a bag of Trader Joe’s kettle corn at 10pm on a Tuesday, you don’t judge me. You say, “That looks good; I want some, too.”
I like you because when all the Tech Gods conspire against my cell phone or ipod you just know how to fix it and you try not to make me feel dumb for forgetting, for the tentrillionthbillionth time, how to do it myself.
I like your little dances around the house and how they usually end with some silly spastic slap-low-kick.
I like how I can spot your “bluffing” face during liar’s dice, or anytime, really.
If I am feeling like sitting on the couch and watching all the Thursday night TV shows with the puppies, a blanket and a heater, I know you will come in and watch them with me and let me have all the blanket and be sure to angle the heater so that it gets me too, even if you’d really rather be looking for deals on Craigslist.
I like how when you got your new church assignment into Young Men the first thing you did was make sure your old assignment of caring for a special buddy in Primary was going to be covered by someone as patient and loving as you because he is your special buddy.
I like you because sometimes you will text me from work just to tell me how good the string cheese you are eating is, and then you will thank me for buying it, even though I always buy it.
I like that when we go sailing you are sublimely happy and all is right with the world.
If we go to a movie and you eat too much popcorn you will always say, “I’m never getting popcorn again. Next time I’m bringing nectarines!” but you know that I always want popcorn so you will get some next time, too, even if we have nectarines at home.
If you are reading a magazine in bed and I let the dogs leap up for bedtime and then they jump in your face and crumple your magazine you will stop what you are reading and kiss them and get them all settled in. Some people would push them away or be annoyed or refuse to let them sleep in the bed or shout “Why did you let these monsters in here?!” to their partner, but you would never do that and that is another reason why I like you.
If it is a rainy sleepy Sunday afternoon you will build a fire and want macaroni and cheese and a nap, which is exactly what I want on a rainy sleepy Sunday afternoon, and you don’t even have to ask.
I like how when you go to Costco you will almost always remember to ask me if I need anything. When you forget to ask and we end up with dinner rolls and asparagus when we actually needed grape juice and paper towels you will almost always offer to go back.
If I get into bed and my feet are freezing cold ice cube feet I like how you will always let me put them on your legs to warm them up even if you are a little cold too.
I like you because when you wrap a present you use whatever wrapping paper roll you touch first, even if it is snowflake paper in the middle of June, or sparkly flower paper for a boy’s birthday, or pink and brown cupcake paper for Christmas, but then you will agonize about what color ribbon to use and it always makes me laugh.
If you are feeling reflective you will sigh and say, “Pumpkin, I was thinking…” and I like that, too.
I like you because you have very definitive opinions about dental floss and not many people understand the importance of a good dental floss but you do because you floss every day and you know the difference.
I like that I could write a list like this every day because there is so much about you that I like.
And I like that you like me, too.
I like you, Ian.
Happy Birthday.
*Inspired in no small part by I Like You by Sandol S.Warburg
6 comments:
this is so cute. really cute. i am so impressed that he even wraps! that is amazing. ben just doesn't try. I remember you wrote me something like this in college where you listed the things you liked about me! i still have it! it made me feel so loved and special. I wrote one for Ben's b-day last year. 100 things I loved about him. He wrote a 50 things I love about you for me and I was 50% satisfied. He says the next 50 are coming next year. The point is, it made me love ben more after I wrote it and he loved me more after he got it! What a great thing that you started! I totally did it because you had done it for me! I need to stop writing now and putting exclamation marks after my poorly spelled sentences! AHHHH! I did it again!!!!! ahhhhhh
That is just awesome. And very inspiring. I think James deserves one from me.
I love "I Like You." My mom gave the little book to me years ago, and now Zoe loves it. We gave it to her three closest friends last year for Christmas, the friends we see nearly every week for Wednesday playdates. "If you are a goofus on the roofus...you are one too." I like the part about throwing up, too. That part makes me laugh.
Oops, "If *I* am a goofus on the roofus..." :P
Ben and I like you too, Ian. Happy belated birthday!
Happy belated birthday Ian - a very likable guy indeed.
And I have to say to you two...awwwwwwwwwww, so sweet.
That was so sweet. I think I like Ian too :) Happy very belated birthday Ian.
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