mom's birthday dinner

Last sunday, while Rachel was in town, we celebrated our Mom's birthday.  Sam and I hosted a dinner party in honor of the birthday girl.  We served this pot roast, which turned out quite well.  We paired the roast with braised asparagus and wedge salads.  Although, the best part of the dinner wasn't what we ate, but who we ate it with.  It's been years since we've all been able to celebrate Mom's birthday together, and celebrate we did.  There was even a dance party set to the tune of "Birthday" by the Beatles. 
It was awesome.  And it was videotaped.  

"Birthday" is a special song in the Wood family.  While we were growing up, our Mom would wake up the special birthday kid by blasting the song and dancing around the lucky kid's room (sometimes accompanied by the other two kids).  Even in our teenage years, our mom continued the tradition.  She persevered and danced her way through many angsty-"too cool for this"-teenage-birthday mornings.  Secretly, even as teenagers, I'm pretty sure we would have been devastated if she ever took a Beatles dancing hiatus.  Even now, she still wakes us up this way on our birthdays.  Usually it's an early morning phone call, with the familiar "daaaanaaaa naaa naaa naaa naaaa" vocal intro.  She has figured out phone video capabilities now, so some years we even get a video dance party sent to us.  Either way, it's a tradition that makes birthdays Birthdays in our family.  And we're lucky for it.  Especially because my Mom's signature dance move is, "the bunny", which brings down the house.