Tomorrow Otto is having a birthday. His 39th birthday, in fact. My birthday is in the summer, so I happen to love that stretch of time between early December and mid-August when I can pretend he’s an entire year older than I am.
We don’t have any big plans; life has been a little too hectic lately to plan much, but we’ll see what we can do to celebrate the day in style.
In the meantime, as a little pre-birthday warm-up, I thought I’d share 39 Things I Love About Otto in honor of his impending 39th birthday.
1) He puts up with me. (Truly, this should be number 1 through 50,000.)
2) He lets me put my cold feet on him at night.
3) He truly loves what he does, and brings a passion to his work I admire every day.
4) He has the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure I was a goner the first time I saw those eyes 20+ years ago.
5) He knows how to fix almost anything.
6) He figures out how to fix the things he doesn’t already know how to fix.
7) He’s incredibly even-tempered.
8) He got me hooked on Deadliest Catch and Mythbusters.
9) But also watches Bridezillas with me. And secretly enjoys it.
10) He’s a war geek; I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday and he immediately said he wants to go to the Cyclorama.
11) He makes popcorn for me whenever I ask. It’s not like I don’t know how to use the popper, it just tastes better when he makes it.
12) He does very little in his life halfway.
13) Which means that when he decided to marry me, he also decided to consider my children his children.
14) But he walks that line between loving/parenting them and respecting their dad’s role in their life better than anyone I know.
15) He snuggles with the dog when he thinks no one’s looking.
16) And he loves how much I love her.
17) He makes the same jokes over and over, and never fails to amuse himself.
18) He is the most loyal person I’ve ever met.
19) He doesn’t hold grudges.
20) He wears a tie to work every day, because he feels it shows “respect for the profession.” (Uhhh… I wear a bathrobe every day, because… nevermind.)
21) He owns a protractor.
22) And lets Monkey borrow it for his math homework, even though Monkey then leaves it on the table every single time, and then he lets him borrow it again the next time, anyway.
23) He makes pancakes for the kids on Saturdays.
24) Every so often he completely cleans out my car for me, just because.
25) If the weather is at all amenable, he will sit outside to read a book rather than inside.
26) He never tells me he doesn’t like something I cooked; he just doesn’t have seconds.
27) He often tells me, “I love you a little more right now” when I bake something really good.
28) He insists on picking out birthday gifts for the kids himself, rather than letting me do all the shopping.
29) He does the laundry most of the time.
30) And doesn’t even get that mad when I tease him about his sorting methods.
31) And occasionally hangs something of Chickadee’s in my closet when putting things away, which rather than making me think he’s oblivious never fails to make me feel extra-skinny. Ha.
32) He almost never swears.
33) But he doesn’t get all judgy on me when I do.
34) Nor does he hassle me for being a slob in my designated slobby areas (my desk, my bathroom), even though he’s much tidier than I am and I’m sure it drives him nuts.
35) At bedtime he always asks me how my day was, even if we spent that whole day together.
36) He takes pictures of the kids at school events.
37) And whenever they wake up with particularly spectacular bedhead.
38) He uses Ivory soap, so rather than thinking he smells like Ivory, whenever I get a whiff of it anywhere I think it smells like him.
39) He tells me I’m his favorite. (And tells the kids they’re his favorites. And the dog, too.)
Happy almost-your-birthday, Otto. Thank you for giving me so many reasons to love you.
And happy Love Thursday, everyone. Here’s to all the reasons to love your favorites.
Wow! Can we clone Otto?
Happy-nearly-birthday Otto – hope it’s full of all the people you love (particularly the one with 39 pretty fantastic reasons to love you back!)
Also, Happy Birthday, Otto! I hope the new year brings all good things.
No one ever turns 39. The only people who say they are 39 are lying. So he might as well stay 38 another year.
Happy Birthday Otto!
Great list Mir!
Happy Almost-Birthday, Otto!
I find it hard to choose, but I think my favorite was #26. Or maybe #27. Or #1 (kidding!). Or #13. Definitely #13. :) I love that he reads and comments on your blog. He lives with you, he talks to you about your day, and he *still* cares enough to be interested in what you have to say. Add me to the waiting list for an Otto-clone. :)
Oh wow. heart melting. Happy Almost-Birthday Otto!
Awww! Happy Almost Birthday Otto!
Happiest of bierdays to the wonderful, delightful OTTO
bierdays? really?
BERFDAYS! hee
Lovely! Oh, and I think our husbands just might be twins separated at birth! I couldn have written your list for you! You and I, we are so very lucky to have such wonderful husbands! :-D
Happy Birthday, Otto! You are about two weeks younger than me :)
Have a wonderful birthday weekend!
What a great birthday present. My husband turns 38 on Saturday – I get to be a year younger than him for 20 days until my birthday ;-)
Happy Birthday to the Man Behind the Mir!
Aw, happy almost birthday Otto! You sound Very Nearly Perfect. I love the list, Mir.
Awwww…
Happy first of your 39th birthdays Otto, and a 100 more good ones!
Happy Early Birthday Otto! The two of you are perfect together.
*sniff* It sounds like you two deserve each other – in the VERY best way!
I love this–I totally came up with this same idea for the hubs, when he turned 40, this past March. I was going to blog or Facebook the list, but I chickened out because I was afraid that my divorced family members and friends would be annoyed by it. Is that weird?
Happy happy, Otto. It was a lucky day for us all when you became part of our family.
Love,
Mom
Happy almost-birthday, Otto!
That list is such a neat idea that I’m going to use that for mine and my husband’s upcoming 10 year anniversary next week (we’re renewing our vows).
Darn allergies!
Happy birthday, Otto!
whoops, forgot that I have to use curly brackets on this one {sniff} <- allergies, obviously, not tearing up from the sweetness
Happy Birthday Eve, Otto!
And thank you, Mir for another perfect Love Thursday post. Ahhh. I think I can make it another week now.
That was beautiful :) Happy almost birthday, Otto!
Happy almost Birthday Otto!!!
In person his constant even-keelness was almost unsettling. Totally opposite of what I am married to. Lol!
Happy Birthday Otto!
Happy Birthday Otto!
Thanks for taking such great care of our Mir and her sweet kids! I hope you have a fantastic year, full of love and laughter!
Happy Birthday Otto!
What a great list.
Happy Birthday Otto!!
What a great list, Mir. Happy Day, Otto!
Aww, so sweet! Happy Almost Birthday Otto!
Sounds like you guys both deserve each other (in a good way :))!
Your comment about the age difference cracks me up, because my wife always teases me about being a year older than her during the three months between our birthdays. She got the last laugh, too, because our son was born in between, so on the official birth certificate, I will always be one year older!
Happy Birthday to Otto!
What a sweet tribute! Happy birthday, Otto!
Happy Birthday, Otto!
Happy Birthday, Otto! Thanks for making Mir happy. We all think you’re pretty.
How can this top my day? Happy Birthday, Otto. You are pretty lucky to have all this in your life.
Happy almost birthday Otto!
Happy Almost Birthday Otto!
Happy Birfday, Otto! You’re pretty swell, even for a Sagittarius!
My hubby is almost 31 (in January) and he always goads me from my birthday (end of December) until his about how we’re the same age again! (Yeah, for a whole 20 days!) I get to tease him the other 11 months and 11 days about how much of an “old man” he is. This is my 30th b-day, though, so he’s already teasing me about how old I’m going to be and feel. ;) There are quite a few on your list that apply to my hubby, too (although the blue eyes? You’ve obviously never seen my own wonderful blue eyes, because his are the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen), though, so I can’t complain too much when he teases me about getting old. He’s pretty kind and compassionate (and forgiving) about everything else. :D
Happy soon-to-be-birthday to another wonderful December birthday-er! May you get completely separate presents (and cards)!
How IS that cloing program coming along, by the way…
Oh! For got to wish Otto a Happy Birthday. My bad.
HAPPY ALMOST-BIRTHDAY, OTTO!
I am SO making my husband read this post. Seriously.
And happy birthday to Otto!
~Becky
Happy almost birthday Otto! May the coming year be even better than the last.
De-lurking here to say I love how much you love your husband. I’m not married, but I hope my marriage (someday!) is as full of love as yours. Happy Birthday Otto!
This is really silly, but this post made me cry. I usually don’t cry when I read happy blog posts. Happy Birthday, Otto. Happy Family to both of you.
Happy Birthday Otto! You’re a whole week younger than me. :) My hubby is even younger and won’t be 39 until early March. He always spends those three months that I’m “older” than him cracking himself up with craddle-robbing jokes. I’ve found the solution though…. I’m planning to celebrate my 39th again next year so he will turn 40 first. (I’m told this is absolutely allowed.) Hope you have a great day tomorrow!!!
Happy birthday!
(Gawd, I have a 4-year cum laude degree in math, and can’t even remember what a protractor is for. I’m so senile).
Thank you, all, for the birthday wishes. But especially to my wife – she makes each birthday something to look forward to.
-otto
PS – Out of curiosity, how much would an OttoClone be worth? I mean, could I go to lunch with the proceeds? Or buy a camera? A car?
Happy birthday, Otto. And I think I speak for women everywhere when I say that an OttoClone would command a high price indeed at auction. Probably enough for a few really looong lenses, at least.
#20 was awesome. Great post!
Happy Birthday Otto!
“11) He makes popcorn for me whenever I ask. It’s not like I don’t know how to use the popper, it just tastes better when he makes it.”
I’ve told my husband this a million times. It was one of the things I missed while he was deployed.
Happy Birthday Otto!
Happy Birthday Otto! I hope it’s a good one.
p.s. That OttoClone would totally get you some sweet wheels! IMHO :)
lovely, lovely, lovely. Happy Birthday, Otto.
Happy Birthday, Otto!
Hey, it’s still the 4th here in SoCal. Happy Birthday, Otto!
Happy Birthday Otto! Mine’s tomorrow, but I’m OLD, so I’m not really having them anymore. (I’ll be 41 this yr).
Have a good day & a great year.
Having been married before, I found my own Otto. Although I do admire the way you selected your list. Your Otto sounds like a one in a million. Many happy returns on his 39th birthday. Tell him that 40 is a cakewalk. It really is. I can’t wait to get to 45.
Congratulations to your treasure Otto! Mine is called Peter and is similar to Otto, a real loving and caring, generous person, and I often wonder how he mostly tolerates me.
That’s what makes Ottos and Peters so extraordinary!