today the father of my children is having a BIG birthday. out of respect for his privacy, i won’t say which one, but it is a DOOZY and it falls somewhere between fifty-nine and sixty-one… so please join me in celebrating him for reaching this special, well-earned, new decade. HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY adam! wishing you everything wonderful! x0x0x

milestones, mine and other people’s, always make me think of all the little steps and adventures and mishaps and quirky things that got woven into the journey. of course, adam has loads of quirky qualities:

near constant singing
frequent dabs of sunscreen in at least one ear (generally, his intense relationship with sunscreen)
deep product knowledge for stain removal
seemingly limitless ability to research a singular item, like a pair of shoes or a vacuum
the aptitude for creating multiple nicknames for the same person - some PC and many not
the nose of a bloodhound
embracing fully wherever he is living or whatever he is doing:

knowing new york city and all the subway lines, back alleys and secret hangouts like a native (which he IS!)
taking french classes in san francisco so he could speak to his new french friends in their own tongue, but ultimately having them do his homework for him
speaking as much dutch as possible in amsterdam (even when it was painful) and eating all the crazy, fish sandwiches and fried balls the dutchies are famous for
getting a backpack with a long straw in boulder, like all the extreme hikers, just to go to the park across the street
becoming a super fan of the buffs and coach prime’s whole family to the point of attending fan events in hopes of seeing shedeur or deion
becoming a soccer dad for theo, including enormous research into the best cleats for a six year old
remaining a soccer dad for theo’s friends (wearing boulder high “la familia” gear to games through senior year), even though theo stopped playing in fourth grade
becoming a volleyball dad for lucy; driving to tournaments as far away as timbuktoo and cheering for thirteen hours at a stretch
becoming a dance dad for lucy when she put all of her energy into hip hop
becoming a dog dad for hank and getting to know all his friends in the dog park like cupcake, disco and hercules; taking on the responsibility of applying “nose butter” daily so hank’s snout doesn’t get too dry

he also has heartwarming qualities:

he is an enthusiastic “connector” - always happy to introduce people with similar interests or help with job connections
he is extremely loyal… case in point, he’s been a JETS fan his entire life!
he is a terrific trumpet player - i KNOW because i hear him practice all the time!
he likes the challenge of figuring out (in detail) how to do things most people are not interested in:

cleaning the hot tub
replacing the front door lock
a tricky route in a new city
where to get the best “pink” horseradish in berkeley
setting up a new printer

he has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things jazz
foodwise he will try just about anything and has instilled his “adventurous eating” in our children
he is a dedicated son
he has incredible curiousity
he is a terrific friend

adam has had a lot of adventures, both in the places he’s lived (new york, san francisco, amsterdam, boulder and now berkeley) and the places he’s traveled (i couldn’t begin to list those…) he’s typically had these adventures with his family or the loyal friends he’s picked up in all the phases of his life (great neck childhood, music camp, college, advertising, jazz and parenting) because he doesn’t like to do things alone, he always wants company, even for mundane errands. he is a highly social guy.

i would venture to say that the adventure he’s most proud of (and the one that i am so GRATEFUL to share with him) is the one that began on january 27, 2006 when theo was born. we liked this adventure so much that we doubled down and on april 11, 2010 we welcomed lucy. i cannot imagine my life without these incredible children and i know that their father is an enormous part of who they have become. despite raising them in multiple cities and various living situations, we have (almost) always been aligned in how we approach loving and supporting our kids. i know i couldn’t possibly have a better parenting partner or a more wonderful friend. so THANK YOU adam chasnow for almost thirty years of hilarity, exasperation, exploration, great cocktails and shared wonderment over those two astounding kids we created (with the help of dr. cedars.) i look forward to celebrating you and our family for many years to come. HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY! x0x0x