happy {36th} birthday dougie!

help me wish a happy, happy {36th} birthday to my favorite boy.

and to celebrate, here's 36 random things you might not know about doug...

1. he's such a big kid. many girls might be utterly annoyed to have a man in their life that acts more like a boy, but i find it completely charming (most of the time *ahem*) to watch how he can so easily come down to a child's level and have complete and total fun doing it. he's the biggest, big kid i know. my girls are so lucky to have him as a daddy!
   
2. it's also been said that he's the funniest guy you'll ever meet. he likes to crack the jokes.
3. he has 3 tatoos. one on his lower leg: the Japanese symbol for Strength & one on the underside of each wrist: they are the girls' names, Ashlyn (right) Emma (left).
4. and he laughs. a lot. i'm sure he thinks they are nothing but a sign of getting older, but the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes are a sure sign of many, many years of laughter. it's a good thing.
5. but, it's nearly impossible to get him to smile during photos. he claims he doesn't know how to smile for a picture. it's the strangest thing. and a completely rare capture to find a natural looking smile on his face in a photograph. (in fact, the one below is one of those rare natural smiles)
   
6. i think he'd be incredibly successful at stand up comedy.
7. i love that he calls me sugar dumplin' or lil' darlin', like, always.
8. he takes care of the things that i find annoying, like filling my gas tank & charging my cell phone without me even having to ask.
9. he's got a huge talent for being able to think and say the exact same thing that a sports broadcaster would say before they even say it. i think he missed his calling. it blows my mind every time.
   
10. in his opinion, it's absolutely worth the 22 mile drive from home down to the only store around (lancaster) to get a $3 jar of Penrose Hot Sausages.
    
11. he always, always assumes the best in people and overflows positivity. nothing is ever as bad as it really is, from his perspective.
    
12. his ability to creatively parent the girls goes unmatched. playing dark, dark hide and seek with glow sticks is their ultimate favorite, with creative attempts to catch the tooth fairy coming in a close second.
13. #13 is his favorite number.
14. he lettered in varsity tennis 3 years of high school.
15. in fact, he went to high school and played tennis with tennis pro, Lilia Osterloh.
16. he loooooooves to watch the same movie multiple times. they are 10 times funnier every time you watch them, don'tcha know! it drives me a little batty, though because i usually can't stand to watch a movie once, let alone, over and over again.
17. he could live on Angie's double pepperoni pizza with an IV drip of Coca Cola.
18. his motto when preparing food...even if it's just a bowl of popcorn...."presentation is everything". true dat.
19. "keep trying, keep trying.....don't give up....never give up". on repeat from his lips whenever the kids are melting into a pile of tears after some ultimate plan they've thought up isn't going how they envisioned.
20. he's the FANTASY FOOTBALL CHAMPION this year. don'tchu forget it!
21. you should know, screen pass left, screen pass right is the key to winning a Madden (Xbox) Championship
    
22. he's considered a living, breathing miracle after almost dying from internal injuries from a car accident when he was 18 years old. i met him just months later.
23. his most recent television obsession is watching any show with Gordon Ramsey--especially Kitchen Nightmares. but you can add The Office, 24, LOST, Monday Night RAW, and....many others to the list. he'd be lost without DVR.
24. he does way more than his fair share of chores around the house and never, ever complains about doing it. this is way more helpful than he'll ever know with my chronic back pain & freelance schedule.
25. his natural hair color is blonde. but he's obsessed with dying it black and makes a huge mess in the bathroom every time he does so. i'm trying to convince him to shave his head clean and keep the goatee. hmmmmm. sexy. he ain't buying it.
    
26. he's a lifetime Brown's fan, no matter how terrible they are. his jersey is the number 26, but his mom refused to buy #13. at least that's what he tells me. many people are quite superstitious of the number 13. not doug.
    
27. snack of choice: Extra Butter Microwave Popcorn. every night.
28. because he's off a few hours earlier than me, he picks up both girls and comes home and cooks dinner every weeknight, having it ready for as soon as i walk in the door. how lucky am i?
29. i'll forever have this song embedded in my brain, thanks to him. "my hands bananas, your hands are bananas........" LOL.
30. he needs to break his gum chewing habit. like bad. it's expensive, that habit.
31. he has a knack for remembering things with precise detail going as far back as the age of 2. a photographic kind of memory. makes me jealous.
32. trying to sleep without a fan on is worse than fingernails on a chalkboard.
    
33. his favorite candy bar is the whatchamacallit.
34. he loves BACON. he eats it like it's going out of style. every saturday & sunday morning. or on top of chicken. on top of potatoes. it's a major tragedy if there's no bacon in the house. i, however, do not like the smell of bacon at all. but i deal.
35. he never gives up on me.
36. and i just think he's pretty darn fantastic.

happy, happy birthday, to you, babe. 36 is going to be your best year yet!