Our favorite leprechaun

It's fitting that MaryJane's birthday is on St. Patrick's Day. She is as fun as the holiday, and her sense of humor is spry enough to handle any number of green colored foods.

Frankly, it also helps Josh remember his mom's birthday. (Don't worry, MJ--not only is he lucky to get within a 3-day range of our anniversary, he never remembers the year we got married.)

If you haven't already, I wish you could meet MaryJane. She's a little shy at first, but as you get to know her you find out she's warm, utterly generous, fun-loving, smart, resourceful, and wonderful. I know that's a long list of vague adjectives, so here are some specifics:

• She raised Josh by herself while putting herself through two (yes, two!) graduate programs.
• Even so, Josh's memories of his childhood are not filled with a stressed out mom with little time for him. On the contrary, he's always described growing up with MJ as hanging out with his "best friend."
• Even though she has many responsibilities, she's always game for just about anything. When she, Josh, and I took a road trip to San Diego together, we had a blast. Is it normal for one's mother/mother-in-law to make a trip more fun than it would otherwise be?
• She's a physical therapist who really knows her stuff and takes the time to help family members and our friends who wouldn't be able to afford getting worked on otherwise.
• She makes a wicked tomato pie and to-die-for pesto.
• She funded an absolutely wonderful dinner for dozens of close friends and family at an up-scale Italian restaurant the night before we got married (that was in 2003, Josh). It was one of the best evenings of my life.
• She drove her family (parents, sisters, nieces, nephews) around PARIS in a van. Did I mention she's up for anything?
• She gives extremely generous gifts and gives them often. She keeps Zoë in stylish clothes.
• She carries Zoë on her shoulders through the whole mall while Zoë squeals at the top of her lungs.
• She looks like she's maybe 38. In fact, I think that's how old Josh told people she was until he realized that it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to have given birth to him.
• In her other life, she was an aerobics instructor.
• She was obssessed with horses growing up, and she has a huge heart for animals, including her two doggies.
• She has either taught nursery or primary for the past 5? 6? 7? years (way too long) without complaint. (For the record, I think she should complain.)
• She has taught herself a ton about gardening and has a fantastic spread of flowers and plants every year in addition to setting us up with tasty heirloom tomatoes.

And that's just a bit of MaryJane.

Can you believe she's single?

Though not a huge fan of blind dates, she will accept being set-up with eligible bachelors of ample resources who bear a striking resemblance to Russell Crowe. Otherwise, she's pretty dang happy.

Happy Birthday, MJ!