Happy, Happy Birthday

I remember being so excited for my birthday that I couldn't sleep and waking up the next morning convinced I felt different because I was seven instead of six. I remember the enthusiasm that went into blowing out the candles and the glee of playing party games with my six best friends. I remember that cake always tasted better when it was birthday cake. But as the years go by, we usually lose that glimmer of magic that accompanies our birthdays. I think the change comes when we stop thinking of it as growing up and start referring to it as growing old. But all the magic reappears when you celebrate a birthday with one of your children!

Nathan just turned five. It seems like he has been waiting forever for five because five means kindergarten, his own library card, and older than four. Five is a big number. We started off his week-long birthday celebration with the official b-day cake at Poppa's house on Sunday. He asked for a dragonfly cake (I have no idea why), so that's what he got. Sugar-crusted sparkly wings and all.


Wednesday was his real day and what a day we had! Our main task for the morning was going to the library to get the much coveted library card. However, we left the house at 8 a.m. and the library doesn't open until 10. So he had to suffer through grocery shopping and errands for two hours before we got to the library. But he was great and loved using his own card to check out his books!

In the afternoon, Grandpa and Grandma came by to give him his presents from them. He got a flying disc (Like a frisbee but soft and easier to throw well. Grandpa showed Nathan how to throw it and he nearly took our heads off!), a hand held electronic football game, and four wonderful new shirts. One of the great things about Nathan is that he was just as excited about the shirts as he was about the toys. It's probably because he's the second brother and ends up with a lot of hand-me-downs!

Nathan got to choose what we ate for dinner ("Seashell macaroni, plain, with broccoli, not baked, just steamed.") and ate it off the "You Are Special Today" plate. Kev brought home balloons and Nathan was so excited he nearly flew out of his chair. I know I'm just a big bawl baby anyway, but it almost made me cry to see him so excited.

After dinner came the presents. He got a soccer ball, and then we made him guess what his other present was.

We gave him hints. The conversation went something like this:
Me: "It's something you can use outside."
Nathan: "A shovel?"
Me: "Nope. It's something you can use with Daniel and with all your friends."
Nathan: "A soccer ball?"
Me: "Nope. You just got that! It's something that has wheels."
Nathan: "A Wheelbarrow?"
Me: "It's something you can ride."
Nathan: "A wheelbarrow????"
Kev: "No. It has two wheels. (pause) Yours is broken. (extreme pause) A bicycle, silly!"
Nathan: "A bicycle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

So Kev and Nathan headed to the store to choose his bicycle. They took the truck and Kev informs me that Nathan asked if he could choose the music. He pushed all the buttons, finally saying, "I choose this music." It happened to be "Straight Up" by Paula Abdul.

After the bike came home, Nathan had just a few minutes to ride. He kept asking for just one more time down the street, just one more time to the mailbox, just one more time . . .


I think he had a really great day, in spite of the fact that he wanted to have his friends over for a cake and to play games, but didn't tell me until after breakfast on his birthday. He was really great about it when I told him it was too late to plan a friends' party, and said that next year he will tell me sooner!

So there it is, the birthday magic in action! And now that I think about it, no matter how old you are getting a "Happy Birthday" balloon bigger than you is always cool!