Today is Ethan's actual 8th birthday. In sharp contrast with the weekend activities, today was a normal day. We took Ryan to gymnastics in the morning and then went to Ethan's kung fu class. I made cupcakes last night which he shared wit hall his friends at kung fu. We gave him the choice of going to his friends' house, going to a play place, or going to a park with some other friends. Of course he chose going to his friends' house since his Pokémon-playing pals were going there.
He played Pokémon Stadium Battle and then they played together with the Wii. Even the delights of the electronic world couldn't keep him indoors though. He spent most of the day outside with Ean, Indy, Ben, Josh, Sam, and Ryan. I just realized that he managed yet another all-boy play day. After playing for hours, I had to tear him away so he could go to his gymnastics class. Now he's sound asleep, happily holding one of his new Pokémon figures.
Eight years ago tonight was a very bittersweet night for me. I had a beautiful new son, but I had lost his twin sister. She had a seizure in utero and was stillborn. Tonight I am, once again, happy and sad but for a completely different reason. My beautiful son is 8 years old and, somewhat selfishly, I don't want him to grow up. I know this almost cliché, but as much as I relish his growing independence, I miss the things he's outgrown. I look forward to the person he's becoming, but I know there will come a day when his birthday night will be a time he wants to share with friends, in a world I can never share. I want to keep him safe and protect him, but I also want to help him grow. I have conflicting desires, but I know which one will triumph. His birthday is just a reminder that my job is much harder than I ever imagined.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Down to 4 boys and 3 mommies
Ethan's birthday party was wonderful. The guys ate tons of cereal and a gallon and a half of milk at breakfast. They woke up at around 5am, but I told them that it was too early. Oddly, they all laid down and went back to sleep until 6:15am. Even more oddly, they played quietly and let the two youngest, Arden and Ryan, sleep until 7am.
After that, it was all playing all the time. They went on the trampoline. They run through the house. They played with their DS's. They decorated the yard with streamers and balloons. I have to say here that Ben was especially helpful. He organized the decorating, helped make sure the little guys were included, and helped calm people down when people had conflicts. In addition to the 10 boys that slept over, another 10 kids came for the party.
Here's a small part of the crowd at our place today with Ethan front and center opening his gifts.
He got so many wonderful things. I honestly can't pick out a favorite gift he got this year.
Of course, no birthday is complete without a cake. Since his theme was Pokémon, it's only fitting that the cake was a Pokéball. Ethan was extremely pleased that he thought of having the cake color match the colors on the Pokéball. The red has strawberry cake. The white was vanilla cake, and teh brown has chocolate cake. I baked teh cakes and Esther formed them into the Pokéball.
The kids really liked playing on the swing set and the trampoline, but the grown-ups seemed to prefer sitting in the shade.
Now it's 8pm and all the kids but Doran and Amory have gone home. They are staying until tomorrow when their dad will come to take them back to Salem, MA.
I know a lot of people would boggle at the thought of having that many kids, and I did too at first, but it's really a lot easier to watch 12 kids than 3 or 4. With 3 or 4 kids they seem to brake up into 2 with 1 left out or 3 with one left out, but with 12 they formed groups that formed, reformed, shifted, and changed. It was easy enough to keep them occupied and happy. The downside is that having 12 would cost far more than our budget allow. I guess I'll have to settle for occasionally having an extra 10 spend the night.
After that, it was all playing all the time. They went on the trampoline. They run through the house. They played with their DS's. They decorated the yard with streamers and balloons. I have to say here that Ben was especially helpful. He organized the decorating, helped make sure the little guys were included, and helped calm people down when people had conflicts. In addition to the 10 boys that slept over, another 10 kids came for the party.
Here's a small part of the crowd at our place today with Ethan front and center opening his gifts.
He got so many wonderful things. I honestly can't pick out a favorite gift he got this year.
Of course, no birthday is complete without a cake. Since his theme was Pokémon, it's only fitting that the cake was a Pokéball. Ethan was extremely pleased that he thought of having the cake color match the colors on the Pokéball. The red has strawberry cake. The white was vanilla cake, and teh brown has chocolate cake. I baked teh cakes and Esther formed them into the Pokéball.
The kids really liked playing on the swing set and the trampoline, but the grown-ups seemed to prefer sitting in the shade.Now it's 8pm and all the kids but Doran and Amory have gone home. They are staying until tomorrow when their dad will come to take them back to Salem, MA.
I know a lot of people would boggle at the thought of having that many kids, and I did too at first, but it's really a lot easier to watch 12 kids than 3 or 4. With 3 or 4 kids they seem to brake up into 2 with 1 left out or 3 with one left out, but with 12 they formed groups that formed, reformed, shifted, and changed. It was easy enough to keep them occupied and happy. The downside is that having 12 would cost far more than our budget allow. I guess I'll have to settle for occasionally having an extra 10 spend the night.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Tonight 12 Boys, Still Only 3 Mommies
It's Ethan's birthday weekend and the first part of his birthday is a sleepover party. We told him he could have a total of 4 friends so naturally we have 12 boys including Ethan and Ryan. It's great. They ate pizza and cupcakes, jumped on the trampoline in the rain, played with their DS's, and giggled insanely.
12 boys and 1 girl. Anne (our next door neighbor) came over for the pizza and cupcakes.
After that they watched a movie (Purple People Eater: 1980s, B-grade, fabulous. Go thou and watch it.) and ate popcorn.
Of course you can't just watch a movie. You need to play with your DS while you watch the movie.
12 boys and 1 girl. Anne (our next door neighbor) came over for the pizza and cupcakes.After that they watched a movie (Purple People Eater: 1980s, B-grade, fabulous. Go thou and watch it.) and ate popcorn.
Of course you can't just watch a movie. You need to play with your DS while you watch the movie.Some quotes:
Ba (noticing that Doran is wearing a t-shirt advertising the members of a family not his own): Doran, where did that shirt come from?
Doran: My house.
Anne: There are 12 boys here?! I will count them. (She goes to the living room doorway.) 1-2-3-4-5- 1-2-3- They are hard to count when they are moving.
Ken (Coming in to drop off Beckett and Sawyer): How many boys are here?
Ba: 12
Ken: You can smell the testosterone.
Now the boys are all in beds, and sleeping bags, and on couches. They have their blankets and stuffed animals. They are whispering frantically to each other: "Shh." "Go to sleep." "You go to sleep." "I can't while you're talking." "Shh!" "You shh!" "Move over." "Get off the blanket." "It's my blanket." "Is not." *Hard tug on blanket* "Oh, it is." "Move your foot." "That's not my foot." "It's my foot." "Well move it." "OK." "OK." "OK." *Maniacal laughter* in chorus: "OK-OK-OK-OK" *Laughter* "Shh will you!" "Right." "OK." *Groans* "Not again."
This is the life. I can't imagine a better way to spend a Friday night.
Ba (noticing that Doran is wearing a t-shirt advertising the members of a family not his own): Doran, where did that shirt come from?
Doran: My house.
Anne: There are 12 boys here?! I will count them. (She goes to the living room doorway.) 1-2-3-4-5- 1-2-3- They are hard to count when they are moving.
Ken (Coming in to drop off Beckett and Sawyer): How many boys are here?
Ba: 12
Ken: You can smell the testosterone.
Now the boys are all in beds, and sleeping bags, and on couches. They have their blankets and stuffed animals. They are whispering frantically to each other: "Shh." "Go to sleep." "You go to sleep." "I can't while you're talking." "Shh!" "You shh!" "Move over." "Get off the blanket." "It's my blanket." "Is not." *Hard tug on blanket* "Oh, it is." "Move your foot." "That's not my foot." "It's my foot." "Well move it." "OK." "OK." "OK." *Maniacal laughter* in chorus: "OK-OK-OK-OK" *Laughter* "Shh will you!" "Right." "OK." *Groans* "Not again."
This is the life. I can't imagine a better way to spend a Friday night.
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