Now You Are Six

The Big O turned six last Tuesday*.

This year I decided that I wasn't going to throw a big birthday party for him as I have done in past years. I knew it would be too much for me to handle right now. I felt bad though, since he has many frineds at school and has been to a few of their parties. But, the Big O was understanding and was OK with not having a big birthday party. I promised him that we would take him somewhere fun and we ended up going to Chuck E. Cheese the day after his birthday. Which was, in fact, very fun and much easier and less stressful than throwing a birthday party.

He did get to have a little party at school though. I brought cupcakes to his kindergarten classroom and a purple helium balloon (which popped in the classroom). His classmates sang him the birthday song (without the cha cha chas), he blew out a candle and then his teacher went through the Birthday book his classmates made for him. This was one of my favorite parts of the day. Each of the Big O's classmates drew a picture for him and all the pictures were stapled together to make a book. His teacher showed each picture and asked each student what they had drawn for Big O. There were drawings of clouds, flowers, fruit, rain, cars and lots of purple. But many drew Batman--they all knew the Big O loves Batman. I think I enjoyed this so much becasue I never got to have a classroom birthday celebration, my birthday is in June.

After school we went home. The Big O was excited to see the five remaining purple balloons. I made dinner and the Big O played with his grandparents who spent the entire day with us. We ate dinner then enjoyed cupcakes. The Big O somehow knew that making a cake would be more than I could deal with and instead requested cupcakes arranged in a number six. This was WAY easier that my usual birthday cake creations. After cupcakes the Big O opened presents. He got some books and a framed poster titled "Learn to Pitch". A very nice birthday celebration, if you ask me. You can ask Big O here.

Happy 6th Birthday Big O!

*I'm still in shock. How is it that I am the mother to an actual child? A small person that is now in the part of childhood that he will remember when he is an adult. A part of life that will shape his views, his personality, his beliefs, his behaviors etc. As the mother this is intimidating, scary even. It seems wrong that I can have so much influence. I do not feel ready, or qualified to raise this precious being.