Four Years!

Happy Birthday to my little guy, who's actually not so little anymore!  Four Years Old Today!  He's only marginally excited.  He was excited to open his presents, and show them to his friends at school, but other than that, birthdays are still a little too abstract.  I think the fact that his birthday party is this weekend and today is his actual birthday is a little confusing.  I know it always really messed the other kids up.  But he's pleased today.  I wished him a happy birthday and he wished me a happy birthday too.  I had forgotten about that.  So we went over the proper social norm for the "Happy Birthday" exchange and we practiced it once before I sent him into his classroom.  "Happy Birthday, Vince."  "Hap--Thank you!"  I'm hoping he'll remember the rest of the day.



I'm feeling a little guilty today, as I've been known to do on my kids birthdays for the last few years.  I used to really do a lot for birthdays.  We picked out a special cake weeks before, I made elaborate cupcakes that took me days to complete.  When Vince gets home from school we'll be making a boxed cake, frosting it with a tub of frosting and putting a big Spider-Man candle on top to make it a Spider-Man cake.  A few years ago it would have been in the shape of Spider-Man's face--actually resembling VInce's face from Yankee Peddler this past weekend.  I feel bad about it because I just don't have the time or the drive to do that kind of thing anymore, but I really don't think the kids care.  He was happy to pick out his boxed cake from the rows at Target.  Happy to pick out his tub of frosting--with sprinkles of course--and super excited for that spiderman candle which I'm sure will become a toy after it's lit.   I guess it comes down to what makes a birthday a birthday.  It used to be the celebration for me.  Making the cakes and decorating for the parties.  But now I realize it's really more about the kid.  He was happy to get his few new "guys"--one from each family member.  He's happy with his Pump It Up party and inviting his class.  I'm not so sure he'll be happy with his 4 year old doctor's appointment we have today where he'll get some shots, but it can't all be perfect, right?

 I'm going to look at his baby scrapbook with him today too. He really likes to look at old pictures and I think looking at baby Vince today, of all days, will be good for both him and me.  Birthdays are about celebrating another year of life and reflecting back on the years you've spent so far.  I think, especially when kids are young, that they're really more for Mom than the kid.  I still look at the clock on his birthday, thinking about what I was doing at that time the day he was born.   Right now I was in labor.  And really mad because I thought for sure he would have been born by now because  Ellie was so fast. I still would have about an hour left.  It's amazing how you can remember every little detail about one day so long ago.  But I guess the whole thing is really pretty amazing.  Especially the end result.  Happy Birthday Vince!