Nine and feelin' fine

We have reached another milestone in our home: we now have a nine year old in the house.

So far, it's a pretty nifty age. It involves bigness -- in opinions, feelings, ideas, and even sizem. It's like I woke up one day and realized my son is quickly gaining on me, height-wise! I do not know how I will deal with it when he outgrows me.

Nine means independence: biking places by himself, devouring books by himself instead of always wanting me to read aloud to him, having strong opinions that may not be replicas to that of his parents'. 

I had a foretaste of all of this when he was three -- he certainly wanted to do everything "by myself!" back then, but now, he can, and does.

For reference's sake, here is Noah at three. Let us pause and sigh and whisper "tempest fugit" and WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP CHOPPING ONIONS IN HERE, I'm trying to BLAAAAAHHHG.

While it actually does not feel like "just yesterday" that this picture was taken (after all, two extra people joined our family since then), it feels more like three years ago that he found this heart-shaped rock, showed me excitedly, them promptly tossed it back into the ocean. 

It could not have six years ago. No.

And here is now, showing off with great excitement the photos he took with his Fujifilm INSTAX, a joint gift from his parents and grandparents.

Doesn't Anna look like him in that first picture?

We had a lovely birthday observance, despite the horrors of the mid-April snowstorm(!), because his Gram was able to join us on his birthday! Lovely. At his request, we ate tacos and lemon meringue pie and played rousing good games of Clue and Settlers of Catan.

(Can I just have this for breakfast? Also, I love that my son knows that pie is better than cake. Not only better TASTING but infinitely more photographable, as the... ahem... charming cake photos that follow will prove.)

Then a birthday party was thrown in his honour, and I felt more than slightly wistful thinking the days where he'd actually want a theme party are dwindling. In fact, this may have been the last year.

He insisted that he wanted a Green Ember party after we have plowed through most of the books in that series as a family (not the most recent one, though, yet. If any of my generous blog readers feel like sponsoring my Amazon habit, feel free to buy me a copy... *wink* {Dave Ramsey and I have had a come-to-Jesus moment and I will not be buying books for sometime.}).

It was an odd party, because despite my efforts to have planned, thematic games, it was clear that the gaggle of boys in my house would have been equally happy to bounce on the trampoline, eat cake and attempt to use Noah's new slingshot (an exciting gift from his uncle) at some empty pop cans.

But there was a cake. And, in keeping with tradition, it was ugly.

Really, my Pinterest-fueled hubris knows no bounds. Patrick just smiled affectionately and had the kids say in unison "at least it tastes good!"

This, my friends, is Cloud Mountain, the place of refuge the rabbits in the series escape to when the marauding wolves attempt to destroy all that is good and homey for the brave rabbits.

Ha.

My niece saw a photo, after I showed it off to my actual-professional-cake-baking-sister (I'm a bit of a masochist and find it funny that she'll chuckle over these things), and said "is that blue mashed potatoes?"

Might as well have been.

I also stuffed some cotton candy around the edges to hide the blobs of icing and to look more "cloud like." I also forgot to take a picture of that. I suppose I was a bit distracted because there were five extra kids in my house...?

The decor was simply my psyanky, since it still was Easter, and our beloved S.D. Smith books (again, Dave Ramsey is teaching me how to live). Oh yes, and a Green Ember shield on a tiny chalkboard. The boys were delighted by this, it should be noted, and Anna ran around shouting "I want to be HEATHER!" This series has captured their imaginations as deeply as the Narnia series.

As a former literature major and a fingers-crossed-he's-still-a-saint-despite-not-being-Catholic-because-I-love-you-Clive-Staples, I do not share that comparison with you lightly. I'll now add "introduce my kids to S.D. Smith in real life" to my bucket list.

The set up for making stained glass with black glue bottles.

It only kinda sorta worked, mostly, again, because they clearly would have preferred to run and scream and bounce on the trampoline. Note to self: such crafty ideas would be lovely for a six year old GIRL'S party.

Isaiah made a welcome sign and I love. it.

That's Heather, fellow Green Ember lovers.

And I made a pin-the-sword-in-Picket's-hand.

I felt rather smug about a morning spent ignoring the laundry and dishes for this one.

It was a lovely day. I think the kids who came had fun, and I know my own tribe had a great time. After spending several nights worrying about this, not because I am a Pinterest-y perfectionist, but precisely because I am not, I recalled my own blog post about why I do this:

"if my childhood is a reflection on how theirs will be, it [hosting parties] is a memorable way of letting know they are loved."

And dear Noah, you so are.

A sweet photo taken by the birthday boy and his new camera