As you get older the whole concept of a birthday changes. As I lay pretending to be asleep in my bed this morning I could hear the excited whispers of little people covering the bed with cards and presents, negotiating who was going to present me with what. I opened my eyes to a plate full of pain au chocolat, a green tea on the bedside table and three happy little faces beaming at me, desperate for me to open my presents – which I duly did.
I realised that my birthdays have become as much about them as they are about me, probably more so. Watching the joy they get from me reading out their home made cards, guessing what the pictures are and unwrapping the presents they chose whilst glancing at their expectant faces, poised awaiting a smile to say that they ‘done good’.
Today wasn’t a special birthday, in that it wasn’t one of those ‘big’ ones. But it was a special day. Very normal in many ways, but filled with messages from friends and loved ones, lovely surprises and laughs. The children spent the day at a local playscheme and the highlight of the day was watching them ‘perform’ in a play. Sadly the 5yo tripped over and banged her chin just as it started, necessitating her hasty exit from the stage (along with the 3yo). That left the 8yo, who never gets a decent part in any play he’s ever been in. All change today though – I was the beaming mother stood on the pew taking pictures while he walked around the stage speaking his lines.
And then the piece de resistance. At home I was presented a book of poems written by my 8yo son. A mixture of genres, he started off with a couple of limericks (he’s very keen on a limerick):
There was a man from Australia
Who wanted to be a sailor
He got an F-minus
Witch wasn’t the finest,
And now he’s a complete failure
and:
There was a girl called Mary
Who was entirely made out of dairy
People started to munch
Her up for lunch,
And now her dairy’s quite hairy
(I don’t really want to dwell on that one)
I can’t reveal all of the treasures, just in case he’s a famous poet one day and I get the chance to sell them for millions, but I have to share this one. There are many times when parenthood completely overwhelms me and I’m pretty sure that I’m getting it all wrong. This told me that maybe I’m not so bad after all: (all spelling is author’s own)
Get a clue and geuss who?
Plate washer
Story reader
Droper oofer
Picker upper
Big kisser
Lovely huger
Dinner maker
Fun haver
Picture taker
Love giver
Phone caller
Kid look afterer
Toy buyer
Homework helper
Calculator container
Flower grower
Sleep header
News teller
Pretty looker
Cake cooker
Blog maker
Answer: you!
*sob*
Don’t things like that make all the sleeplness nights, temper tantrums (yours & theirs) make it all worthwhile? ! Hope you had a great day!
You sound not just like you’re lucky, but your offspring are pretty lucky too. You can’t force a kid to write nice stuff about you (believe me I’ve tried)…children are a tiny army of truth-sayers and the truth is. You’re pretty darn cool lady. As a blogger and a mum clearly.
Not bad as a mate too has to be said. Now that’s enough nice stuff – piss off and get pissed like a normal birthday girl would you
Mwah! xx
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! The lump in my throat turned to tears! I don’t know if it is a special gene in boys but god how they tug those heart strings! Happy, happy birthday P!
Ahw I totally agree with Gigi – you’re amazing to get poems like that written about you!! That’s the loveliest thing ever and I hope one day my kids can write that about me…(or, er, something reasonably close…)
Happy birthday gorgeous 🙂
xx
I love that last poem – how amazing are you?! I hope that one day I can be a Calculator Container and Kid Look Afterer as good as you!
And I forgot to say… HAPPY BIRTHDAY! xxxx
Really lovely day, and lovely children. I completely agree with you about Birthday’s being as much if not more about them trying to make your day special, my last one my 8 &6 yr ols “woke” me up for breakfast in bed, of (cold) baked beans on toast and tea, hurriedly made cards and kisses but I have to say I loved every minute of it all. there is something that goes deeper than anything they can buy, the innocent not materialistic love of it all that adore, that said I would always be happy with diamonds (just in case somebody reads this!)
Happy Birthday
That boy of yours is a complete star, which I hope you realise means you are doing a fab job. He said so himself. Clearly hours of Ben 10 have not addled his brain in the least, so a bit more book reading in the garden could be in order. Hope you’ve had a lovely day, lovely person, you deserve it xxx
Gob-smackingly great! 8-yo obviously put a lot of time and effort in. Those limericks are a hoot. You seem to be doing just fine there, m’dear.
Oh bless him. That is fabulous. Kids have a knack for pulling it out of the bag when you least expect it. Hope you enjoy the rest of your day, P.
aawww that’s just brilliant 😀
Clever boy with a fantastic mummy xxx
Pingback:Tweets that mention 28 again…. « Battling On… -- Topsy.com
And now her dairy’s quite hairy! I don’t even understand it but I love it, he’s pretty impressive for just a wee lad isn’t he. That and ‘dropper oofer’ made me really smile. Happy Birthday Ms Pretty Looker 🙂
Happy birthday too you! What a great Poet your son is just brilliant x
You’re bang on – I was blown away…sometimes this parenting isn’t half bad xx
Absolutely – 100% x
Orders received and understood. *lifts glass, opens mouth, pours*
Oh, and ditto, obv xx
Don’t they just?! Those venomous looks don’t always mean what you think they mean… Thanks lovely lady xx
Keep doing what you’re doing and there’s no doubt at all lovely Jay. xx
Seriously, that’s high praise – not everyone gets ordained as a Calculator Container you know! x
LOL, thank you kindly lovely xx
Oh my god that poem’s brilliant! What a birthday present. You have a very talented little boy.
Happy Birthday Paula. xxx
Lovely, just lovely.
Hippo birdee two ewes.
LCM x
Happy birthday! You know you have to print off and frame that last bit, right?
God. I’m gonna cry. Mums rock
M2m
Thank you lovely friend – at this rate I might actually get that book finished! xxx
Oh yes, never say no to diamonds (unless you’re Naomi Campbell)…. but yes to everything you say – absolutely right 🙂
Thank you sir – he’s deffo made me proud today 🙂
So true Kate – and the best part is that I had no idea what he was up to, it was a lovely surprise 🙂
Thank you missus, he knows how to pull it out of the bag 😉 xxx
I don’t either – and I’m not sure I want to!
Thank you lovely x
He certainly has his moments! Thanks Jane x
Thanks chick – he did blow me away with this one. V proud 🙂
Pxxx
fan kew xx
Without a doubt – it’s going in my new office – pride of place 🙂
Please don’t cry – you’ll bump into that……. see, told you so xx
Fantastic. It’s always the little bit of them that they give to you that are the most treasured presents.
Happy belated birthday.
Happy Birthday! Cx
Heartwarming. Spot on too!
Ooh that’s just so, so sweet! I adore the last poem. You rock as a mum, he told you so. Happy birfday for yesterday xXx
Happy birthday.
I’m all teared up! I can’t imagine what kind if state I’d be in if it had been about me 😉 Hope you kept your composure.
And happy birthday (again. But you can never have birthday wishes – or cake – too often) xx
Thank you – and yes, you’re right…long after you forget all the tears and tantrums, this is what will remain 🙂
Thanks Catharine! x
🙂 thank you
Thanks K – today has obviously been a day from hell…ah well, that’s the rollercoaster ride xxx
Thanks Susie 🙂
LOL!! I have no composure – I cried at Nanny McPhee tonight! And we had another cake today – ah well, it’s only once a year. xx
Oh my goodness, I am now a little bit weepy. Happy Birthday for Friday my gorgeous girl. It sounds like you had a nearly perfect day (except for the falling over & tearful small person bit). That poem is so precious and you are right about our birthdays become about them too. It’s ok though isn’t it? Because they start being fun again those pesky old birthdays, once you have small people to celebrate with.
MD xxx
Brilliant, just brilliant. A little late, but Happy Birthday! xx