Birthday Buddies

Today I am 38.  I have always been into celebrating birthdays, particularly my own.  But the last time I celebrated my birthday in a big way was eight years ago, when I turned thirty.  It went something like this:

And then the next year, everything was different. 

I celebrated my 31st birthday with the best present I could ever receive strapped to my chest, and I couldn't have been happier.  Suddenly, someone else's birthday, just six days before mine, was so much more important than my own.  And while I still relish the love and celebration my birthday brings, and eat up every ounce of affection, calls, gifts, singing, flowers, and cake, it is now my children's birthdays that hold an extra special place in my heart.  Because as each year passes, I get the opportunity to pause and reminisce about the wonder of the moments they came into my life, appreciate how much they have grown, and celebrate the little humans they have become.  And so, on this my 38th birthday, the long overdue birthday post for my newly seven year old.

At 8:54 (our birthday boy insisted upon looking up the exact time in his baby book this year) on Saturday morning, Ethan turned seven years old.  And we celebrated our big boy all day long.  Ethan didn't want a friend party this year, instead opting for his grandparents and Uncle Paul and Lori to join him at the movies, followed by taco night.  So after lunch at Wendy's and an afternoon showing of the The Nut Job (front row - eek - guess we weren't the only ones with the movie idea on a snowy Saturday), we fiesta-ed at our house with sombreros and a piñata and lots of yummy Mexican food.  We toasted our Ethan, who changed us all seven years ago, making us parents and grandparents and uncles for the first time, filling our hearts with a love that has only grown since.  And as I tucked my newly seven year old into bed on Saturday night, I told him the story of his birth, and how seeing him for the first time was probably the happiest moment of my life, and how his Daddy held him with pride for hours afterwards.  I reminded him that he was the one who made me a Mommy, and that his birthday will forever be a very important day, not just for him, but also for me.  Like he does every birthday, Ethan hugged me and told me it was his best birthday ever.  

At seven, Ethan:

• Still has all his baby teeth.  He predicts he'll lose his first tooth in February but his dentist thinks it will be awhile yet.
• Is a kind and loyal friend.  He doesn't have a "best" friend, nor a single enemy.  His teacher says he is a friend to all in his class and often seeks out kids who need a friend.
• Loves to build and create.  Legos, geomags, Perler beads, rainbow loom, more Legos... Anything that has an instruction book and a finished product makes this kid happy.  But some of his best creations are those he makes when he tosses the instructions aside and just builds.  I love that Ethan (and Adam) somehow acquired a creativity gene that exists in neither of their Type A parents.
• Would eat the same lunch every day if he could - bagel with cream cheese or PB&J, bell peppers, an apple, and a squeezy yogurt.  Ethan also loves "Thai food" (which is his name for Pad Thai), Mommy's mac 'n cheese, yogurt with granola, and BBQ beef sandwiches.
• Loves with his whole body.  When he was a toddler, Ethan would do this funny thing where he would hug Adam hard, clench his teeth, and shake.  It was almost as if he was overcome with affection and didn't really know how to channel it.  While he has mostly outgrown that (with the exception of the occasional cheek grab), he still hugs hard and with his whole being.  He is a sensitive and emotional guy (like his Daddy) and loves deep.  At seven, although school and friends are fun, I am happy to report that Ethan is still all about his family. 
• Is growing like a weed.  Taller and leaner by the day, our big boy has outgrown most of the pants we bought him this fall.
• Excels at math, adding two and three digit numbers in his head.  I am relieved that math is a piece of cake for this boy, as he gets easily frustrated if he doesn't immediately understand something.  Ethan is at his best when he's confident.
• Loves books.  Ethan recently got a lamp that clips to the side of his bed, and he loves to read to himself or his brother at night. But he also still loves being read to, and together we devour chapter books.  He's particularly into the A to Z mysteries, Notebook of Doom, and Geronimo Stilton series.
• Has gotten more courageous with his writing.  He doesn't always get it right, but he tries, and the results are often quite comical.  (e.g., he wrote that he got a smntmcsare (cement mixer) for Christmas and that he played outsiad with his nybras (neighbors)).
• Can't get enough of the schoolbus.  The ride is ridiculously long, but nonetheless, he begs to stand out in the cold and wait for that bus even when I offer to drive him.  He packs rainbow loom supplies and drawing pads and loves the extra time to socialize with his neighbor friends.
• Has a flare for the dramatic.  Nail clipping and shampoo rinsing can often bring tears, and you would have thought our head lice epidemic was a bout with the plague.  These are great opportunities for life lessons about how lucky we are to have head lice be our biggest problem.
• Is suddenly obsessed with sports, particularly football.  He loves watching football with Daddy, reading books about famous football players, setting up his Legos in football formations, and memorizing team names, colors, and logos.  
• Loves to move his body.  Dancing to Top 40 music in the dark with glowing toys and flashlights is probably his favorite activity de jour.  But he also adores soccer, skiing, skating, riding his bike, climbing trees, sledding, tossing a football, and just being outside.
• Is always ready for a celebration.  Ethan likes anything special and out of the ordinary - movie night, taco night, game night, a slumber party by the Christmas tree...these simple celebrations bring great joy to our boy.
• Is pensive, responsible, earnest, kind, self-assured, silly, competitive, trustworthy, thoughtful, and mature.
• Is at perhaps the most golden of ages.  So while each birthday is bittersweet, this one seems more sweet than bitter.  I am beyond proud of the seven year old Ethan is, so honored to be his Mom, and nothing but excited for all the fun ahead.  Seven is heaven and I am just going to enjoy the next 357 days of it.  

Ethan, as I tell you every night, we love you to the moon and back, forever and ever.  You were the best birthday present I received in my 38 years on this earth, and have made me the person I am today.  Happiest seventh birthday to you, my sweet boy.

And in Ethan's words, here's a rundown of his faves on the brink of his eighth year (last year's answers in parentheses):

Ethan, Age 6
Weight: 56 lbs (49 lbs)
Height: 50.5 inches (47 inches)
1. What is your favorite color?  Red (Blue)
2. What is your favorite toy?  Cement mixer, Legos, rocket ship-building kit (The garbage truck and the crane)
3. What is your favorite fruit?  Tomatoes (Raspberries) 
4. What is your favorite TV show? Paw Patrol and Wild Kratts (Curious George)
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?  Peanut butter and jelly (Blueberry or cranberry bagel)
6. What is your favorite outfit?  Robot shirt and "you know Mom - those pants" [black track pants with red stripe down the side] (T-Rex shirt with navy sweatpants)
7. What is your favorite game?  Rummikub (Ten-zei) 
8. What is your favorite snack?  Squeezy yogurt (Squeezy yogurt and popcorn)
9. What is your favorite animal?  Elephant (Elephant)
10. What is your favorite song?  BINGO  (I don't have a favorite song.)
11. What is your favorite book?  Ride Fly Guy Ride (The Circus Ship)
12. Who is your best friend?  Owen and Josh (Dylan Tolli)
13. What is your favorite cereal?  Shredded Spoonfuls (Shredded Spoonfuls)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Ski (Ride bikes)
15. What is your favorite drink?  Orange juice (Milk and water)
16. What is your favorite holiday?  Christmas, my birthday, and Easter..."when I get things" (Christmas, no wait, my birthday)
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?  Nothing (Birdie and Clipper)
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  An English muffin with peanut butter and marmalade (Granola)
19. What would you like to have for a special birthday dinner?  Tacos, mac 'n cheese, or Thai food (Tacos)
20. What do you want to be when you grow up?  A construction worker (A construction worker) [This one's holding real steady - three years in a row.]