Last week we celebrated 2 birthdays Z and A. Z turned 11 and A turned 8. Birthdays around a holiday are never easy, birthdays 3 days apart are almost impossible! There has to be a delicate balance of placing complete focus on each child without feeling like they are being dumped for the next person. It is also imperative that the child or children without the birthday is also recognized so they will not feel left out. As toddlers this was always a difficult balance. Our eldest daughter would feel left our or take over the toys her younger sister received so she could feel some kind of recognition. For a while we would give her something small so she could enjoy the celebration instead of being envious. This year without the fuss all the kids enjoyed the celebration. I love how Jackson loves to be a part of everything. He is different than any other child in the fact that he excited just to be a part, but could care less of what the person gets. This year Jackson is beginning to understand the idea of birthdays and celebration, he loves to help open gifts and see the excitement on the person's face. I love that he cares so much about how the others feel and not about what new toy he can play with!
Last year was Z's last year for a big party until he hit his milestones like 13, 16, etc. During all of this we were also fighting sickness between 3 out of 4 kids. We celebrated with a movie and pizza and time spent with a couple of friends playing Xbox 360. It's nice to see his choice of friends. They all play well together without the need to be dominant, they encourage each other to do better and help each other along the way. It is my hope that through the following awkward years that they will continue to see each other through some of the difficult times. I also love how they include Jack. This year we made sure that Z received our undivided attention and requested that our other 3 stayed the night at grandma's house. This small change allowed Z to truly enjoy himself and had the best birthday ever... Z got everything he requested, time with friends, time with his parents (alone), and the opportunity to see a movie...and a few gifts. We were also able to celebrate as a family and had the opportunity to laugh and enjoy each other.
A's birthday of course followed. Because her birthday is so close to the holiday and behind Z's birthday we kept is small, just family, plus Z ended up getting sick. Luckily A chose to have her party the weekend after Thanksgiving. She talked about a skating party and all the other types, but we also shared with her that the more money we spent on one thing takes away from the other. So she chose not to have an elaborate party with all of her classmates and friends, but to have a slumber party. This is her first slumber party and is very excited! Again we will be taking her and her friends to see a movie, but then she wants to come home and make pizzas and play on the Wii, with her new game "Just Dance 2". My hope is that she does not become too passionate about winning and lose focus on the other girls. It will be nice to see her interact with some of her friends. Many of them are new to me, but the ones I know they seem to always get along, help each other. My hope is that she will find someone she really connects with and that she will have someone who she will always want to have over.
I would say this month of birthdays was successful. It was different but it worked for us and the end result was happiness so how can we complain?
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