Thursday, November 02, 2006

birthday madness

The fall is always crazy with birthdays around here. First my neice, then my son, then my in-laws. Since we all live an hour and a half away from each other, this makes for lots of weekend driving. It's nice to be festive and all, but it's a bit much all at once...and lots of arbitrary present-buying for people who already have more than they need.

Next is my little guy...who has his 4th birthday party this weekend. We're keeping it a small, simple family affair. An easy lunch together, then cake and a few presents. He will also celebrate at his playgroup next week. The teacher will tell the other children the story of his life thus far (with photos), then they sing to him in two languages and have cake.

Right now he's a bit ill...one of the less desired results of being in the Spielgruppe and being exposed to more germs in the last weeks than he has in his whole life. My instincts tell me to keep him home in the nest with me forever and spare him all of life's messier bits...like nasty viruses, mean people, and standardized tests for example. But alas, we know that more important is that he feels a part of society here and that he speaks the language of his "folk" and for this he needs to spread his wings a bit...and I along with him.

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