Today A. is 15. It is another perfect day on the lake, cloudless with the water at a temperature that doesnt entirely freeze you to the bone and allows you to float and merge for quite a bit. He had a surprise run with his girl running partner who ran with him from clue to clue to find out that there was ice cream on the end. We are celebrating with a big homemade dinner: flank steak, fresh squash, fresh salsa and chips, and ice cream (in the churn) with raspberries and peaches on the top. I made peach pancakes by the stack...so at least this big boy (now topping his dad at 6'2.5" to his glee)will have an inkling of our love and esteem. There have been presents along with a drive with our neighbor in her amazing, big, mercedes (his idea of heaven) with a little roadtime at 90 mph. Yikes!
It seems like a wink of an eye since we were presented with this 21". 5 lb. 11 oz. commander--and he is as sweet and dear as day one. When you are a kid, birthdays are all about you. As you get a bit of life behind you, birthdays are days to celebrate births, entries, and memories of those people whose birthdays are being remembered. The presents of stuffed animals with funny names (SueBear and Simkin), the ice cream truck ambling down our alley with all the ice cream all the children (and parents) could eat, the games and goodie bags and my playing the fish...all stand out.
What is the fish? you ask? Well, this is a carryover from my childhood. The fish only comes on birthdays--and comes in through the basement, so you never see him. The children (with the other parent) file one by one into the hallway where the laundry chute is. They stand on a stool and let down a "fishing line" (read rope with a sock attached). The children talk to the fish and ask for a present which the fish (read all the spaghetti pots in the house filled with water along with a big pan of water and and a glass) gargle and splash and give a small trinket, toy or candy with a big tug...an expressive tug, to reinforce that this baby was real. And man, did they buy it...until about second grade...but we really had em going. And the fish ONLY came to our parties. Nice to have that sort of exclusivity. Do you think he would buy that tonight? If the fish put $20 bills in the sock, would they pretend to believe? Maybe like Santa, they might, just one more time to let the old girl get her kicks, but somehow, I doubt it.
The birthday celebration is morphing to Wednesday dinner with his grandparents and a bigger to do with both boys and girls HS XC teams. So lasagne for 50 is in order for this mom...and ultimate frisbee. I think I better check to see if we even have one. Make note, One frisbee.
Internet Piracy abounds. We found number one pirate standing on the property line again..and the absolute boldness as she asked us why the internet wasn't working (pulled the plug, right then and there) and R. made some odd statement about the connection being portable and how it has to go with the computer as we breezed down the driveway. She made a pouting moue, expecting us in her totally entitled way to jump out of the wonderbus and jiggle some cords to let her get her connection. No way. If there had been more sharing and less of our giving and their taking as much as they could, I might be a bit nicer--but this is something they can buy too. After all, they have such grand titles and are such important people. "Did you know", she asked me, "that you can use the internet to do research." No?! Imagine. If only I could read...!(they are always surprised when I mention a book or a publication because only special people are allowed that skill in the very refined academic world they inhabit.") Now, honey...where did I put that baseball bat?
I know, I know...that isn't very charitable or nice. But hey. I am just doing them a favor...after all today is labor day. Why work?!
Enough. Off to the Garden of Eden and then a bit more swimming before the great cooking of the birthday feast.