Birthday Blessings to my Dear Boys

It's over, and I'm sad. Tonight was the last birthday celebration for Will & Adam. No, they didn't have a bunch, just a couple, but it was spread out over just the right amount of time.

They are now four, or as Will says, "Two & two." Four is not that great of a milestone for a person in their whole span of life, but for me, as their mother, I am ecstatic. (Actually, every birthday my kids have, I am overjoyed.) But 4 will be a good year, I know it. These boys already know that four is wonderful, because now they get to have a "whole vitamin", instead of just a half. Big stuff for the little guys. But now, as Dad reminded them, they have an extra minute tagged on to their timeouts. They will move from the "Under the Sea" room to the "Garden Room" in Treasureland. And now that Adam is 4, he is pumped to "beat up." His cousin Josh told him how: you just "pull on one of these" (back collar), "making them fall" and then "roll like this (back and forth) on the ground."

I have to say thanks to my mom and dad for making birthdays so special for me and my brothers growing up. Going out for breakfast with Dad to Golden Bowl, balloons and a special placemat at the table, wonderful presents, and picking out the restaurant for dinner. Now that my brothers and I are all grown up, on our birthday, one never forgets to call the other to send birthday greetings. It is your day - your special day.

I have tried to continue this special tradition in my own little family. So, at our house, we have balloons and streamers and Dunkin Donuts and presents and a trip to a favorite restaurant for dinner. And Grant is now getting in on all the fun. He is such a thoughtful little boy. He bought special presents for them. And he even made up a treasure hunt for Will & Adam to find them, writing up clues and taping them up all over the house. He couldn't wait for the late-sleeping Adam to get up.

Will & Adam finally get what having a birthday is all about. They get excited for the parties; they get excited thinking someone might call them to sing "Happy Birthday"; they get excited opening up a present. Their happiness spreads to everyone in the room, especially their mother.

This November birthday season we have had wonderful experiences - being the leaders at preschool on their special day, getting Crocs and their first and second Webkinz, a mother's first true birthday cake, rough-housing with boy cousins, sharing their day with Uncle Bryan, and many other things. It is fun having both of them celebrating together. Double the fun of it all!