1.7.14

"Today we should have a party," Middle Duck declares.  It is 6:30 in the morning.  I must still be groggy with sleep because I say, "sure," not grasping the implications of such an agreement.  By 8 am party planning is in full swing, "We need decorations, Candy Cane Cupcakes and balloons on a string."  He is both specific and determined.  I buy myself a shower by setting him up with the task of "making decorations."  (Obviously the morning fog has lifted because that was a fabulous use of Mommy Ingenuity.)  By noon we are home from running errands.  Errands that ended with a stop for 3 "balloons on a string." 3 balloons, because he says, "the Easter Colored Caterpillar is turning 4 today".  (Huh? you ask.  Yeah, well me too. Just go with it.) By 3 pm Brother is doing homework while the Middle Duck and I mix eggs, sugar, flour and peppermint extract to concoct our Candy Cane Cupcakes.  We manage to decorate the red and white striped cupcakes before Brothers' baseball practice, with a promise that Caterpillar WILL have his party after dinner.

I wish I could say that the process of this "party" was my Cherished Moment.  But it is not.  It didn't feel fun, it felt (gulp) exhausting.  And I certainly wasn't super fun, cheery, happy "let's plan a pretend party" sort of mom today.  In all honesty, letting him, be him is really, really hard work for me.  

It was 6:30 pm, after dinner, when the birthday hat had been made and carefully placed upon the Caterpillar of honor's head, the candles were lit, and the birthday song had been sung, that my Moment for today came.  Hayden, Hudson and Caterpillar each had a candle on their cupcake, but Hudson could not for the life of him blow that thing out.  He had his face right up in the flame, blowing and blowing and just could not extinguish that fire.  He must of blew on it 10 or 15 times.  I laughed then, and may have even snorted.  And snorting moments are Cherish moments in my book.

Life lesson #7632:  If you wanna laugh and (possibly) snort, some days you may just have to stick with it... all day, for a full 12 hours, starting at 6:30 am.