My littlest baby is five years old- it's not his birthday or anything, he's been five for a while now, but it's on my mind today. When I think of 5 , a few things always play in my head. One is Little Bill...is that show even on anymore? Little Bill was five, and I always remember his dad teaching him, and him repeating "it's good to be five" in that smooth Bill Cosby rhthym.
The other line is from a poem that the kindergarten teacher sends home every year on the first day of school. This lady is forever on a diabolical mission to make moms cry...so she likes to find poems to screw with us. I don't remember the rest of the poem, but there's a line that says "when you're five and your heart has wings, nothing can mean so many things". What does that mean? Who knows. But it made you choke up a bit, right?
The third great "five" line that sticks with me is the morning my oldest turned five. My husband and I were lying in bed and we heard him get up and repeat to himself "I'm five, I'm five, I'm five" and we heard his little feet running to the bathroom, see himself in the mirror and say "I still look four". It was one of those great days that started out with a hysterical belly laugh before my head lifted off the pillow.
So in my decade of accrued mommy wisdom, I've determined that five is a year to savor. I know certain things are important in the world that is kindergarten and birthdays parties are pretty much top on the list. I remember when birthday parties were much of my social life, I'd hop from party to party and chat it up with all the moms. Probably carrying Luke in one of my million slings, Lexi decked out in an $80 boutique outfit...oh how times have changed.
This past weekend was crazy around here, we had hockey out the wazoo topped with a big fat hockey party at my house on Saturday night. I was busy with all the big kid stuff. One of Luke's closest friends' birthday party was Saturday morning at the same time as Luke's instructional hockey. I had determined that we'd be skipping hockey to go to the party. He'd already missed a party because we were at his brother's tournament and I know this birthday party age only lasts a few years. There will be plenty more ice time in my little boy's future.
Imagine my surprise when my five year old contemplated going to hockey instead of the party... I saw that little look in his eye, and thought- NO! is the moment my baby becomes one of them- a hockey player?? Because I know so well that the sport has an addictive quality I will never understand. The complulsion to skate is bigger than fevers, tummyaches and broken bones, please don't let it be bigger than a kindergarten birthday party. Thankfully, his little five year old mind can still be manipulated and off to the party we went.
And then I did the craziest thing of all- I STAYED at the party! I didn't take off to run errands, get ready for the evening's bash, drive my other kids places...I stayed and took it all in. They played, they bounced, they sang they caked- my friend's youngest lost a tooth in the middle of it all. I enjoyed every minute of it, because you know what happens at every single kindergarten birthday party? Someone turns SIX.
The other line is from a poem that the kindergarten teacher sends home every year on the first day of school. This lady is forever on a diabolical mission to make moms cry...so she likes to find poems to screw with us. I don't remember the rest of the poem, but there's a line that says "when you're five and your heart has wings, nothing can mean so many things". What does that mean? Who knows. But it made you choke up a bit, right?
The third great "five" line that sticks with me is the morning my oldest turned five. My husband and I were lying in bed and we heard him get up and repeat to himself "I'm five, I'm five, I'm five" and we heard his little feet running to the bathroom, see himself in the mirror and say "I still look four". It was one of those great days that started out with a hysterical belly laugh before my head lifted off the pillow.
So in my decade of accrued mommy wisdom, I've determined that five is a year to savor. I know certain things are important in the world that is kindergarten and birthdays parties are pretty much top on the list. I remember when birthday parties were much of my social life, I'd hop from party to party and chat it up with all the moms. Probably carrying Luke in one of my million slings, Lexi decked out in an $80 boutique outfit...oh how times have changed.
This past weekend was crazy around here, we had hockey out the wazoo topped with a big fat hockey party at my house on Saturday night. I was busy with all the big kid stuff. One of Luke's closest friends' birthday party was Saturday morning at the same time as Luke's instructional hockey. I had determined that we'd be skipping hockey to go to the party. He'd already missed a party because we were at his brother's tournament and I know this birthday party age only lasts a few years. There will be plenty more ice time in my little boy's future.
Imagine my surprise when my five year old contemplated going to hockey instead of the party... I saw that little look in his eye, and thought- NO! is the moment my baby becomes one of them- a hockey player?? Because I know so well that the sport has an addictive quality I will never understand. The complulsion to skate is bigger than fevers, tummyaches and broken bones, please don't let it be bigger than a kindergarten birthday party. Thankfully, his little five year old mind can still be manipulated and off to the party we went.
And then I did the craziest thing of all- I STAYED at the party! I didn't take off to run errands, get ready for the evening's bash, drive my other kids places...I stayed and took it all in. They played, they bounced, they sang they caked- my friend's youngest lost a tooth in the middle of it all. I enjoyed every minute of it, because you know what happens at every single kindergarten birthday party? Someone turns SIX.
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