I never had a sibling so I’ll never know personally what my kids will go through. However, this weekend was the first (of hopefully many) joint birthday parties for Connor and Josephine. Josie turned one on Nov 10 and Connor turns three on Nov 20. So on November 13, we had a petting zoo party for both of them. It was a huge hit and best of all our neighbor’s 10 year-old had a really great time. This is the third year in a row we’ve done this and if we could squeeze this out for seven more years, I’d be tickled. It’s super easy. Call the mobile zoo, they come, set up the pen, dump all the animals in, kids go nuts for an hour, pony rides, redirect kids, they put up the animals, clean up the poop, and they disappear. Can you say party in a box?
This year was extra nice because we had that play scape put in. So the kids weren’t watching the animals getting loaded up, they played and ran around like they being chased by bears. It was really fun watching Connor and Josie interact with all the kids and animals this year. I can really see the big gains from Connor’s first year. In year one, he reached out for animals and squealed. Year two, he chases and picks up some animals, and almost decapitates a bunny. Year three has him chasing, and cornering the animals, picking them up and placing them where he thinks they should be. In some cases on top of a hay bale, in others I guess they needed to be free. Yes he dropped two chickens, a pig, and a duck outside the pen and the adults then had to chase and catch the renegade livestock. Even the little calf made a break for it.
This year he also had fun with the feed. He learned to lure his prey with the feed they provided and then he’d make his move. I liked his strategy and no animals got hurt and they certainly got fed. Josephine woke up from her nap about half way through the zoo and we got her into the pen. She smiled, giggled, and petted many of the little goats, sheep, ducks, the foal, donkey, and calf. She wasn’t too cool with the pony ride but come one, she’s one. In any case, she seemed amazed that all these animals that are two dimensional in her books, or are stuffed in her room and sedentary all of a sudden came to life. How cool that must be when everything is in discovery mode? But she was a bit bolder than Connor was at his first one, but isn’t that the way?
As we were getting the cake and cupcakes ready for “happy birthday” and strapping the kids into their chairs, Connor’s Godmother asked, “So will this be Josie’s first sweets?” Uh, no. We kind of laughed about this because I guess like most parents we were so protective of Connor in year one. No nuts, no honey, no milk, etc. Josie’s pretty much had a free for all in the first one. Sometimes it was Nita and I watching in horror while Josie found something on the ground that Connor was eating and she put it in her mouth. So we’d watch, mouth agape, hoping nothing would happen…thankfully it didn’t. J So Josie was a bit ahead of the curve. In fact, if I was sure she’d find her way back I’d let her check the mail, hmmm, maybe a tether or a leash of some sort… it is getting colder out you know and I don’t want to go out there this winter. Of course I’m kidding. That really is more of a Connor job isn’t it?
In any case, we thought about all the things Josie has done earlier and laughed. The list was pretty extensive. Then it also made me think about those families with more than oh let’s say five. One of my best friends in high school had 12 brothers and sisters. His mom always had food on the stove, which of course was a treat for me. And his dad always had beer in his tool shed fridge, which was also a treat for my friend and me. We left money in the cooler for whatever we took, and to be honest we were fairly responsible about it. While we could have taken a lot of it, we usually took a sixer, which in retrospect is probably why our “ruse” continued to work. In any case, it made me wonder about how much the baby or at least number 11 gets away with in a family that big. I mean if Josie’s eating pecans off the floor at nine months, is number six or seven playing with knives in the kitchen?
Plus it was a different time, I guess. There were no car seats, helmet laws, food warnings, or anything like that. There was a really funny episode of Mad Men a few years back where the two moms were in the kitchen smoking while the kids came running in with dry cleaning bags over their heads. They said, “Mommy, mommy, we’re spacemen.” Mommy’s reply was, “My dry cleaning better not be on the floor mister!” Good times, good times.
So I guess I hope that the phrase, “Why does Connor’s/Josie’s stupid friends have to come to my party” is delayed for 7-8 years. Because I’m telling you, one party in the middle is way preferable to two distinctly different and separate parties. In fact, think we can run this through high school? I’ll leave my beer fridge open. Connor, you better leave some money, and don’t take more than a sixer sporto.
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