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Soren's 9th birthday

Kids get older.  That is a fact of life.  But it still surprises me every year.  Soren is nine now.

I remember the day he was born: how I pushed for three hours with no idea how to get him out; how Scott got back from a final exam to see me deliver the placenta; how cute our little stranger was after he'd been cleaned up and dressed in a Christmas stocking; how alert he was, with no intention of closing his dark eyes and missing anything.

Now he's a pre-teen.  Whoa.

Here's what we did to celebrate:

1. I got up very early in the morning to buy foods he liked, then I wrapped them up like presents.  For breakfast, he unwrapped a box of fruit and cream instant oatmeal!  (It was Monday and we usually have oatmeal on Monday--usually the plain kind that you make on the stove.)  All the kids were excited about birthday oatmeal.

2. Grandma and Grandpa sent him a guitar.  I told Soren that when he was nine, I would support him in developing his talents by paying for and driving him to one class or lesson.  He chose to learn the guitar.  Grandma and Grandpa Berg sent him a very nice one and he was delighted with it.  I tuned it up for him and he spent a little time experimenting, then we scheduled lessons for January with a teacher.

3. His homeschool workload was lighter and all of his assignments were birthday related.  He wrote out the birthday song for his copywork and then had to play it on the piano.  He got to pick a board game to play then opened a present from Dad with a new computer science text in it!  They started working on that right away.

4. For lunch, he opened another present: a box of "shapes macaroni and cheese".  Everyone was glad to have it but Soren informed me that wrapping up food didn't really make it a present.  Here I thought I was being fun.

5. I gave him a new game for his birthday (Carcassone), which I taught him to play in the afternoon.  Games are my go-to birthday gifts; thankfully, my kids love new games.

6. True to tradition, Soren didn't want a typical birthday cake.  This year, he asked me to make pancakes instead.  Since we had just eaten a giant chocolate cake two days earlier on Scott's birthday, I was very happy to oblige.  I put sprinkles on the pancakes, so they would be festive.  We made a short stack and put candles on it so that we could sing to him.  Soren managed to blow them all out in one go.  The pancakes were yummy, especially with whipped cream and Aunt Rachel's homemade blackberry syrup.


7. After the little kids went to bed, Soren, Scott and I played another round of Carcassone.  I love that Soren is old enough to spend time with in ways we both enjoy.  I am excited to see the man he grows up to be; I'm sure it will come sooner than I expect.

Happy birthday, Soren!
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