Seven years ago when we became parents I didn't realize there were such a thing as parenting levels (or stages). I thought a parent was a parent was a parent. End of story. How wrong I was! Because in reality there are many levels/stages. To start there's the in-utero parenting which isn't parenting at all (but don't tell the expectant parents that)! It's the real deal to them. Then there's the sleepless nights and endless diaper changing newborn stage that is chocked full of emotional lability (for the baby & new parents alike) and insecurities in parenting decisions abound! Parents blink an eye and their little charge is a talker and an explorer. This stage is all about setting limits while allowing age-appropriate freedoms. It's teaching basic right from wrong. Next comes preschoolers and when you first enter this stage as a parent you think your child is so BIG and so OLD. Like a full grown kid! Ha. But then that baby goes to kindergarten and suddenly you are the parents of an actual big kid! And you start to worry that you are screwing them up. Like for real. Permanent damage....and they are old enough to remember! Parenting a real kid is no joke. But I digress. My point (yes I have one!) is this: Isaiah had a sleepover birthday party at our house last night with his two best buddies and we all survived. And for that I feel like Joe and I deserve an award or something. At the very least acknowledgement that we are officially the parents of a FOR REAL big kid. A seven year old (well technically next week - close enough)!
A sleepover! A sleepover in which very little sleeping took place. The last two boys fell asleep at nearly 1 AM. And the first two boys woke up before 5 AM. Isaiah unfortunately was part of both of those groups. (Guess who is taking a nap today?)
But A LOT of fun was had. The boys ate corn dogs and fries followed by chocolate cake. We went down to the lake where the boys climbed rocks and stayed off the toxic hot lava (aka the sand). We had a campfire and roasted marshmallows in our backyard. We then attempted to wrap up the evening with a movie and popcorn in bed. Unfortunately the boys had other non-sleep related activities planned for the night. Namely talking (a mile/minute!), playing Hero Factory and making rainbow loom projects. I fell asleep before any of the boys! Thank goodness Joe requires very little sleep and has endless patience. He was up with them until the very end.
While it was a very energetic (and tiring) evening, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to their seven-year-old-boy conversations. Almost everything became a competition. Who knew multiplication and division the best. Who had lost the most baby teeth. (Isaiah came in dead last with zero.) Who told the funniest knock knock joke. And on and on and on. It was very entertaining!
We are all a little tired today. (And not much packing has happened. Surprise. Surprise.) But I would say it was worth it. Because Isaiah claims it was "the best birthday EVER!" Which is how I want him to remember his seventh birthday. Not as the year the moving truck showed up and moved him away from the only house he remembers.
Too much sugar and not enough sleep. That's a good birthday.
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