One of the stumbling blocks for keeping active on my blog lately is that I feel like all I have time for is capturing event after event after event. When you have a busy family, there is usually something going on for somebody that the mom/wife/family historian in me wants to archive and commemorate. Even though I haven’t been blogging, I still feel the desire to make these moments permanent. But, inevitably over the past 8 months since going private, I’d miss something…a summer excursion or sport camp which turned into missing something else and suddenly, I was behind and if I had time to blog, I felt like I had to go back and catch up with those other important events first. But, all those unwritten blog posts left little room for the other type of blogging I love which is organizing my thoughts…about anything…into something. Combine those competing psychological issues with my odd apathy towards private blogging and you’ve got a nearly dead blog. I’m not sure how not writing anything is satisfying the guilt or fixing the indifference but that’s the trick of living in my head.
Still, in spite of missing so many other important events (Daniel’s second birthday, Our Anniversary, Christmas, New Years) I don’t want to forget about Henry’s 8th birthday and baptism. Every birthday is special and important but it’s not every day a kid like Henry turns 8. It was kind of a big deal:)
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| Pure Henry |
For the past several years, a good friend of his at school has a birthday right before Christmas break. His mom is always so good about planning a fun party and it always gets Henry into a let’s-talk-about-my-birthday-a-month-ahead mode. With all of those other events sandwiched between the parentheses above and the month, my brain is never as eager to go where Henry would like to take it.
I did start mentally preparing, however. Even back in November, on a trip to Utah to see the SYTYCD tour (another event not blogged about), I purchased most of what I planned to give him for this coming of age year. A set of engraved scriptures. A suit. A fancy pen to highlight said scriptures. Oh, the joy of shopping for baptism gifts in Utah! Jay had purchased him a fun gift and, as far as the gift giving side of Henry’s birthday went, I felt prepared and at peace.
I offer “yes” days to all of my boys, and Henry is still easy to please. He wanted a muffin for breakfast and pizza for lunch and didn’t care what kind of treat I brought to his class. When I showed up with cookies and CapriSuns, he was thrilled with both the treat and the attention. I love watching him smile.
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| I really don’t like transition lenses but my kids do because they have automatic sunglasses. I can’t tell you how many pictures have been affected because you can’t make those things hurry up and go clear! |
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| He loved passing everything out. Basically, Henry loves to party. |
When he came home, he only had a few hours to wait before his grandpa and grandma took him to a birthday dinner at the DQ. His birthday fell on a Wednesday and Jay and Seth needed to be at Young Mens so we invited Jay’s parents to the DQ for dinner and then went back to our house to open gifts. We waited to have cake until they both came home.
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| Not a great picture of anyone but…hey…we were here. Thanks mom and pops! |
Henry is a boy who loves gifts. I can’t decide if him having a birthday so close to Christmas is a good or a bad thing. All of his excitement over gifts happens within such a short time. He ruins the things he gets so quickly, I think it would probably be better if he received gifts over a more spread out time table but as it is, he has 2 weeks of pure joy. Lots of new things to ooh and ash over and he absolutely loves everything. Seriously. I could give him a Happy Meal toy and he would be thrilled. I’m not sure why I bother with some of the more expensive things except that he is just so fun to watch open things. His joy is what drives me.
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| Henry tore through his birthday presents in less than 5 minutes. It’s a bit embarrassing to watch with guests. He eventually gets back to each gift, and eventually played with everything enthusiastically, but once he sees what it is, it quickly gets tossed for the next wrapped gift. |
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| A golden dragon from China. My parents have given every grandson one for their eighth birthday. It’s a good thing they planned ahead because Henry remembered and was counting on it. |
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| Fun puzzle from Grandma J. |
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| Scriptures in a BYU case |
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| Uno Blast from Aunt Jen and family. It’s been a great family game. |
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| Jay got Henry the classic Spirograph kit. Everyone likes it! (We are not artists so it makes us feel good at art) |
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| I splurged and got the expensive card that plays music. I wish I had a video of Henry’s dancing to it. |
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| Sigh. The Michael Kors suit I picked up at Burlington Coat Factory was too small. It’s such a sharp looking suit. All of my boys are built so differently and Henry is definitely more solid at 8 than his older brothers. |
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| His favorite gift was this Easy Bake Oven from Aunt Sarah. It’s a new fancy design and all I can say is that there is nothing easy about baking in this oven. It had both Sarah and I stumped and we made quite a mess trying to get the cake in and out. Henry was still thrilled to have made something. He’s on his way to becoming a chef! |
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| Another Chinese gift. The crazy birthday candle. Totally illegal in the states and totally fun. |
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| It gets bigger and more dangerous and then opens up, playing the “Happy Birthday” song. |
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| It showed 9 lit candles when it opened up. Perfect! |
I have loved keeping the birthday contained to the day the past few years but I knew I wouldn’t work this year. Not with family in town and not with my determination to have a party for him that was as easy for me as possible. After last year’s debacle at the pottery place, I took the advice of a friend and reserved a time at the local children’s museum. The only dates available, however, are on Saturdays and Sundays so, instead of a birth”day”, Henry had more of a birth”week”. So be it. Every few years, it’s not going to kill me. His party was fantastic. We set up a few decorations while Henry and his friends played in the museum and then a “scientist” taught them about dry ice and they made dry ice rockets. Throw in some cupcakes, gifts and more play in the museum and it was the easiest 8 year old winter birthday party ever.
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| Starting to build the rockets out of paper wrapped around a film canister. |
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| Almost everyone needed adult help. This woman in the black coat brought her other son with her. I think it is so strange that for two years in a row, I have had extra, uninvited siblings at Henry’s party. Is there a new etiquette rule about bring siblings to parties? |
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| Love the glasses within the goggles. |
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| Even Daniel wanted to build a rocket. |
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| Watching one blast off. |
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| Henry gets ready for his rocket. |
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| Success! |
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| It’s not nearly as cute as the tables my sister-in-law, Tara, lays out for her parties (she is a party table master) but I think it’s kind of cute. They provided the plates and napkins which had no theme (Zooanimals and Avengers?) |
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| I think it’s funny how everyone mobs the birthday gift opening. |
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| Again, this part of the party took no time. |
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| There was only about 10 minutes left to go and enjoy the museum before parents came to pick up. |
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| Maureen explored a bit on her own:) |
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| So did Sarah |
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| I’m nervous that Jay will want to build one of these. He thought it was very cool. |
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| Energy generators |
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| Daniel loved hammering |
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| Sarah and Jay competing for more power for their bottle rockets. |
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Henry wanted to compete against his friend, Owen, too but preferred Sarah to do the pumping:)
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| Seth and his long legs managed to get all four lightbulbs lit. |
The original plan was to have his birthday party in the morning, then drive him up to his ski lessons from 1-4 and then have his baptism that same night at 7. We knew it was a lot of activity for any kid but we were especially concerned given Henry’s unpredictable moods. The Sunday prior, he had an interview scheduled with the bishop and the entire day, all he could say was how he didn’t want to have a birthday and didn’t want to be baptized. I felt…concerned. Henry and his motives are still mostly an enigma to me and I couldn’t figure out how his enthusiasm for his birthday, starting the month before, if you will remember, had fizzled. When he didn’t even want his primary gift or to be sung to, I felt a bit desperate. We had to wait for about an hour after church got out and it happened to be fast Sunday and he happened to be fasting (it doesn’t always happen) so, eventually, I figured out that he was both hungry and very nervous to meet with the bishop. When he came out from the bishop’s office with a smile on his face, I knew everything would be all right. But, we still decided to opt out of ski lessons that day. Just to be sure that Henry could be in the best mood possible for his baptism.
My parents are the most supportive people I have ever known in regard to attending important church ordinances. Baptisms, missionary farewells or homecomings, weddings, funerals…if a loved one is going to take a step towards their eternal progression, Carl and Karen are going to be there with a “Go you!” Because Henry’s birthday happens so soon after Christmas, they came for the holiday and stayed for Henry’s baptism. It was lovely to have them and I love that Henry will be able to look back at pictures and this blog post (major guilt occurring now about not writing other ones) and feel the support that his family offers.
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| A picture I’ll cherish. Even Seth’s bare feet. |
His baptism was wonderful. My sisters spent all day helping me prepare food and music and my mom saved my bacon by hemming old church pants of Sam’s after I learned that the suit I bought him would not fit. I was so happy with the turnout of friends, ward members and family and I know that Henry felt the love too. Aunt Patty gave a great talk about prophets and their baptisms that Henry loved, Aunt Maureen sang a beautiful arrangement of “I Feel My Savior’s Love” and Aunt Sarah gave a fun talk about how the Holy Ghost is like a traffic light. Seth led the music and it was perfect to have his grandmas give prayers and his grandpas act as witnesses.
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| I was planning on moving the table so that we could be next to the picture of Christ but it didn’t happen. But I did manage to put the lamp on the floor for a really awkward picture prop! But these boys in white jumpsuits (such an awkward design!) look fabulous and Henry is ready! |
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| We are so proud of Henry! |
On the drive home from the church, Henry must have told me three times that he could feel the Holy Ghost. He is still learning about how the gift impacts his life (he is mostly convinced that the Holy Ghost will help prevent him from tripping over rocks after a fall earlier in the week pre-confirmation) but I love that he feels its presence and isn’t afraid to acknowledge it. He also tells me frequently that he will try to be better now that he is accountable for his choices. Gush.
I love Henry. I am learning so much about who I am and how Heavenly Father’s plan works from being his mother.
