I guess 9 is the age where they become all picky and judgmentally and stuff, huh? As you may have heard, today is Malcolm's birthday. Apparently it was not the best for him.
Here was our day:
They woke up and went to basketball with dad as they do most Sunday's. After basketball we met Grandma and Papa for a late lunch about an hour away (half the drive for each of us). Came home from lunch around 4, Malcolm got to play the Wii for awhile. Then the neighbors came over and shared some cake and singing. After they left, he opened his presents (nothing major, a couple of books, a couple of games, two small lego sets and a Rubik's cube), then we hustled them up to bed, skipping showers as it was past our normal bedtime despite school starting again tomorrow.
How bad could it have been? Well, for starters, it was just a normal day, according to the birthday boy. I suppose you could say that, if normal days included getting to play in the arcade at the restaurant (I never allow that, but today I did), getting soda at lunch (I'm so mean I usually make the kids get water to drink) and being allowed to play the Wii for nearly 2 hours (I have been trying to limit computer/video/tv time). If all that happens regularly, then yea, I guess today was just a normal day. He pointed out that he didn't even get to choose what was for dinner. I replied that since we ate lunch at 2:30, no one was hungry for dinner and I will make his chose meal tomorrow (note to Amy...wagon wheel pasta, are you flattered?). Add to it that I got (gasp) the wrong birthday cake. He didn't want a grocery store cake. He wanted an ice cream cake. Or cupcakes. Or a home made cake. What was I thinking? And you know he got crappy presents. There's already been talk of returning the Lego sets and finding something else.
Granted, I think a big part of his letdown is that he's not looking forward to school starting again tomorrow. God knows I'm dreading the routine of getting out the door with everyone dressed, eaten, lunches made, homework done, etc. But I admit to feeling like I let him down. I believe birthday's should be special and I hate that I didn't make him feel special (enough) today.
Take away my tiara and plaque. I'm definitely not going to make mother of the year this year. My poor deprived children. At least we got in 9 good years.
edited to add: I forgot to mention I even used the wrong candles. He wanted the sparkly ones that relight. I had the audacity to use other ones. Sigh.