Sunday, May 11, 2008
When I was a boy...
It's Pirate Pete's birthday this week. He's turning nine. I can't quite get how I ended up with a little boy who's now nine and not so little. I mean I know how, its just I still feel nine, so how do I have a son who's nine? Nine is a great age, lots of adventures, things are still new yet you are at the point you can do them too. Adulthood starts to feel close, but isn't yet either an atraction or a burden.
We did his party yesterday, him and five mates (one, his brother), at an indoor climbing centre. A climbing party, I kid you not. They didn't do things like this when I was a boy! What a hoot, they had a whale of a time (well other than the boy who was a bit chubby and never made it past half way (except once, and all the other boys cheered him on as he beat the thin wiry boy to the top (I was very proud of all of them for cheering))). Needless to say Pirate Pete was the fastest and bestest, and the only one to make it to the top every climb. He was even able to cope with the climb up around the horizonral cliff in the way. Then a party tea of pizza and crisps and cut up vegtables and the cake of a boy climbing a mountain that his mother had made.
If you're nine, this is a very good birthday party.
Even better, he got home and one boy had given him a chemistry set, another a hovercraft kit (the rest to be opened over upcoming days so that they are all special). His brother had given him some Pokemon cards, agonizingly chosen and paid for out of his own pocket money (how did I end up with boys that buy each other presents out of their own pocket money and actually think about it?) and his parents telling him he gets a new bike and the new game for his game boy he's been wanting. He went to bed a very happy boy indeed (though we still made him take a bath (poor thing)).
Today has been absolutely divine. The outdoor table and chairs have been cleaned after much back breaking effort on this boys part. It meant we got to have breakfast out on the terrace. Not much better than homemade marmalade on fresh bread, outside on a balmy morning surounded by the birds chirping and your best beloveds happily chatting around you.
But even this passes. I'm just about to hop on a plane to Beijing for the week. Blogging will be spotty (what's new with the boy, you say). I will try to drop in and leave some remarkeable comments on China, but then again, life might intervene. Its going to be a very busy week.
We did his party yesterday, him and five mates (one, his brother), at an indoor climbing centre. A climbing party, I kid you not. They didn't do things like this when I was a boy! What a hoot, they had a whale of a time (well other than the boy who was a bit chubby and never made it past half way (except once, and all the other boys cheered him on as he beat the thin wiry boy to the top (I was very proud of all of them for cheering))). Needless to say Pirate Pete was the fastest and bestest, and the only one to make it to the top every climb. He was even able to cope with the climb up around the horizonral cliff in the way. Then a party tea of pizza and crisps and cut up vegtables and the cake of a boy climbing a mountain that his mother had made.
If you're nine, this is a very good birthday party.
Even better, he got home and one boy had given him a chemistry set, another a hovercraft kit (the rest to be opened over upcoming days so that they are all special). His brother had given him some Pokemon cards, agonizingly chosen and paid for out of his own pocket money (how did I end up with boys that buy each other presents out of their own pocket money and actually think about it?) and his parents telling him he gets a new bike and the new game for his game boy he's been wanting. He went to bed a very happy boy indeed (though we still made him take a bath (poor thing)).
Today has been absolutely divine. The outdoor table and chairs have been cleaned after much back breaking effort on this boys part. It meant we got to have breakfast out on the terrace. Not much better than homemade marmalade on fresh bread, outside on a balmy morning surounded by the birds chirping and your best beloveds happily chatting around you.
But even this passes. I'm just about to hop on a plane to Beijing for the week. Blogging will be spotty (what's new with the boy, you say). I will try to drop in and leave some remarkeable comments on China, but then again, life might intervene. Its going to be a very busy week.
