Ryan's Birthday Party

After Laser Quest

            Ryan has been planning his birthday party for the last several months. He wanted to keep it small (yay!) And he was careful to choose things that his friends would want to do--right down to the movie. I had to ask Max's Mom is it was okay for him to watch Star wars--you know because he's only 7..., and the snacks and the games... but even with the planning--at one point he wanted me to buy Twinkies so he could "sample them" we could not have foreseen the broken arm. It was up in the air for a few days whether he would be able to do Laser Quest. So we had to come up with plan B. Moving the party to a later date was out of the question! Ryan would be in a short cast then, but he couldn't bear not to see his friends (and get their presents any longer). So he devised games--hence the pin the tail on the donkey and play Wii on the schedule, And then we were cleared by the doc and also by Laser quest so as of Friday afternoon, Laser quest was on! And I was saved from having to create a pin the tail on the donkey, wookie, ewok or even Charlie game (all were suggested!).

Max and Ryan studying the Star Wars Quiz book

Donnie and Zeb on the hammock--relaxing like the cool dudes they are

So 3 little boys came with sleeping bags and knapsacks and we were off. Laser Quest was a blast (according to the boys, at least) I ate a nice dinner and read in the car:) I had worked the night before and Greg was more than game to go play. Home for pizza, the triple chocolate mousse cake (it really was sinful) and of course, presents. To his delight, all were Star Wars themed. The boys all readily agreed on Mulan for the movie, while eating gobs of buttered popcorn, a bag of Chex Mix and Goldfish--all on Ryan's list. I chuckled to myself and only shared with Greg and one other parent that the boys had chosen essentially a Disney Princess movie:) It really is delightful how happy they were playing with each other and just being together watching a movie from the library. I wonder if I will always have it so easy? They went to bed at 10:30 without a peep and were up (with the Bop-It) at 6:30. Pancakes, chocolate chip and plain were inhaled and out into the yard they went with Charlie. A little later they came in to build Legos and their parents collected them around 10. All in all, Ryan did a great job and had a great time.

 

Building the Legos Sunday. They teamed up and got one done

My little boy officially turns 9 in about 18 hours, but he will insist it happened while he was sleeping. I am still trying to convince them that birthdays are all about the mom, but they aren't buying that either!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Ryan!!

Traveling with boys

Greg and I took Ryan and 3 friends to Laser Quest as part of Ryan's birthday plan. Perhaps it is with small groups of young kids, or maybe it's just boys--I'll let you know after I travel with a group of girls. But they were just hysterical. They would finish each other's sentences, jump in wherever and say the funniest stuff! I also learned very quickly (before reaching Indian Ripple at least) that the adult's job was not to contribute in ANY way to the conversation--they just stop and look at you. Our job is to be nearby if needed and listening is really just a huge perk!

What's in a name?

I've known for awhile that Sarai is a variation of my name. Just learned it means "quarrelsome" which actually seems more fitting than "princess". Hmmm.

Busy reading

Of all the things I have taught my children, using reading as a tool to keep busy has been one of the most valuable. It was a concept introduced to me by my friend Charlotte. Until then, I thought the kids had to be entertained on long trips with videos. Lucklily, I met her while the kids were still young enough to be weaned from in car videos pretty quickly. Now books go everywhere. Here Ryan sits reading a comic while wating for AAA to replace a flat on the van. He is engaged and the time is passing without complaint. I am so thankful that they love to read and that we didn't gave in to electronic gizmos to keep them busy!

Mama bear

Have discovered nothing causes more stress than having your kid out in the world and the world sucker punches her. Over the course of the last 2 months, there have been two instances where Charlotte has felt threatened/afraid at school and it's because of one other child. 2 months ago this child told Charlotte it was the there was man waiting in the sewer killing little girls and telling Charlotte she was next. A barrage of meetings with teachers and counselors to discover he had gotten it from a movie. This time it was the same child telling Charlotte he was going to kill one of her friends because that friend "cheated on him." Keep in mind this child is 6 or 7. And I have no idea what he watches or sees at home. All I know is my child has started complaining that her stomach hurts before school and that we are having conversations about having a clear line of communication with her teacher when she feels uncomfortable. The counselor told us that she had told Charlotte that there are people in the world who say bad things and we just have to do our best to get through it. That's when I got angry. Just deal with it. That was the message given to her. Just found out from her teacher that this child was suspended for three days because of this and his mother was mad at the school. Three weeks of school left this year. Am seriously considering pulling her out now. Debating homeschooling (again) and if we can afford me to be part-time. What a headache.

She is a butterfly

So Charlotte is 6 (7 this summer) and experience has taught us not to fret, that the game will eventually click. It took Ryan until last fall (age 8) so for now we can enjoy Charlotte's playing of the game. Where Ryan runs to get the ball, Charlotte kind of flits and flutters--we call it her "butterfly thing". While Ryan is kicking goals, we are delighted and so proud when Charlotte kicks the ball. Just touches it with her foot. She runs fast because she knows she is supposed to, though she may not really know why. Or if she knows why, she may not care. And really, her run is kind of a gallop...Which is okay. She still likes to go and she likes to practice.

Love watching him run

Last season it finally clicked. Ryan started understanding the nuances of the game and became more aggressive and eager to learn the game of soccer. It was a treat to watch him in the fall and again this spring. There is talk of letting him try out for select in the fall...we'll see. We will likely put him in soccer camp this summer. He is fast and those long legs carry him far! He is more agile on his feet and moves the ball better. He's improving. I love watching him run!