He is nine

As of Friday Thomas is nine.

This statement makes me turn into one of those old time grandmas who berate the passing of time (Jewish variety maybe?) as honestly I don't know how it happened... one minute he was a little fellow who toddled around the place into everything and excited and interested in most things. The next he was nine and getting i*od's and basketball hoops for his birthday.

He had a great day. Gaye had made a riddle and a game to find his presents in the morning which made the bit that was a surprise (the hoop) even more fun. He is pretty taken with his hoop. The other wasn't a surprise (because he came upon the email in which it was discussed accidently - and admited to it! but he was worried that meant he wouldn't get it!).

We took 35 cupcakes to school (big school, big classes means 3 batches of cake mixture for this mother the night before) and my cupcakes were apparently considered very good - so they should be organic everything and mixed, cooked and iced with a lot of love! It was drama, spelling test, p.e and golf at school. All things he likes. We down loaded things on to the i*od afterschool with the $50.00 (!!) voucher my parents bought him to do such things and then had birthday cake with his Dad and step-mother (the other one!).

He was so happy. Still so excited by his birthday that he was up at midnight and 5:30am in anticpation. he was thrilled with all of his gifts and with himself all day. Next step - the party, which invitations went out for today. My strategy of leaving it until he had settled in went well - we have five kids from big school coming to the party.

Today we rode our bikes to big school (and back to work for me) and I think that afterall I will get over my grief at not being able to easily walk to school as we have done for the last 18 months as riding to school together is a lot of fun. He chatted the whole was there and pointed things out. Certainly much more pleaseant than the last two weeks of car parking dramas at both school and my work.