his fourth birthday

My Sweetie is turning four this week, and earlier in the week I called his parents (busy, working a lot, and sick at their house too) and said pretty much, "I have four days off, and I want to see my grandchild for his birthday."

So they helped us figure it out and tonight was it.  Everyone came and John bought take-out Chinese and it was a great night.

See the Sweetie above in his new roller skates?  HAZARDOUS.  But he liked them.

 Tim had a haircut today.   We went to the shop and they told us it would be an hour wait.  Good grief, an HOUR?  I had a couple things to pick up at a grocery store next door, so I told them I'm leaving him here to wait and I'll be back shortly.     When I came back less than 30 minutes later, they were cutting his hair.  "You said it'd be an hour!"   Well, we were wrong.   He looks so good though with a fresh haircut.  On the way home he told me the lady called him, "Nim."    Nim is a cute name.

 Here we've got your gifts being opened.

Sweetie knew how to advance a birthday party.  (Think he's been to a few?)   When he wanted to open presents, he found me, "I think it's present time."   When he thought we should have cake (we were soooo stuffed from the chow mein) he was there in my arms again, "Gramma, I think it's cake time."

 After cake, the energy continued to escalate.

Someone came upstairs to ask whether I cared if they jumped on the futons in the basement of the family room.  No, I do not care, just so nobody gets hurt.

There were some objections, but really--they're old futons, obviously indestructible.   My mom bought the kids futons for college for the first four kids--a lovely gift.  One wooden one kind of fell apart in time.  Pine is soft and it had a lot of use.   But these others are fiercely strong. When Little Jay went to college, I had to tell my parents the truth--we have three futons available to Little Jay right now. One is at the cabin.  The other two are in the basement.  Futons never die.
 

And then everyone gathered up their rowdy party-goers and headed home, all the wild dogs, and wild kids, and Little Jay headed back to the university, and the house became very, very quiet.

Sweetie?  Four whole years of you?  I cannot even imagine life without you?  How did we?  Who were we then?

I can't even remember.   This whole family is so much better with you in it, and we're nothing but lucky, and we know it.

When you hugged me and thanked me for the gifts and for baking you a cake, I told you, "Thank you for being my kid," and that's the way I've always felt.   Happy Birthday.   We love you so, Grandma and Grandpa and everybody