Fiver

Five years. Max celebrated his fifth birthday yesterday. He looks so much different than he did five years ago.

Sleeping on the floor next to my bed (will that end before his tenth birthday?), he bounced up from his sleeping bag at a little after 6 a.m. and proudly declared, "it's my birthday!" Whipped from less than five hours of sleep, I pulled him into bed with me in a desperate effort to keep my eyes closed. At five, fortunately, he still likes to cuddle. That didn't last too long, and we eventually made our way to the livingroom where a brand new bicycle sat underneath a bedsheet and ribbon. Upon pulling off the sheet, Max looked over the new bike and asked, "why did you get me a bike? Why didn't you get me something I wanted?"

Ummm, a week ago your mouth was agape looking at a bike in a store window. Five years, and it just doesn't get easier, does it?

He realized before the morning was over that he actually liked the bike, but not before Cathleen had engaged in some serious self-flagellation about our decision to make this his gift. Later that morning Cathleen brought corn muffins and honey to his class for snack (the healthy option was his idea), and I left work early for us all to hang out together. We sang Happy Birthday and consumed local bakery-made cupcakes (oh, sooo rich), and then we headed out to the courtyard of a local elementary school with the bike. Max did a pretty good job for his first riding effort, and even after he fell over once he was willing to get back on for a final ride. We walked home in the rain, rested for a bit and then headed out for sushi for dinner. Max is very into sushi these days, and although he basically sticks to eating rice, shrimp tempura and eel-based maki rolls, I think it is pretty darn cool of him.

It is so fascinating to see him at five...such a real little person, and yet so evolving and unformed in so many ways. He bubbles with sophisticated thoughts and philosophies, and yet there is so much that he can't wrap his brain around. He is beginning to formulate a sense of justice in his (and the) world, and yet he practically has "id" stamped on his forehead. Sweet, loving, rebellious, rude, giggly, funny, angry, needy, independent, creative....you see all of it within any 30 minutes you spend with him. And few things in the world make me happier than when I see his sincere and unfettered smile breaking across his face.