Offering

Offering, originally uploaded by Missy McKerroll.

My little boy, Mark, turned seven years old yesterday.

Geez, I love this kid. He's so intensely emotional. He wears it all right out on his sleeve. It is his best and worst quality. He seems really empathetic and concerned for others. But he also has a bit of a thin skin and gets hurt easily. I can also see that he is intensely loyal. His little buddies have an unwavering friend.

So how did Mark celebrate his day? Oh serendipity! His class just happened to have a field trip to the high school pool that day. So yes, I went, I chaperoned, I took pictures (which I haven't had time yet to upload and play around with). And I brought cupcakes. With M&Ms, per Mark's request.

Last night he had seven of his little friends over for a three hour party, a three hour party...

I planned a treasure hunt for the kids, which was actually a riot, but needed some negotiating. I made two maps of the yard marking each treasure trove with an X. Around the yard I hid in one spot 8 tote bags, in another 8 glow-in-the-dark glasses, in another 8 bandannas, in another 8 punching balloons, and in another 8 bags of candy. So one kid grabbed all the candy, one got all the tote bags, another had all the bandannas--you get the picture. In the end I had them put all the booty they found on the kitchen table, then rationed it out.

But they all had a blast. They played pool, they played air hockey, they jumped on the trampoline, they picked apples and fed them to the horses next door. And I love listening to those twilight games of hide and seek in the yard. Those sounds and outdoor evening smells fill me with nostalgia and memories of my own childhood.

My baby is growing up. But he's still got a lot of kid left in him.