How long is a year ?
Hell's teeth ! It's Sean's birthday again on Monday ! I mean, how many birthdays does he have in a year ?
Don't answer that one. I may be getting on a bit now but I have not yet completely lost my marbles. The thing is this - anyone over the age of, say 30, already knows this simple fact of life: The older you get, the faster the years pass.
It is really amazing this perception of time and having a nearly-9-year-old child somehow seems to accentuate the feeling. Partly because one looks at him and realises that to him a year seems like an eternity and partly because to us it seems like only 5 minutes ago that we were having to feed, bathe and clothe him. Now I see his shoes next to his Mum's and realise his feet are already the same size as hers. 30 seconds ago, he would run up to greet me when I got home and I would often get tears in my eyes - not because I am a sentimental fool touched at the joy of this child so happy to see his Dad after missing him all of one day, but because his head at that time was dead-level with Dad's genitals ! I considered checking out the sports shops for a 'cricketers box' at the time but I needn't have worried, 10 seconds later his head was well clear of the delicate zone and now he head-butts me in the chest.
This time around, an interesting feature has been Sean's indecisiveness about what present he would like for his birthday and what kind of party he would like. For the last 5 years it has been simple. The present was decided immediately after the novelty of his Xmas presents wore off and his party was all his class plus any other close friends and held at venues specialising in kid's birthday parties with games and/or entertainers. (We did make the mistake of having at home once - about 3 years ago- but that lesson was quickly learned)
This time he has no idea what he wants for his birthday and whilst he has now decided that he wants a 'boys-only' party with only his 'chosen few' (9) closest buddies, he has no idea where he would like to have it.
It seems like he is in some kind of 'twilight zone' at the moment where he is too old for kid's stuff and too young for teen's stuff.
However, I now know I need not worry about this because in less than 5 minutes he will be deciding that he is going with his friends to some all night rave at a club !
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