Our family adventure-organic farming in Japan

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Sage's 8th birthday party

Sage's 8th Birthday Party-well, unbeknownst to me, Sage and his classmates had made plans for his birthday party again this year:), his party was the talk of the class last year,(they don't have so many big bday parties in this rural area, although since last year, one of his classmates did as well), so they began talking early this year I guess. I was telling him several months ago that maybe this year we'd do family only, with a new baby and all, and he says, mom, we've already been talking about my party, everyone is coming. The people who missed last year really want to come! He, like his father in this way, loves to party! So...we compromised and decided not to have a meal, just snacks in the afternoon. It ended up being a little bit of a fiasco with the date, after Sage made announcements and handed them out, there was a blizzard in the forecast for that day, so Kenji thought we should change it and he printed out little notes for the parents. Well, Sage came home teary-eyed saying we had to have it the original day, or not even one kid could come(it was in the middle of a four day weekend), so we decided to follow the mailman's creed and go full speed ahead on the planned day, whether it be through rain, snow or sleet....:)The weather ended up being just fine in the end. I'm really glad we had it, the kids had so much fun. He invited the other 9 kids in his class and the 3 from here. They all get along so well and after being in class together so much, fit together well. We cleared some furniture out of their bedroom and they played games and ate lots of snacks and he blew out his candle over a plate of cookies instead of cake-I'm happy he likes cookies better. My choco chip cookies did not receive a "but Grandma's are still better" comment this year, so I am satisified, ha! I enjoyed the conversation I had with a little group of girls who clustered around the table and ate the quesadillas I was making. Man, could they eat, especially one little girl who never stopped. They were laughing about how the boys weren't going to get any. I guess it will be a few years before the tables are turned! Kai and Lucas had as much fun as Sage, playing with the kids, and Tio was perfect-slept through the first half of the party while I was at the other house baking cookies(Kenji was playing with the kids-he says they kept him in line), and was awake and happy watching the general hubbub aand getting held by all the little girls, after he woke up. We had a pizza party with some cousins and Jiji and Baba on his actual birthday-that kid and his parties, just kidding, we had lots of fun! We are all just coming out of birthday party hangover mode.....