12-12-2005
Yesterday was the 3rd birthday of my grandson Arefin. As is usual in our family, Fin was showered with a conspicuous outpouring of gifts that the Magi couldn't duplicate. The theme, of course, was anything mechanical and mobile. Fin loves trucks, trains, cars, and things he can ride on. The wonderful part of all this is that he deserves all of it. He is, I say with familial pride, the prototypical "great kid". Although endowed with all the natural unceasing heedless motion of a male child (his sisters float through life, Fin barges), he has a sweetness and kind nature that blows us all away. When he arrived at our house and saw the piles of presents, his eyes lit up like Hannukah lights and he rushed to tear open the wrappings. I gently held him back (not easy) and told him he would have to wait for his party guests to arrive before he could open his presents. My heart ached to watch the effort it took for this little person to respond to my adult restriction on his properly childish excitement.My Fin came through like a champ, though, and waited patiently (sort of) for his just rewards. God, I love that kid.
Another amazing and gratifying event was the creative effort that went into the baking of the birthday cake. This was the joint production of Fin's parents, Nicole and Greg (my son). The cake, naturally, was in the shape of a car, a combination of chocolate and vanilla layers surrounding a creamy ICE CREAM base, with Reese's chunks for wheels and intricate combinations of icing to design the car. I could taste peanut butter, chocolate, butterscotch, vanilla, and maybe, I think, coffee.Absolutely delicious. Fin was ecstatic. We showered Nicole with deserved praise, which she deflected to Greg. He, apparently, was the concept guy, she the artisan. Best cake I've ever had, hands down.
One last party memory: the outstanding behavior of my granddaughter Kyly. Kyly's whole life is a dramatic performance, and she fights ferociously with her brother for the attention of her favorite audience-her parents and grandparents. On this day however, acting with a maturity far beyond her 5 years of life experience, she stepped down from her perennial stage and graciously deferred the spotlight to her brother. I'm so damn proud of her I could bust.
I could go on about the party, about how great it was to have my family around for such a joyful occasion. Also about how great it is to have such variety in my life, contrasting my Thursday night's observation (and participation, somewhat, I admit) in the Hartford bar scene with Saturday's family party. Now, my wife and I are off to dine with some old friends adding to our exploration of Sunday Brunches around the state. More on that-later.
Yesterday was the 3rd birthday of my grandson Arefin. As is usual in our family, Fin was showered with a conspicuous outpouring of gifts that the Magi couldn't duplicate. The theme, of course, was anything mechanical and mobile. Fin loves trucks, trains, cars, and things he can ride on. The wonderful part of all this is that he deserves all of it. He is, I say with familial pride, the prototypical "great kid". Although endowed with all the natural unceasing heedless motion of a male child (his sisters float through life, Fin barges), he has a sweetness and kind nature that blows us all away. When he arrived at our house and saw the piles of presents, his eyes lit up like Hannukah lights and he rushed to tear open the wrappings. I gently held him back (not easy) and told him he would have to wait for his party guests to arrive before he could open his presents. My heart ached to watch the effort it took for this little person to respond to my adult restriction on his properly childish excitement.My Fin came through like a champ, though, and waited patiently (sort of) for his just rewards. God, I love that kid.
Another amazing and gratifying event was the creative effort that went into the baking of the birthday cake. This was the joint production of Fin's parents, Nicole and Greg (my son). The cake, naturally, was in the shape of a car, a combination of chocolate and vanilla layers surrounding a creamy ICE CREAM base, with Reese's chunks for wheels and intricate combinations of icing to design the car. I could taste peanut butter, chocolate, butterscotch, vanilla, and maybe, I think, coffee.Absolutely delicious. Fin was ecstatic. We showered Nicole with deserved praise, which she deflected to Greg. He, apparently, was the concept guy, she the artisan. Best cake I've ever had, hands down.
One last party memory: the outstanding behavior of my granddaughter Kyly. Kyly's whole life is a dramatic performance, and she fights ferociously with her brother for the attention of her favorite audience-her parents and grandparents. On this day however, acting with a maturity far beyond her 5 years of life experience, she stepped down from her perennial stage and graciously deferred the spotlight to her brother. I'm so damn proud of her I could bust.
I could go on about the party, about how great it was to have my family around for such a joyful occasion. Also about how great it is to have such variety in my life, contrasting my Thursday night's observation (and participation, somewhat, I admit) in the Hartford bar scene with Saturday's family party. Now, my wife and I are off to dine with some old friends adding to our exploration of Sunday Brunches around the state. More on that-later.
posted by Papa Bill | 6:39 AM
1 Comments:
Hi Bill, between this post and your last one, you're beginning to sound like quite the party animal!
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