..tennis birthday..

My son is 8 today. 8, really?! I cannot believe that this little man, who gave me such grief as a baby, has grown into such a neat kid. To clarify what I mean by grief, this child of mine hated sleeping, and to be fair, still does. Now, however, he is instructed to let his mother sleep if he decides to get up at some god-forsaken hour in the morning. Thankfully, he is capable of finding his own breakfast, as long as any sugary treat is hidden or kept under lock and key.

For his 8th birthday celebration, he opted for a tennis birthday. We try to keep things simple for our celebrations, so I was a little nervous at first about the cost. Turns out, we probably spent more money on the cake than the actual "tennis" part. We found 2 instructors, who gave an hour lesson to 8 of our son's closest friends, at a local tennis court.

The instructors were perfect. Enthusiastic, patient, creative, and LOUD. But what do you expect with a bunch of boys? There were some great games, fantastic hits, and bizarre moves. Such fun to watch. My husband took the smaller kids onto another court with a friend and they made their own games and drills for the smallest on the guest list. *and by small, I am not referring only to height.

In retrospect, this was the perfect birthday party for my sport-lovin' son. We had a few snacks and some cake after the lesson, and had to drag (yes, drag) the kids off the tennis courts to open presents. We could've done without the presents and snacks/cake for all they cared. With these boys, it was all about staying in motion. And stay in motion, they did. Tennis, football, tackling each other, chasing each other...there was very little sitting done by any of these young men (and young ladies).

A party is not complete without a proper "thank you for coming" gift, so I put together some bags with a few notions and treats.  And my gift to the parents? Worn out kids. You are so very welcome.

It's hard to believe it's been 8 years. We are very proud of this young man of ours. He is quite the athlete, with tennis and flag football his current sports of choice. He excels in math, and loves to figure out how things work. He is gentle and kind to his younger sisters. He is almost a carbon copy of my dear, sweet hubby. It's been fun watching this boy grow, most of the time. But I'll excuse those little character flaws on this day. On this day, I will celebrate the boy that he is, and the goodness he has brought to our lives. Sooooo much goodness. And laughter. And amazement. That I had a part in creating this life is something that I will treasure, always.

Happy birthday, my dear, sweet Isaac.