Happy Birthday Thing 2!

Happy 9th Birthday Thing Two!

Another year has passed, and it's another milestone. This one is the last single-digit birthday he'll ever have. Time flies when you're having fun.

Just as I do every year, I went back to see what I wrote about Thing Two a year ago, to see how much has changed, and how much  has stayed the same.

The more things change:

1. We went through a huge "Tudor phase" this year, such is the pitfalls of living in England, and particularly in Greenwich, the birthplace of King Henry VIII. We visited Hampton Court Palace twice and the Tower of London, all within six weeks. I'm proud to say that I can now name all of Henry's wives and what happened to them. (Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived.)

2. He certainly has learned how to travel and get around. The other night, when I asked him how he would get from Heathrow to home by himself, he said, "I'd hire a taxi." Well done.

3. His sense of humour and sarcasm is extremely robust. The other afternoon, we walked past a young child whose balloon had just popped. Apropos of nothing, he said, "The balloon popped. And so did someone's happiness."

4. He's becoming a more adventurous eater. The other day he wanted to try sushi, "Just to try something different," he said. (In the end, he opted for the safer option: The sausage sandwich.)

The more they stay the same:

1. He is still, and will probably be forevermore, Mr. Movie.

2. He is still, I'm very happy to report, Mr. Math.

3. He still loves to help me in the kitchen when I'm cooking. Even better, he now occasionally wants to cook for everyone. Happy days.

4. Green is still his favourite colour, tigers are his favourite animal, and Arsenal is his favourite team.

5. His tenacity in trying to get better at the things he can't do is pretty impressive. He's not enthusiastic about it all the time, but at least he gives it a go.

Happy Birthday Thing 2. May you have many more.

Thing Two Turns 7!

Thing Two turned 7 today. He wore the shirt above under duress, because his father and I thought it would make a hilarious photo, and we were right. At least I think I was right. We are now passing this shirt on to another worthy soon-to-be 6-year-old.

In preparation for this post, I went back and reread previous Thing Two birthday posts. It was funny and fascinating to see the more things change, the more things stay the same. So in the spirit of that idea, I present this list of things I love about Thing Two:

The more things change:

1. He married his girlfriend Esme this year, in the playground. She is the cleverest girl in the class, so I keep telling him that you want to marry someone clever. But she should also make you laugh. When I asked him what he liked best about her, he said, "I don't know. I just look at her, and she makes me happy."

2. He's got a "back-up girlfriend", Isabella, who is equally lovely. How does a 7-year-old manage to attract two fantastic girls? It must be his curly hair andd impish grin. Isabella showed her affection for Thing Two by presenting him with a picture of Abraham Lincoln. Either she was showing her affection, or she didn't know any other American boys. I'm going with the latter.

3. He loves math, and is very good at it, so he now has a new moniker: Mr. Math.

4. He learned to ride his bike without his training wheels/stabilisers this year. By doing so, he beat both his brother and his mother by at least a year on this skill.

The more things stay the same:

1. His sunny nature, disposition, and enthusiastic laughter.

2. He's still Mr. Movie. This year, he's become absolutely transfixed by the rating system, because he knows he won't be able to see a 12. And all 15s are absolutely "scary", straight out of the box.

3. He is still incapable of walking quietly down the stairs. He can only jump from stair to stair, making an enormous racket as he does so.

4. He's a great helper in the kitchen, and he's getting better at cooking all the time. I keep telling him this will attract the ladies later in life. I don't think he believes me.

5. How he sings to himself when he's happy.

Happy Birthday, Thing Two. May you have many more.