To My Son on his Eleventh Birthday

Prince HockeyFan, my son, dear heart. Last week you turned eleven. You actually turned eleven on my birthday, the birthday we share with your uncle, my oh so much younger twin brother Sir Marmaduke of Flintshire. (3 minutes is a HUGE difference)

 

Ok so here I am giving away my age – it’s out there anyway, because your other uncle Lord Antony of Hallamshire gave it away at the wedding, but I digress – you were born on my 25^th birthday. The best birthday present I ever received. I remember at the time your father joking that he didn’t need to buy me a present for my birthday as he was the master of forward planning, giving me you for my birthday.

 

You were the easiest baby – you barely cried. You were a teeny tiny scrawny little thing – 5lbs 9 ozs, skin and bone. Within a month or two you had filled out into this roly poly delicious scrumptious butterball of a bouncing baby boy. From the beginning, even before we named you, you had an ever present twinkle in your beautiful blue eyes. We named you after my paternal grandfather, my Saba, whom I loved with all my heart. He passed away just over a year before your birth. He had that very same twinkle in his identical blue eyes. You remind me so much of him – so eager to please, so loving and gentle, sensitive to others needs and such a chevraman – you don’t have his love of food yet, but I am sure that will come.

 

It must be hard being the third child, having 2 older brothers so close in age to you. Currently the two oldest are 12 and 13. But you are totally your own person. You don’t subscribe to competing with them – you are so happy within yourself. Of course you want to be treated as one of the big boys – now that you are well into double figures we will work on that.  Being an older brother is kind of cool, tho, especially to such a yumster! At least you get to be a little bossy if necessary.

 

You know what I love most about you, sweetpea? I love your cuddles and kisses, especially last thing at night and first thing in the morning. I hope you never grow out of cuddling with your mama. I have loved holding you ever since you were born, and any chance I get to hold your yummy self – well I appreciate it totally.

 

It was so great to see how happy you were at my wedding to KoD – its great to see how much you love him too. I know its not good for your street cred for me to say how yummily mushy you are, but I love it.

 

Carry on being YOU, baby, don’t let anyone try to mould you into something that you are not. You are a wonderful independent child, and I love that.

 

All my love

 

Your birthday buddy

Your Ima.

Techno-break

Well if you have been reading my blog you know that my KoD was up here for 8 days recently. While he was up here he had a lot of stuff he had to do online – and I only have the one laptop. Of course, being a good little wifey, I gladly gave up the laptop for the duration of his visit. It was very tough initially. I was so sure I don’t spend that much time online – haha, what a joke.

 

By the end of the first day my fingers were jonesing for the keyboard, but there were freshly baked chocolate chip cookies waiting for everyone else’s consumption. I had to do something with my idle hands and everyone was appreciative.

 

But I realized how much I use my computer for. Not just blogging, twitter and FaceBook – I use it for music too. Generally when I am in the kitchen cooking or baking, my laptop is in there with me keeping me company with my favourite tunes blasting out. With KoD on the puter in the bedroom I had to resort to my iPod. Cue the hilarity. I can’t help it, when I listen to music I have to move. I won’t say I have two left feet, but I have my own rhythm. (KoD is teaching me how to dance, he is very nimble on his feet, man, that dude can moooove!!!!)

 

I was cooking the other day, needed a recipe….wanted to find it online, but puter was tied up…I actually cracked open a recipe book. And actually found what I was looking for.

 

One thing I have taken away from this experience is that I think we are way too reliant on computers these days. On Shabbat it doesn’t phase me to be away from the computer, because in my mind I have no choice. But now on a regular day I don’t need to be online until I fall asleep and from the minute I wake up. There are much more important things in life.

 

So thank you KoD for helping me to learn a valuable lesson. Now I am off to do laundry and more declutterfication (with music in the background…today its love songs)