Happy Birthday, T!

T is now cast free and back to his rambunctious self. He has a slight limp and can't seem to put full weight on his right leg yet, but he can run...really fast. 9 mothers and their tots came to his birthday party on Friday afternoon. It's amazing how many stay at home moms there are in my area that I can hold a birthday party on a weekday afternoon. The house was amuck with 14 children ages ranging from 8 months old to 11 years old. It was a madhouse indoors until I opened up the deck doors and allowed them to play outside.

Our dogs were helping out with the clean up duty. They followed the messiest eaters around and lapped up what fell to the floor. Mike arrived with 40 helium balloons and a beautiful custom ordered firetruck cake fitted with 2 dalmatians on the side. While the crowd oohed and aahed over the cake, we sang T a happy birthday and let everyone smear the icing on the cake.

The adults stood around and chatted away while the kids were screaming and having fun outside with popsicles and watermelon. The 3 hours went by fast and I felt my legs buckle as I waved good-bye to each leaving guest. My SIL and a few other moms helped with the clean up. A lunch menu with inari rice and buckwheat noodles in dipping sauce made such a hit, I had people packing leftovers to bring home to share with the dads who missed out.

Sometimes I wonder who enjoys these parties more...the kids or the adults. I had a nice time too. It was wonderful to see a roomful of people who only wanted to wish T a happy birthday and celebrate his day. On a side note, we have never celebrated his birthday on the actual day. Ever since his first birthday, his tol, which was set for mid-May with the Northwest Korean Culture Society, we have never been able to set his celebration on the date he was born. I reasoned in my mind that maybe in keeping the actual day "his" to behold, to think about the day of his birth, his birthmom, the relinquishment, adoption, etc. and not have it as a day to be joyous and "happy" to celebrate might be a good thing for him as he gets older. I've often read writings of other adoptees who've said that their birthdates were nothing to be "happy" or celebratory about. And I'd like to respect and reserve that for T...unless of course, he desires otherwise. But 3 straight years now, and we've had a party on another day so I think this may stay as a tradition for our family for now.

A Mother and Son Trip

T and I took a flight down to Burbank last weekend. We visited with my friend and her 2 sons. She and I have known each other for a decade now. She and I taught at the same school in NYC. There was one year where we taught 1st grade together. She had the class from hell and I had the one with angels. It was a very unequitable division on personalities, plus as a last minute admission, the illegitimate daughter of prize boxer Mike Tyson was enrolled in her class. Mickey Tyson weighed 120lbs. and stood over 4 feet tall as a 1st grader. Among some of her antics, she locked out the PE teacher from the gym and her classmates wept from fear.

Kristine and I took a Sunday afternoon to pamper ourselves at the Korean baths. We got our bodies scrubbed and massaged. It took 3 hours and worth every minute. Her ex-husband babysat our boys. Needless to say, they divorced 2 years ago due to his adultry and lack of financial support to the family. But he is still very much involved in their lives and loves his boys immeasurably.

T and I then took the Surfliner Amtrak from the LA Union Station down to San Diego where my uncle and aunt are living as visiting scholars. He is on his last sabbatical from Korea and making the most of it by living in the most desirably livable city with perfect weather. T was completely enamored by the train ride and very much at home with the extended family. We had a grand time at Sea World, watching the killer whales and dolphins immerse with the trainers in the water. I was utterly awed by the sheer size of the whales but the heartfelt moments came when these enormous creatures shared such gentle exchanges with the humans in their charge. I was misty-eyed throughout the show. T's mouth stayed open the whole time too.

We were glad to return home, refreshed and relaxed from the time away. H and Mike picked us up from the airport happily as we decided on where to dine for lunch. We are blessed to have a dad who supports us so well.