December birthdays – benandavasmom

Ben had his 9th birthday party at Chuck E Cheese yesterday. It was great. All of his best buddies showed up and they played a bunch of games and got a ton prize tickets and stuff.

Ava is finally not scared of Chuck E. bc she realized he gives out tickets. My little people are almost all grown up. This is probably one of our last Chuck E. Cheese parties…tho Ava says she wants hers there next year…

They’re growing up so fast and it’s hard to believe that these little people were my little roly poly babies.

This was my first public birthday party that I’ve hosted alone. Their dad showed up, more of as a guest. It’s weird…and not…it’s been over 4 years since we were a functional couple, so it’s somewhat normal but it always leaves me feeling like a failure a little. So it makes every milestone a little gut wrenching…this isn’t the way anyone intended things to be…but they’re pretty good anyway. My kids are loved and brilliant, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters.

I don’t want to go back to anywhere we’ve been. I’ve found love and happiness. But there will always be a part of me that will wish the kids didn’t see me struggle financially and emotionally. And I will forever hope that their dad continues to work on himself until maybe one day he resembles the person I met. He owes that to himself.

How fun is it to have both of your children celebrating a birthday in December?! December comes with a level of overwhelmth (yes, I made that word up, but it’s a wonderful, wonderful word) that I can’t properly convey to you. It’s the end of the year. It’s Christmastime, and…oh by the way, your kids, who still by some amazing miracle, believe in Santa, both were born BEFORE the 25th.

The holidays take strategy and a lot of hustle, and hosting birthday party(ies) in the midst of the holiday madness is not for the timid. It’s the time of year that I wish I didn’t live in suburbia, where I feel the nagging need to compete. It’s the time of year that I wish I’d have invested more money in my 20’s and was independently wealthy. But when all of the craziness and mommy guilt dies down, I don’t know if I’d have planned it our any differently than it fell.

I’m Ben & Ava’s mom. (Ok. I have a name, it’s Katie…) This is what we do. Benjamin was born on December 22, 2008. Ava came along as a little force of nature just shy of two years later (she’s on the 11th). And every December is the same. It always feels like I can’t get them enough, and it’s too much to do. And it ends up that I get them too much, and I do too much, and I think they appreciate it. I hope they do. I really can’t imagine baking cakes or making pinatas or throwing them parties in the summer or any other time. So…while everybody else is celebrating holidays, in December, I celebrate my babies…which is why it feels appropriate for this to be my first post.

Birthday season is underway. Ava turned 7 this past Monday–which means for 11 days she’s only a year younger than her big brother. This is serious stuff. Before the New Year, my first born will be 9. I have no idea where the time has gone, but…it’s flying by. And when I look at my life, I like that December is this big finale for the year. And there’s nothing I’m more proud to be than Ben and Ava’s mom.

Tag: December birthdays

And we’ve survived another birthday season!

It’s Birthday Season!!