Then and Now Birthday

I was very nervous about Caleb's 4th birthday party. It was the first child's party I had planned, aside from gatherings for grandparents or church friends. This was a real birthday party, with themed invitations and everything. I cleaned the house from top to bottom. I went to several stores trying to find decorator's food coloring to make frosting for the firetruck cake really red, not just dark pink. Because it was a firefighter party, we arranged a tour of the fire station as part of the party. We had lengths of real hose for each party goer. We had red drinks to match the red frosting on the cake. I'm sure there were many other details that have escaped me in the ensuing ten years, but I know that in my mind that party was a Big Deal.

Today is Caleb's 14th birthday. Saturday he called some friends to arrange an outing to go go-carting. Scott took the six kids that went, I made dinner for the group after. Today, the actual day of his birthday, Caleb had a few friends over for lunch after their Mandarin class together. I made box macaroni and cheese, sliced some watermelon and cut up some vegges, and poured chips in a bowl. The kids sat around the dining room table together and talked and laughed.

I sat in the kitchen and compared the birthday party ten years ago with our celebration this year. I guess I've grown up a little myself.