Ben turned 9 this week. It didn't throw me too much (okay, just a little), maybe because I'm just saving to be really thrown when he turns 10. (10! My baby is going to be 10! Wait, next year, not now).
Or maybe because those moments when you are really thrown by how in the blink of an eye your child has gone from baby to boy come more unexpectedly. Like that day last summer in the pool when I looked up to watch Ben jump off the diving board. Only he didn't just jump, he did a flip. And all summer he practiced those flips and got better and each time I had the sense that I was literally watching my kid fly away from me. Flips? How can he be big enough, coordinated enough to do flips?
Anyway, his birthday was on a school day, so we stayed home but he's going to have a party with friends next weekend. I let him pick the menu for dinner. His choices: Hungarian goulash with noodles, mango ("for my fruit," he said) and cream soda. So that's what we had (well Kisae and I skipped the cream soda). We jointly settled on chocolate fondue for dessert, which he had with pound cake, strawberries and pineapple. Very tasty.
He was so excited that it was his birthday that in the morning he put on a polo shirt with his shorts instead of the usual t-shirt. Then he asked me if I liked what he was wearing. Yup, I did.
And, despite our reservations, he got that long-wished for Wii (it had been his top Christmas request but we could not find one anywhere, perhaps because we were so conflicted about the darn thing that we started looking way too late).
As I was already looking through my little notebook, in honor of Ben's 9th, here are 9 Ben quotes that still make me smile.
On his sister: "She's so funny, and she keeps me company and nobody can deny her cuteness." Aug. 2007
On the tooth fairy story: "Tell me the absolute, honest truth." March, 2006.
On my request that he not talk so much in his kindergarten class: "But Mommy, I have so much to say." Spring, 2005
On my singing: "Everybody is good at something. Singing isn't one of your main talents." July, 2005.
On football: "How come they call it football when you hardly ever use your foot?" November, 2005
On a chandelier we saw at Costco: "I wish we were that fancy." July, 2004
On his parents: "Daddy, can I tell you something? Do you know how much I love you and Mommy? As much as the universe." July, 2004.
On why he seemed to be scowling during his soccer game: "I'm just making my tough face, Daddy." March, 2003
On wondering about himself: "Could you go flat if you play with your belly button too much?" February, 2003
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