May Day Special

I was on my way home from the grocery store tonight when I heard the song, "Oh How the Years Go By" by Amy Grant. It was still playing when I parked in the garage. I shut off the car and listened.

I thought how appropriate to hear it on my baby's birthday. I thought how different life was 10 years ago today. When Carter wasn't officially "here" yet. Life without Carter?! How empty! Now, it's 10 years later. A decade! Oh how the years do go by!

Carter has been making a big deal about this birthday because it's double digits. "Wait until it's triple digits!" he says. He sure is optimistic about his longevity!

Today was a busy day for him. His birthday treats were a big hit at school. He didn't even bring any leftovers home. He opened a few cards in the mail after school. Then he trotted off to baseball practice.

He wasn't expecting to open any presents today (although he really, really wanted to). We said Daddy's family is coming over for a small party on Saturday so he'd have to wait. But then I started thinking, that's not fair. It's not like he's 3 years old and doesn't know what day it is. He still should get to open up something on his birthday.

So when he got home from practice, we put candles on the little M&M ice cream cake I got from the Schwan's man -- and he got to open his socks and underwear. Hey, that's what he gets for begging to open something today. At the bottom of the bag was a Styx greatest hits CD so he is satisfied until Saturday now.

Since there's no school tomorrow, he was hoping to stay up until his "real" birthday at 10:15 p.m. but we still have to get up early to get him to the sitter's so I said maybe next year. He said, "Sorry, Mom. I bet 10 years ago when I was still in your tummy you said, 'This kid is gonna be annoying.'"

I said, "Nope. I said 'this kid is gonna be my angel.'" I think he rolled his eyes, but still let me hug him and kiss him anyway. That's my baby! Oh how the years go by...