Lucas' Sixth Birthday

Time really does fly. Not only did Lucas turn six, but it's been a week already since the big day. He aged on a Thursday so we kept it pretty low key at home, no guests but a few presents and flaming brownies. School was another matter. They are make a bit of a deal and came close to some flames.

Kim is teaching again this quarter so she couldn't go to the school and Lucas really wanted one of us to be there with him for his birthday celebration. So that meant I was going, and I'm glad I did.

I really didn't have high expectations. I knew he would walk around the "sun" to simulate aging, but I didn't expect much more. What I did get was a well thought and informative narrative about children aging from his teacher Kari. She brought out what looked like a linen table cloth on which she had painted a tree in four different aspects - to match each season. It was very well done, and quite pretty. In the center she placed a lit candle to play the role of the sun. She had Lucas hold a globe and told about a child growing in the womb. She then had Lucas walk around the sun one time as the class sang "The earth goes around the sun, the earth goes around the sun" to the tune of Popeye the Sailor. So that for the next few days I will have "the earth goes around the sun, the earth goes around the sun, I'm strong to the finich 'cause I eats me spinach" burned into my hindbrain.

After each orbit Lucas would wait and fidget while she explained what happened in each year of life, things like turning over, crawling and walking. Plus, she asked me at what age he did certain things or if there were an major events at home and sprinkled them in to make it more personal. Of course, being my child he had to spin the globe in his hands as if it were a ball. And being Kim's child he had to be a klutz. He dropped it and it knocked over the candle. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your sense of humor, the candle did not set the cloth ablaze.

It was truly well-thought and informative. Complete with fire, as any good ceremony should be.