I have a 12 year old!

On Sunday it was my eldest ds 12th birthday. I really can't believe I have a 12 year old. How did that happen? Where did the time go? What happened to my baby? It seems like only yesterday he was a toddler walking around pointing to everything saying "Wha dis" (What's this?). Now he's 12 years old and telling me what everything is and how it works LOL!

On the morning of ds birthday he woke us all up early and so we all crowded round him while he opened his presents. He was thrilled with everything he got even though there were no toys this year and very few surprises amongst his presents as he had specifically asked for the Nintendo DSI and paid half himself. He also got some much needed new pyjama's, jeans and a dressing gown with slippers.
We had a yummy and fattening breakfast of pancakes and french toast with maple syrup and then headed off to check out the Sunday markets for the first time. It was also to be the one and only time as it happens because it was a total waste of time as everyone was there trying to make money by selling rubbishy items at above retail prices.

Ds12 pretty much spent the rest of the day playing on his Nintendo except for 1 enforced break during which he and ds10 went next door to the skate park to skate for a couple of hours. I managed to have a nap during some of this time too.



Ds had requested a special dinner of lamb shanks with mashed potato and a special gravy the same as what ds10 had for his birthday back in March. He wasn't having a party or celebrating with friends this year. He had wanted to have his best mate for a sleep over but unfortunately he was going away for the weekend so it wasn't possible. However while he and ds10 were skating his best friend phoned to say he was back early from his holiday and wanted to wish ds a happy birthday. I quickly arranged with his mother for him to come for desert and stay over but kept it a surprise from ds12. All he was told was that someone was coming to seem him later in the evening for his birthday. He assumed it was one of his grandparents.

Co-incidentally his grandparents and cousins did actually end up popping in for a surprise visit around 4:30 so ds12 just assumed they had come early LOL. They decided to go pick themselves up some take-aways for dinner and eat with us so our planned quiet family dinner ended up being a rather chaotic shambles with 6 children squashed around the dining table eating two separate meals and 4 adults standing uip to eat at the bench and a baby toddling around picking off everyone's plates LOL



At around 6:30 there was a knock at the door so we told ds12 to go see who it was. He was a little unsure about answering the door at night but since we encouraged him to hurry up he did eventually tromp downstairs to answer the door (taking along his 8 year old cousin to protect him of course) LOL. He was so surprised to see his best friend at the door with his sleep over bag he kept gasping and was every so polite in greeting him when he yelled "M, what are you doing here?". We all laughed and ds told us that he really didn't think it was very funny to surprise him that way. (He hates surprises as he likes to know exactly what's happening and when it will happen)
We all stood around the table and sang "Happy Birthday" then ds cut his cake and we all ate way too much cake and ice cream for desert. This time there were 7 kids squashed around the table so it was even more chaotic. It is Wednesday today and I am still finding bits of chocolate cake squashed into my carpet from all 7 children wandering away from the table to watch TV while still eating LOL (Yes I do realise I should probably have made them stay to eat at the table but hey, it was a birthday and it's only carpet which I might add already bears evidence of many previous birthdays!)

Oh well I can live with a bit of mess and chaos after all it will all be over with before I know it and I'm sure I'll miss these days of madness after all the kids have moved on and my house is finally clean and tidy for more than 30 minutes at a time!