At last the gales have passed and the weather is set fair. The greenhouse has been righted and cleaned and seedlings saved and planted out. Pre-birthday excitement has reached fever pitch. I told the middle boy earlier to be nice to the littlest boy by way of practice in readiness for the big day, when he would be required to be nice to him all day. But apparently he is not able to do any niceness in advance, it will take all he has to do a single day.
Today I wrapped a football. You would think that by now I would have got the hang of it wouldn't you.
There's probably a Youtube demonstration somewhere that shows you how to make exquisite little pleats and get it all looking delightful. In the meantime I'm going with the "scrumple it all up with lots of sellotape" approach.
The littlest boy also asked for a feather and a pot of ink. Not quite sure where that idea came from, Harry Potter maybe, but I baulked at the idea of him on the loose with a pot of permanent ink. What about the carpets??? It's clearly a disaster waiting to happen. And you know how disasters like to cluster around me. So let's hope he's not crushingly disappointed.
At the top of the birthday list was an item that read, "Three Nerf guns". One for the little man and one each for his adored brothers. I tried to tell him that one would be more than enough. He was quite sad. Although he is desperate to shoot his brothers, to his great credit he wants them to be able to shoot him back. Until of course he gets a Nerf bullet in the face, then it will all be off. Anyway, his dear little face was so downcast I relented and ordered two more, and some spare ammo. Imagine my surprise when my lovely friend sent three, count them three Nerfs that her boys had outgrown. For a moment there was a very real danger of the whole household being armed and dangerous, with one to spare. I managed to cancel the extra two. But the birthday morning promises to be very lively.
The littlest boy is always quite a generous and kindly soul. The other day he had a packet of new pencils that had times tables printed on them. He sweetly and of his own volition gave one to each brother. The next day before he got up, they were being ever so slightly mean about the pencils. I said, "Don't be mean, he's so generous to you guys. You wouldn't give him anything if you had a packet of something all to yourselves. Honestly, he loves you so much, he's always hugging you and wanting to play with you and giving you things. And when you're sad he tries to cheer you up and he hugs you and when you're away he misses you so much." The eldest said, "And all the time we're plotting to flatten him." (Joke of course, they adore him really. They do.)
How generous of your lovely friend :-) your littlest boy sounds an absolute delight, he must be so excited by now. I had an idea about the ink, how about giving him a bottle of invisible ink (lemon juice) with the feather? Good job with the football, he'll never guess what it is ;-) xx
ReplyDeleteAwwwww, how sweet they sound, I have never mastered perfect packaging either, but when you think of the seconds it takes for them to rip it all off .......
ReplyDeleteOh they sound just like I imagine a group of brothers would be! I think that the football is wrapped really well, and just how a football should be wrapped, no boy, however sweet and lovely, is going to appreciate something beautifully pintrest worthily wrapped! Footballs should be in odd shaped packages as far as I am concerned so yours is perfection!!! I hope that the day is a great one and that there are not too many nerfing incidents! xx
ReplyDelete*H*A*P*P*Y* * *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y*!*!*!* to your littlest boy all the way from Oregon across the sea and across the country of the USA! He sounds like a darling child - I hope his big day is lots of fun and that nobody gets hurt in the gun fight. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteYour littlest boy sounds adorable, he is kind and generous, such lovely qualities. I hope he enjoys his birthday and his football. Round and oval objects are so hard to wrap, if they are small I buy a gift box and wrap that. He won't mind anyway, your thoughtfulness is what is important.
ReplyDeleteHappy week dear C.J.!
xoxoxo ♡
That's the way it is with brothers ---- well, it's kind of that way with sisters too! Ask me how I know???? LOL
ReplyDeleteI admire his interest in a fair fight, you have to hand it to him. I love reading about your littlest boy, I really do think he would be a perfect match with my daughter. We bought a Nerf basketball hoop recently and put it on the coat closet door, which is in the open kitchen/family room area of the house. It's like a giant barn in there and they're constantly throwing balls in every direction now. I'm beginning to question the wisdom of this purchase. When a ball lands in the big pasta pot on the stove, I'll know for sure!
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful child, such adoring love for his elder brothers. Its much the same with daughters, just arguments about different things. Funnily enough now that they are all grown up they are the best of friends. I would have cheated and wrapped in a cardboard box...
ReplyDeleteOh CJ, you make me laugh and cry. You will miss them when they're gone. I'm collecting my daughter from her first year at university today and I'm up baking fresh apricot and white chocolate muffins for a welcome home tea. I hope you all have a lovely happy birthday. I'm sure the big brothers know how much they are loved.
ReplyDeleteAww that's so sweet, thankfully we've passed the nerf stage now! I would also like to say how impressed I am with your football wrapping skills, I have been known to place said item in a carrier bag & twist the handles! My youngest is avidly waiting for his brother to return from uni tomorrow,, not quite sure how the brotherly love will last. Hope you have a great weekend x
ReplyDeleteBrothers. Loathe them or ignore them, you can't like them.
ReplyDeleteAnd Happy Birthday in advance to the Peanuts reader.
I giggled all the way through this. So familiar!!
And Nerf guns are brilliant. We had a whole party based on them a couple of years ago, with targets and all. You need to read this post (if you haven't already) the target kept my son busy for ages one summer!
http://domesticali.typepad.com/domesticali/2012/05/hanging-around.html?cid=6a00e54fad366988330168eb5f5ae9970c#comment-6a00e54fad366988330168eb5f5ae9970c
Sounds like perfectly normal brother behaviour :o) And of course you can't just have ONE nerf gun in a family- honestly CJ, what were you thinking?! I've lost count of the number we've got here. Occasionally they are rediscovered in the attic and a ferocious hour ensues where it is perilous to be anywhere in the house for fear of ambush, then I spend the next week discovering bullets in odd places. There would be mutiny if I suggested giving any of them away :o) I love your football wrapping up- perfect for boys. They'd know what it was straight away if it was football-shaped and that would ruin the surprise :o) Hope his day is lovely and one to treasure xxx
ReplyDeleteOh the Nerf guns.... we have an unhealthy big stash of those. Every now and then, there is a war. It is ok if the little ones have one, but the teenagers are a bit much! Sam has enhanced the speed and force of his favourite one, I have no idea how (the why is clearer).... such an engineer. Lots of brotherly and sisterly love here, for a few seconds at the time. Mine are unusually civilised this week, I fear the worst. Have a lovely Birthday Day with your littlest one. Tell him that I once spilled an ink pot. My mum is probably still cross. xx
ReplyDeleteHa ha, siblings! After the squabbles my two had as youngsters, I thought it might have been different if I'd had same sex children, obviously not. Let me tell you, they don't grow out of Nerf guns as they get older. I went to see Daniel in his student accommodation and picked up a bullet which he said had been fired through his window, lots of studying going on, obviously! Happy birthday to the birthday boy, it sounds like he's going to have a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteI can hear my mother's words – 'It'll end in tears!' – always her response when we kids were having too much fun (spoil-sport) and I try to NOT say the same thing when the Nerf guns come out. My daughter (youngest) is a mean shot. My eldest boy was very dismissive and offhand with his brother (middle child) and it used to break my heart to see him being rejected. They rub along ok now, thank heavens. Family dynamics are fascinating. S x
ReplyDeleteLittlest boy sounds so sweet. I hope he has a lovely day :)
ReplyDeleteI found myself nodding and smiling reading this post. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI hope it's a wonderful birthday. They are so sweet at that age, and it doesn't take much to please them. Is there some kind of vanishing ink you could get? I know there is such a thing because it's used to mark sewing items, and disappears on its own, or at worst, once you get the item you've written on damp.
ReplyDeleteA feather is probably not a good idea but an old fashioned stell nib that you dip in an ink well could be fun. The trick would be to use washable ink. Or to use lemon juice and teach him how to use invisible ink (if you hold lemon something written in lemon juice against something hot the clear peice of paper goes brown where the lemon juice was revealing the secret message - as any fule kno.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the birthday! I'm sure it will be lots of fun, a bit of pandemonium, pretty messy and have a bottle of wine ready for your personal afterparty!
ReplyDeleteHe's so sweet to think of his other brothers! On my birthdays, my older brother would have to "try out" my toys before I could grab them. You can imagine the crying that followed. So each having their own nerf gun is good thinking on his part:) Glad to hear the weather has gotten better there. It's been the rainiest spring we've had in a while. Looking forward to some sunshine soon. Happy birthday to your littlest and nice job on the wrapping! That is a lot better than what I would have done. Hope you're having a wonderful day, CJ!
ReplyDeleteMy sweetheart Brian is the baby of three boys and loves to tell stories about the torture inflicted upon him by his brothers. Oh the memories your boys will have as they get older. The little one sounds precious. I bet you wish you could keep him at this age for awhile. I hope he has a wonderful birthday!
ReplyDeleteOh how lovely your youngest is. We have had a variety of nerf guns n how house - they still get pulled out now and again!
ReplyDeleteCaz xx
Put the football in a box! If you happen to have one handy, that is. My Dad keeps random boxes purely for the purpose of easy gift wrapping - on more than one occasion I've unwrapped something to find, say, an Orla Kiely box, then opened it to find socks. Of course he thinks it's hilarious...
ReplyDeleteYour boys sound just lovely. I hope the birthday goes off smoothly without too many nerf-related injuries. xx
I had to read the last line out loud! ha! ha! As an eldest sibling, that line especially resonated with me, but how you could you not love a little heart so sweet? I hope the littlest enjoys every bit of his birthday. He sounds like he deserves celebrating, for sure!
ReplyDeleteHey CJ,
ReplyDeleteOh boys. They are a riot aren't they? I think you are very brave allowing Nerf guns into the house. I have stowed Olly's and Alfie's away and out of sight. I was getting hacked off with my rear end constantly being aimed at. But boys will use anything that comes to hand as a gun anyway. Hands, sticks, palm leaves, garden tools.....
I wonder what it would have been like to have had three girls?
You little boy sounds so lovely. Such kindness in one so young. Good for him. I hope that he has a wonderful birthday. I hope too, that they don't train the nerf guns on your derriere ;))
Leanne xx
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA box would make life easier. What about a feather carved into a quill and some invisible ink ma= from lemon juice? Very Harry Potter
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/invisibleink.html
Surely the three nerf guns will make up for the no feather and ink, I think it is delightful he is in Harry Potter mode. Happy Birthday little one.
ReplyDeleteMeredith
Happy Birthday to the smallest chap. So it will be nerf wars at your house then ... they'll need the feather and ink for signing a peace treaty. I'm going to predict it will all end in football!
ReplyDeleteThis has made me laugh so much... but then I am the mother of four boys! I've done my fair share of football wrapping and Nerf guns!
ReplyDeletehappy birthday wishes to your little one, hope it's a great day x
ReplyDeletei see we went to the same School of Wrapping. :) your littlest sounds the most delightfully, sweet boy -- i could just squeeze him from all the way over here. i find it hard to witness sibling animosity between my two, but i have to remember what a horrid beast i was to my own sister when we were little. she's forgiven me. [mostly] . :)
ReplyDeletehappiest of birthdays to your boy -- and to you...on his birthing day. [we always forget the mamas on birthdays but let's face it, we did all the work on the day....:)]
xo
He sounds like such a sweetie. We're going through a phase where Joe refuses to share toys and actually shakes with rage at the merest suggestion... I'm crossing my fingers and praying he ends up as lovely as your littlest!
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine how you'd wrap a football. Buy a square box maybe? You could market that! And do little ones for cricket balls...
Sending you wishes for a wonderful birthday celebration. I hope the weather stays nice (it's reverted to gusty winds and threatening-looking skies again here).
S x
Oh I missed this post before and I'm so pleased I caught up. You have such a wonderful way of telling stories about your kids, I was almost blubbing a little reading this...
ReplyDeleteXxxx
Your ball wrapping is better than I would have managed! I love to hear tales of your children. Your youngest sounds a gem - hope the birthday went swimmingly xx
ReplyDeleteThe packet of pencil story was the best. It reminds me of how sweet my nephew is to everyone and how he really wants to make me and my son happy. I get upset when my son is dismissive about his "little kid" ways. not to say he doesn't love him or think him sweet. However I find it so touching, this little guys' got a special something he wants to share, and it sounds like your youngest has it too.
ReplyDeleteBelated birthday wishes to your littlest boy, I hope all his birthday dreams came true. Rather embarrassingly, I had to google 'nerf guns' :o) Jxx
ReplyDelete