My Birthday Boy

When Mason turned two, he begged to have a "fufferfly" birthday party. We obliged and hosted a multi-family barbecue at a nearby park where Mason received Little People toys and Bob the Builder paraphernalia. He shielded his face while we sang "Happy Birthday" but rallied when it was time to eat cake. (Please check out that pouty lower lip in the above photo--it's killer!)


Well, this year my Buddy let us sing to him with abandon and didn't have a themed party at all. In fact, I talked him into just having his dad take him and a couple of this friends to the batting cages/arcade and coming back here for cake and ice cream. I must say, it was my favorite birthday party to date (because Michael had to do the entertaining--hee hee!)


Mason happily played all morning with his new Lego set (sakes alive, how those little pieces of plastic can entertain the most energetic of boys!) but really got excited when his best friend, Dallin, brought him his gift: a lizard. Mason had been wanting a new pet to replace his deceased toad, Fireball (may she rest in peace). "Komodo" (it's an anole, not a komodo dragon) was just the thing Mason had been hoping to have.

To commemorate the big occasion of his ninth birthday, I sat down with Mason and asked him some questions. He seemed tickled to be the subject of a real live interview. Here is a transcript of the whole event:

What was the best part of being eight?
That I got to get baptized.
(The minimum age of baptism in my church is eight years old.)

What do you think is going to be the best part of being nine?
That I get to go to Bears now.
(He gets to move up from Wolf to Bear in the Cub Scout ranks.)

What are your favorite activities?
Sports and outdoor games, because I like the outdoors.

Which sports are your favorites?
Baseball, basketball and football.

Which outdoor activities are your favorites?
Tag, hide-and-go seek, climbing the tree.

Give me three words to describe your room:
Blue, big and habitat (for his lizard).

What was your favorite birthday present:
The lizard.
(My Legos and light saber were really looking fabulous until that lizard showed up!)

What is your favorite thing to hear Mom say?
What would you like to have for dinner?
(This made me laugh. I guess I'll have to ask him what he'd like to have for dinner more often.)

What is your favorite food?
Pizza

What do you want to be when you grow up?
An artist or an author.

What is your favorite book?
Captain Underpants and Harry Potter
(The child NEVER liked to read until he met Captain Underpants.)

What is your favorite movie?
I have a lot. Newsies, Silverado, Harry Potter, and Wall-E.
(Sidenote: I was horrified when I returned home from running errands one Saturday afternoon and learned that my Michael had watched Silverado with our young son. Clearly, that is not a kids' show. Well, of course, my saying that he couldn't watch it again made it one of his "favorites." Ugh!)

What is your favorite thing about your mom?
That she's fun.
(From the mouths of babes, thank you very much.)

What is your favorite thing about your dad?
That he let me have a pocket knife and that he bought me Fireball.
(Can we have a moment of silence for the deceased, please?)

So there you have it, a little glimpse of my Mason at nine.