Happy 5th Birthday Russell!!

I've been reading the blogs of some of the people I love and admire lately and been so impressed with how beautifully they find joy and fulfillment in the simple things in life--especially their children and families. I'm afraid that as globetrotters in the past two years we've become obsessed with the extraordinary, usually only noting the shocking, mind-boggling, amazing things that happen in our lives. Maybe we're missing the simple joys in the process? I hope not.

Anyway, today is Russell's fifth birthday, and what a joyful day! It's nearly 10 pm (2 hours after bedtime) and he's still bouncing off the walls in his room with his brothers. Birthdays are definitely magical when you are five. Last night he asked us when he would turn five and I said, "You'll go to sleep four, and when you wake up you'll be five!" Needless to say, he woke up thrilled to be in his new five-year-old skin. Then later in the day when it was time to go to his afternoon pre-school, he said, "I thought I would be going to kindergarten now." Oops. I guess we should have been more precise when we answered that question "How old will I be when I go to kindergarten?"!

I was really proud of Isaac today because he was so excited and (mostly--c'mon, he's seven!) loving and giving about Russell's birthday. He woke up before Russell to help me wrap the gifts, one of which Isaac had made last night--Russell's name made out of plastic beads that you iron to make them stick together. So we glued that sweet gift on the Lego Fire Engine Hovercraft Rich brought from America and wrapped up some other great gifts from the adults in his life.

Russell woke up and groggily opened his gifts and got a birthday hug from Daddy before Rich had to rush off to a work retreat until tomorrow. He got a red light saber from the Cutler grandparents! Hooray. I think that makes a total of nine light sabers in the house between all the boys that live here. But nevertheless he's already planning the light sabers he plans to get for the next holiday! But it was the Legos that pretty much occupied the day. I was able to tear him away from the Legos to take Isaac to school, and then later to help me make chocolate cupcakes with green and blue frosting. Graham helped stick M&Ms waaaay into the frosting, so some cupcakes had fun surprises in them! There was also much weeping and wailing when a frosted Graham got a hold of the partly constructed Lego Hovercraft. Egads!

After dropping Russell at school, Graham and I did a little house-hunting (trying to find a house closer to school . . .), then we came back at the end of Russell's class to celebrate the big day. I read a few birthday-themed books I got from the library to the children. My favorite was a sweet book called Birthday Presents by Cynthia Rylant that celebrates the gifts we get and receive as parents and children from ten wiggly baby toes to homemade gifts for Mom and Dad. Russell's favorite was the silly Jimmy's Boa and the Big Splash Birthday Bash because it had, among other sea creatures, SHARKS! Not to mention the boa constrictor like the one we had our photo taken with in Thailand a few weeks ago!

I ended up bringing trick birthday candles because that was all I had, and boy what a hit! Imagine 18 four- and five-year-olds giggling and blowing with all their might as the candles keep lighting and re-lighting over and over! Russell was in seventh heaven.

It's so wonderful to have Russell in our family. He is endlessly happy and enchanted with life. He has grown up so much this year--started preschool at AES, said goodbye to his best friend Chase who moved to Utah, learned to be a good big brother and a tough/peacemaking little brother, found his place in our recent Cutler-Pulsipher household of nine children, and traveled to Texas, Michigan, Chicago, Utah, Denmark, New Zealand, Italy and several places in India. What a good sport he has been through all the busyness and change of this year! I hope he remembers his fourth year with fondness. Love you, Russell!