Sean is Six

Party season is in full swing. Sean and Finn were dressed up as a vampire and a skeleton respectively for Phoebe's Halloween party while Rowan toddled home from nursery with his face painted as a devil. The black goatee beard and dark eyebrows suited him. Finn looked especially good with his white face and dark eyes. They had a great time playing games and eating cake and getting to stay up late but we never got round to carving the pumpkin Sharon had bought.

Sean then had a party at Time Twister on the Saturday and Finn was at Zoe's party at Clambers on the Sunday morning. Marie and Michael had arrived by then to avoid us dragging the children everywhere for drop-offs and pick-ups. Sean's tiredness came to a head on his birthday morning when he threw a massive tantrum and accused us all of "ruining his birthday" because Finn wouldn't let him see a CD case. Fortunately he found a better mood in time for his party in the afternoon.

About 16 children attended Fairmilehead Church (some in fancy dress, as Sean had told some, but not all, that it was a dressing-up party) for his party which involved a lot of running about and a few games such as Dead Ant, a back-to-back balloon race and Musical Numbers, an elimination game featuring the hopscotch numbers strategically placed about the room. Sharon laid on the food which was eaten with gusto and the climax was a lights-out rendition of "Happy Birthday" as Sharon brought out Sean's volcanic birthday cake. He blew his six candles out in one go. Afterwards, Sharon held a talent competition then there was some balloon-popping and football before the parents arrived to collect their charges. It's a hard job. How many more such parties do we have to undertake?

Sean was pleased with his marble run and got lots of presents from his friends, with arts and crafts stuff featuring prominently. I played him at Downfall in the evening. We have a clever six-year old boy, well-mannered and obstinate in equal measures, a great big brother to Finn and Rowan, increasingly keen on reading, music and puzzles; when it seems like no time since he was placed in my arms, struggling to open his eyes to the world. Happy birthday Sean.