High Expectations

BoyOne just celebrated his 15th birthday.  He was so excited!  That is a severe understatement.  Back in May he created a paper chain to count down to his birthday.  When that fell off his wall, he made a calendar, so to speak, with a bunch of squares to mark off.  We have been hearing about his birthday for. ever.  

Now, the boys have been home nearly one year.  I often assume, which is not wise of me at all, that they are used to things here, meaning how our family rolls.  We have celebrated everyone else's birthday this year.  His is the last (since he's been here, not per calendar year.  does that make sense??) birthday to be celebrated.  Here, we thrive on consistency.  On one's birthday, they wake up to streamers hanging from their doorway.  The kitchen is also decorated with streamers.  I use the birthday person's favorite colors and try to do a little bit of a different lay out each time.  The birthday person chooses what to have for breakfast and dinner.  We celebrate that night as a family.  We have cake (unless the birthday person chooses otherwise) and open presents.  We spend the same amount of money on each birthday and the kids know this.  The boys have been told each birthday that has been celebrated.  The birthday person then gets to have a birthday party with friends that we try to make really fun and special.  One Sunday a month we get together with Huz's family.  Another Sunday we get together with my family.  If you have had a birthday, we celebrate it at that time by having dinner and dessert of the birthday person's choice.  On the person's birthday, nearly every member of both of our families will call them to wish them a happy day.  

In addition to our regular celebration events, I decided to surprise BoyOne and make him a big, fancy looking cake and take it to him during his lunch hour to share with his friends.  I also bought him Mr. Dew, which we never do (soda, that is), so this was also special.  We also allowed him to wear some of his new school clothes that we had bought for him that he had lost the privilege of wearing (another post that probably never will be) before school even started, that he is sloooooowly earning his way back to having.  

BoyOne had some high expectations, which we were aware of, but thought that we had nipped.  We also felt that we had done a pretty decent job of making his day happy and special.

We thought wrong.

Evidently, although we had clearly laid out the events of the day many times and let him know what to expect, he still somehow thought that there would be more.  As in a lot more.  He was expecting his friends at school, among others, to basically be handing him money all. day. long.  He also thought that we were going to rent a circus.  At the end of the day he told me that 'birthdays in America suck like birthdays in Ukraine suck.  It's just another day.'  (And that is a whole other post because REALLY?!  You want me to tell you about his birthday last year in Ukraine?!  Come on.)

I don't make these things up.

Needless to say, he was one disappointed boy and I was one frustrated mom.  So frustrated in fact that I didn't give him all of his gifts because I knew that no matter what we bought him, he was going to be upset that it wasn't an iPod (which we make the kids buy for themselves, which he is aware of.  Two of his sisters have done this since they arrived.  Both saved for two years.) and I may as well hold on to it for another gift giving occasion and save me some dollas.  (i misspelled that on purpose.  say it with the accent.  do it.)

So, I'll be doing his special birthday post as soon as he starts acting human again and I have something nice to say.  So until then, stay tuned:)