5. What were you doing last year at this time? Write about what has changed and what has stayed the same.
Last year, and for the past 13 years at this time, we have been celebrating Kainoa’s birthday!
Kainoa recently asked me if I would shoot my own mother for 1 million dollars. Of course I said no, I would never harm my mother, but his response to the same question was, “Well I would! BUT…listen…I would shoot you in the foot or the leg. So I wouldn’t kill you, but I’d still get the one million dollars.”
And I was all, “Kainoa that would really hurt!! HOW DARE YOU!”
We both laughed, but I went to bed thinking…I bet he’d really do it.
He’s been begging for his own phone for years now and I have steadfastly refused his request. I see how addicted he is to Xbox, he spends hours upon hours playing video games and that one is plugged into the wall. I don’t think I’d ever see his face again if he was walking around with the games in his hand. Not only that, but he loses everything. He doesn’t mean to, but the kid sets a thing down and then mindlessly carries on with his business.
In his lifetime he has lost countless jackets, ipods, backpacks, and homework. He lost his handheld Nintendo DS and years later I bought a replacement online and he lost that too. I can’t help but think he has a lucky counterpart out there who keeps finding video games and coats…the kid just keeps hitting the jackpot and his whole family knows he’s just that lucky kind of human. On the other side of those “lucky finds” is a mom yelling at her Kainoa to keep track of his things.
I digress. This year I finally bought him a phone. It’s the ONLY thing he wants. He’s been prattling on about it forever. Both his sisters had phones when they were his age AND he keeps taking my phone. This purchase works to my benefit in three ways:
1. He’ll stop asking.
2. I get my phone back.
3. He’ll have to play more sports.
I require my kids to enroll in after school activities in order to keep their phones, so along with the birthday gift, I will be signing him up for a basketball team. Well…as soon as basketball teams can be a thing again.
Pat and I found a great deal on iphones with a new phone line and we finally made the purchase just two days before his birthday. Naturally, exactly 3 hours after I made the purchase, Kainoa says “Mom? I’m thinking of becoming a better person. I think I’d like a bike for my birthday so that I can stop playing video games so much and start being more active.” He also said he’d be willing to accept $200 cash instead of a phone. He also said he’d be willing to accept my old phone so that I could upgrade to a new version and he could use my old version.
I told him I would prefer to get shot in the foot than talk about phones anymore for the rest of my life.
One thing I do know for sure though is that this kid is going to be thrilled with his gift. He is the one child that never disappoints with a grateful reaction…how long you think before he loses it?
Happy Birthday Kainoa!
You turned one.
You turned two.
You turned three.
You turned four.
You turned five.
You turned six.
You turned seven.
You turned eight.
You turned nine.
You turned 10.
You turned eleven.
You turned twelve.
john Holton says
Happy birthday to Kainoa! That 11-year-old picture is him with Domino, who ran away, right? She was a pretty kitty, looked like our first.
Mama Kat says
Yes, that’s Domino! I still look for her!
Patty says
I’m loving this because it could have been written about our son….every single word!
And, I don’t know whether to laugh with you, for you….or cry.
Our son will be 42 this year. He loses things constantly, mostly his patience. The only positive thing is that I…have not, and…my husband…has not….lost our collective minds in dealing with him.
What’s important is that Kainoa has a wonderful and very Happy Birthday!!!
Mama Kat says
Soooo you’re telling me they never pull their act together? lol! Lovely. I have a feeling Kainoa is going to be living at home with me for the rest of his life.