My oldest is turning 9 this week, and we celebrated over the weekend. The big gift: going to see a Phillies game. My husband and I took him and 3 friends to the ball park on Saturday night. Chaperoning four 8-year-olds is quite an experience, but the kids were very good, even though there was a 30-minute rain delay, so we were at the park until 10:15 or so (we left top of the 9th).
About that rain delay…I think this was the thing I was most nervous about this week, which is kind of funny given that I gave two speeches, had an op-ed in the New York Times on Sunday, and filmed a TV segment. I kept checking the weather all week. Was it going to rain on Saturday? The forecast went back and forth on this matter. As of Friday it was saying 90 percent chance or more. So then it was a question of timing. This shifted through the day too, with the forecast first saying the storm would end before the game, then saying it would extend through it. My son was so excited about this trip, and so did not want the game to be rained out.
The storm hit around 5:00 P.M., and it was pouring as we picked his friends up. But as we drove into the parking lot at Citizens Bank Park at 7:00, the rain stopped and the skies started to clear. There wasn’t another drop the whole night. The timing was absolutely perfect. It was a great birthday gift for my (not-so) little boy.
Happy Birthday to your son! What a great way to celebrate his birthday- I’m so glad the rain passed through quickly!
Sounds great. I too have engaged in weeklong pre-birthday-party weather-obsessing, and it’s exhausting and not productive — but hard to renounce!
I love it when that happens.
Also, loved your article in NYT!
@Anne – thank you! It was so fun to see it in print.
That sounds like a great party idea! I’d WAY rather do something like that than chaperone 10+ kids in my house or at laser tag or whatever 😉