Quarantine Diary #66, 5/24/2020 Zoom Birthday

This week we Zoom-celebrated (zoom-abrated?) the first birthday of our grandson. This was a very different kind of party in our family which ALWAYS celebrates kid’s birthdays. We always have over a few too many friends and relatives. We always have a mound of presents the kids doesn’t actually need. We always have appetizers and pizza, an activity for kids, and a cake. We always sing Happy Birthday too slowly while the kid stares at the candles.

We clean the house ahead of time, put up some decorations. Or go someplace and let someone else clean, but we still put up the decorations.

My mom did this for me. I did it for my kids. My daughter and her husband have done it for their three-year old three times.  Birthdays are important. Birthdays are a way the community tells the kid they are welcome. (I understand not everyone can pull off this much effort and money; not every kid would feel calm at the center of so many people.)

This hullabaloo-in-quarantine for our family’s newest one-year old happened like this. We joined zoom at the appointed time. Our smiling kid was sitting in his highchair wearing a new bib. A Happy Birthday sign and stars were taped around his chair. His other grandparents plus two uncles and two aunts joined the call. The aunt who made his birthday cake was there.

We all chatted a bit. We talked with the three-year-old who was very impatient to eat the ‘funfetti’ birthday cake covered with sprinkles and little trucks.

Then we all sang Happy Birthday too slowly while our birthday boy stared at his one lit candle, which his mom and big sister blew out for him. The kiddos ate cake while we adults pretended we weren’t craving funfetti, also.

Then the party was over and we left zoom and that was that.

It was a good-humored party. The very large dogs of my son and his wife sat on their laps. The uncle in Colorado talked about things he and his family had done that day. When we were singing the baby kicked his legs really hard in excitement. He recognizes all of us although I do believe this is his first zoom meeting.

Later in the evening some of us texted a little. Without hoopla to pull off, there was time in the day to think about this child who is no longer a newborn, who is growing and learning new things and moving towards his next goals.

The day was simpler, so we went deeper..