Yes, it is true… they do grow up! Directly contradicting the doubts you have in those first few days/weeks/months/years of parenting the first offspring, you won’t “ruin them forever”, providing you attempt to meet all their basic needs (think nutitional and emotional nourishment). 

On the weekend, I found myself a parent of a five year old. Man, five years old. Immediately it feels as though Giggles Magoo is one foot out the door and into the evil clutches of the wider world, far far away from the infant years we were surely just in. I was lamenting to my sister that I’ve already noticed a big change in him, and our interactions. What I probably mean is, it’s finally dawned on me that my tiny human is now a fully functioning member of society – sure, I mean, he’s not ready to be thrown out onto the street to fend for himself…but, he does own an OPAL card to use on the Sydney public transport network, along with a wallet to keep it in. That’s responsibility +++!

Back in the early days of being the newby mother to Giggles Magoo, I remember existing in a weird space-time continuum, that is only understood by new parents. The long, tedious drawn-out days, that actually fly by and you find yourself so busy and preoccupied with creating fun and memories (or actually just surviving) that you can’t believe the calendar says July, because it was February, just yesterday.

Anyway, enough lamenting the lost time…it is actually far from lost; my boy is a happy, healthy, intelligent, comical genius. We’ve spent plenty of amazing (and equally un-amazing) time together, creating a bond thay no other Mumma-Moody or Giggles Magoo could possibly have (get it? There is no other Mumma-Moody or Giggles Magoo connection thay could possibly exist…we are the only one! It was always going to be successful, why would I doubt the success of us so early on??). 

 I’d always thought it should be a big celebration to mark 5 years (not meaning to construe his birthday to be about me, but…) so in true #theverymoodyhousehold fashion, we celebrated in a big way – 40 of his nearest and dearest buddies attended a park and they all ran around screaming and having a ball 😨 

I’d love to share some birthday pics to keep this post mildly entertaining for you, but of course I was so flat out with party prep and party hosting I depressingly forgot to get any pictures. So instead, here is a beautiful vista from a beautiful autumn day in the world heritage national park. Probably seems random, but we’ve spent a significant part of the last 5 years adventuring around the Blue Mountains, and it sort of sums up how I’m feeling about reaching the five year milestone – impressed to have reached it, but a little bit tired when thinking about everything you have to do to get there: 

Happy birthday Giggles Magoo, you incredible human being xx