It’s Kender’s Birthday!

Well…not really. It was his birthday last week, but everybody was gone, to camp, to Texas, to everywhere, so we postponed celebrating.  Now I have a hard deadline to get presents and make a cake, because People Are Actually Coming Over.

I’m planning to make a wonderful red velvet cheesecake combo, starting with this recipe for cheesecake and red velvet cake, but using this recipe for the cake, but substituting spelt flour for the regular flour.  I hope it works out, because I’m going to be making two so there’s enough for everybody.

It’s always hard to think of presents for Kender.  For one thing, after five other kids, it’s not like our house is not full of stuff!  Our house is so full of stuff, I ought to sell tickets for people to come in and pick out stuff for their own kids…or just hire a dumpster and get rid of some.  It’s a work in progress.  For another thing, Kender has yet to show any interest in getting and opening presents.  He’ll play with a toy once you hand it to him, sometimes, but he doesn’t get the concept of unwrapping things.  He doesn’t understand his birthday, he isn’t looking forward to it, he’s not asking for presents and party things, and he’s not going to talk about it later.  That makes it so hard to get excited, but I’m determined to celebrate at least a little.

I always have a running wish list for things I’d like to get Kender, but this birthday I’ve thought of a few things that aren’t on it.  Lately, Kender has been into throwing things and banging things around.  He likes to knock over the glass bottles that always pile up for recycling to hear the noise. He likes to grab things off the counter and throw them across the room. He likes to knock over the broom and the cutting board and the dining room chairs.  When he gets mad, he will slam the chairs against the table and try to shake down bookcases.  I had all of this in mind while considering birthday presents, and I came up with two ideas.

My first idea is to get a bit of a rhythm section going for him, to help channel some of the need for banging objects.  He has never shown much interest in the kiddie drum we’ve kept around, so I’ve gotten him something more realistic, with a mallet and everything.  I also grabbed a couple of egg shakers, hoping he will enjoy the noise and feel of them.  My second idea was to redirect his need to throw things.  Teaching him to play fetch with my mother’s dog was fine, but won’t work around here until Kender gets his own dog.  Instead, I’ve gotten him some bean bags, with the thought of using them to knock down plastic bottles, play catch, or toss them into boxes.  Ideally, I’d like to get a bean bag toss board made up with different chimes attached to each hole, so that it makes noises when he gets a score, but that will have to wait.

So off I go to do the shopping and the baking for tomorrow!

Published by solinox

I am a Wiccan priestess, a libertarian mother of triplets plus three, a wife and homeschooling mom to blind and autistic children, a fiber artist, and a Jane of All Trades, always learning and seeking to help.

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