Spiderman

I recently watched the video footage of Jack’s 4^th birthday party that was uploaded onto our YouTube channel. It’s crazy how time flies, it feels like yesterday that he was just a little boy, excited to be one year older and looking forward to his party.  As a 4 year old Jack was a very big fan of the Ninja Turtles and Spiderman. He woke up that morning to find the house decorated with balloons and a pile of presents waiting to be opened.  John was home from work that morning after getting off the night shift. In the video you can hear the enthusiasm in John’s voice as Jack opened each gift. These were such special moments for us, we loved celebrating each one of the boys birthdays and watching them light up as they realized that it was their day. 

Today Jack turns 16! Every teenager can’t wait to be 16, it is the beginning of real responsibilities, independence and of course finally taking the highly anticipated learners test! I will be taking Jack to the DMV afterschool, hopefully it is a successful trip and if the weather isn’t crazy I may actually let him drive the minivan home. This thought is somewhat scary; when did our son suddenly become a 16 year old?  But today will also mark the first birthday that Jack will celebrate without his dad; a harsh and terrible reality that no child should have to face and one that breaks my heart. I know that if John were still with us he would have been overjoyed to celebrate this milestone with his eldest son. Jack resembles John in so many ways and getting the chance to teach him how to drive was something John really looked forward to, especially because John didn’t particularly love my aggressive driving skills! So, in honor of Jack and John, I would like to share one of our fondest birthday memories to date… the arrival of Spiderman!

When I was planning Jack’s 4^th birthday I decided that because it was so close to Halloween, I could possibly try having a costume party so that all the little kids could dress up in their favorite super hero costumes, it would be adorable! Of course my idea was shorted lived as the thought of planning a themed party like that did not seem extremely simple, and we liked simple! Birthday parties were always at our house, I baked the cake, made all the food and John ran the games. When I asked John what he thought we could do to change it up that year, somewhere in our conversation I mentioned that it might be fun to hire someone dressed up as Spiderman. Reluctantly John agreed to look into the idea, but I knew that there was no way he was going to go for it if the “price was not right”.  After several Internet searches and a few phone calls I knew that this was not going to happen, Spiderman was pricey and it didn’t make sense to spend that kind of money on a 4 year olds party! Nevertheless, I was disappointed and I felt bad that we were not going to be able to pull off this awesome surprise. It’s amazing how invested you quickly become in these birthday parties and where your rational thought often leaves your brain. John on the other hand, always believed that cake and some pizza was all that was ever needed to throw the kids a party, and for the most part he was right!  I grudgingly let go of the idea that Spiderman was going to show up and planned on making a Spiderman cake instead. Now I do not know if the stars were aligned that day but as luck would have it, as I was shopping at Costco that afternoon, I spotted it…an Extra large Men’s Spiderman Costume. I don’t even think I thought twice about it, I knew John would be game so I bought it. When I got home and showed him the costume he immediately smiled…I was right, he thought it was perfect, it was a little small but otherwise perfect!  I guess Spiderman was going to be making an appearance after all.

We kept the surprise a secret, John did not want Jack to know that his favorite super hero was going to be attending the party. The costume I bought was the largest size available, but John’s 6’4 frame was still too big for him to fit into it; the mask was too small and the suite was too short. I contemplated ditching the idea after I saw John wearing the entire costume, but he was not going to back out of it now. He was also not about to cut the tags out either and I was given clear instructions to make sure that I returned it to Costco after the party.

On Jack’s birthday his cousins and the Wallace kids were all in attendance. We decided to wait for Spiderman’s big reveal after the kids had eaten their lunch and Jack had opened his presents. With all of them lined up and sitting on the back deck stairs, Spiderman finally dashed his way into the backyard and up the stairs where he greeted a very ecstatic and happy little 4 year old! The look of surprise, fear and excitement on Jack’s face was priceless. The kids were not quite sure about what to make of this giant Spiderman and a few of them were not particularly fond of the masked man!  But John played the part so well and he had the kids laughing and playing games in the yard with him in no time.  Eventually the clever little buggers spotted his unmistakable size 15 running shoes and came to the consensus that John must indeed be Spiderman after all. The best part about this particular memory is that it was all caught on tape, so even today we can revisit and enjoy these precious memories. I know there are no more new memories that the boys will be able to make with John, but without a doubt we will cherish all of the ones we do have!

Jack we wish for you the happiest 16^th Birthday! Your dad and I could not be any prouder of the young man you are becoming and I know that he is with you always! xoxo