In the past week or so, Tess and Remy enjoyed being the same age for five days, but enjoyed so much more eating birthday cake and opening presents. As I’m sure most kids this age do, Tess and Remy talk about birthdays and holidays all the time. We spend so much time talking about their birthdays that they always look a little taken aback when I say it’s actually coming.

This year was fun, as they’re starting to get into activities and projects. Tess, for example, is getting very artistic. We got her a stencil set, which she dove into with glee. Every day after school, she asks whether she can do art. Remy, on the other hand, is as much of a Bookworm as I am. We got him a science kit, and he and Tess were both pretty excited to make slime and a bouncy ball. Most importantly to him? He got a Jedi costume and light saber. He actually looked at me and said seriously, “Maman, I only use the Force for good!” For a kid who loves to play Darth Vader, this is a welcome change.

We try not to be too commercial around here, but we’re also not coldhearted. Remy is obsessed with the music from Star Wars and the Lego comic books that go with it. Tess is still all about Elsa. They are both obsessed with Batman and Batgirl. Why fight the obvious? So we sold our souls a little, to fill their little hearts up with glee. For their birthday party, we took them and some of their close friends to see Lego Batman. I think they were in shock – we never go to the movies!

I think my favorite part of birthdays here happens first thing in the morning. We wake up the other kids and we all storm the birthday person singing happy birthday. It’s over in a minute, but I love that we start their day altogether, doing something fun and silly. We bake cakes together too, and the kids get to pick their birthday dinner. Compared to some of the extravaganzas I see around us, birthdays around here are a bit quieter, but they are full of love and homemade cards and sloppy sibling kisses. So our Jedi/Batman and princess/bat girl/mermaid got all hopped up on sugar and drowned in hugs.

Now it’s our turn to be in shock. When did our babies become big kids? I feel like I’ll be asking myself this question for the next 20 years, or 40 or 50. Tess is doing chores and learning to listen. Remy is one of the most verbal four-year-olds I’ve ever come across. They get bigger every day! Soon enough, we will be celebrating Griffin’s second birthday. Then the shock will really set in! In the meantime, we’re going to baby our big kids a little bit more and bake a little more frequently. They’ve earned it.