A birthday is a cause for so much excitement and celebration when you’re young, isn’t it?

One of the sweetest things about the night before Kara’s birthday was that her brothers were almost as excited as she was. Isaac wrote a special message for her to set up a treasure hunt for her presents around the house. Toby had a long cuddle and chat with her as they were preparing for bed. And then all three of them read stories together at bedtime without the need for a parent.

They were so excited that getting them to sleep proved to be something of a challenge. Normally all three of them are in bed and asleep by eight o’clock. But not this time. Toby and Kara were both still awake and wide-eyed at 9:30pm in the manner of someone who has been awake for 36 hours straight and is somehow still going thanks to a combination of adrenaline, a series of double espressos and the stereo being cranked up to 11.

In the end we allowed them to get into our bed and I snuggled up with them. Of course, I was the first one to fall asleep.

Eventually, finally, they went to sleep themselves. Only we discovered Kara hadn’t actually climbed into her bed. Instead she had carefully created this arrangement on her bedroom floor, carefully surrounding herself with cushions and toys like some kind of personal shrine.

Sometimes I have no idea what goes through a child’s mind.

Anyhow, I guess it created a sense of occasion for her. And why not? It’s not every day you go to sleep as a five-year-old and wake up as a six-year-old.

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