Poor Harvey hasn’t had the best of luck with birthday parties. There was the birthday in lockdown, then the one where we invited all of the boys in his 4 year old Kinder class and only five ended up being able to make it (a hangover of when even the slightest sniffle was cause to pull out of events), and the more informal BBQ gathering we arranged with the families of his Kinder friends the year after that. Of course, it doesn’t help that he often shares his moment with Easter and always combines it with his 18 year old cousin, who magnanimously allowed him to be born on her birthday. All in all, you could say that the stars never quite aligned for a big Harvey bash. 

Even this year, with the ever-impending house move hanging over our heads, and the introduction of both a part-time job as a trainee teacher in the classroom and a Master of Teaching (Primary) for me, to say that I was lacking in spare time and mental energy to pull together a party would have been an understatement. 

April came and went, with a low key marking of the birthday boy’s big day. Serendipitously, Harvey’s teacher ended up randomly pulling out his name to host the class teddy bear, George. George accompanied Harvey on his birthday adventures, off to a special time with Dad and attending the basketball game that morning. Scheduling conflicts meant that Dave was off to a work function that evening, so I had the bright idea of offering to look after the children of our family friends who were also attending. Harvey was very excited to have another two boys to share in the birthday fun. We enjoyed hot dogs (Harvey’s choice) and chocolate birthday cake before the kids watched a movie together. I took the quiet time to power through a group assignment that also happened to be due that evening. 

I may have started to regret my suggestion to Harvey that we wait until after we had moved to organise his party. The house sale dragged on and on, even though we locked in our prospective new place in Somerville after the Term 1 holidays, we had to wait for our buyers to sort out their house and finance. In the end, after another setback which saw us moving into Mum and Dad’s home while we waited for ours to become available, we finally moved into Somerville in late July 2024. 

School and uni were back in full swing, but a promise was a promise and this time, I vowed to make it up to Harvey for all the previous failings. Gingerly, I created an invitation to a Sonic-themed birthday event and sent it out to the parents of not one, but two Grade 1 classes. Having recently held Eli’s thirteenth birthday part at Somerville Recreation Centre, we knew that the function room would easily hold a crowd, but we didn’t quite anticipate how much of a crowd there would be. 

A far cry from my previous totally home-made parties, this one was pure efficiency – with a dash to Costco in between dropping off and picking up Ivy from a friend’s birthday party. Harvey came with me to choose the cake (the biggest chocolate mud you’ve ever seen), the food (sandwiches and sushi) and the donuts (a nod to Sonic’s rings). We arrived at the function room to set up a mere five minutes before guests began pouring through the doors, and thankfully other parents proved themselves handy with blowing up countless balloons for the kids to kick around, throw and randomly (freak themselves out) pop. We poured out the lollies onto the table, filled up the chip bowls and set up a truckload of drinks for the kids to (spill) help themselves. In short, it was absolute (happy) chaos.

When we try to estimate the number of people in the room, we think there were upwards of 70 in the end, with parents, partygoers and siblings (both younger and older) participating in the fun. Should we have had a decibel metre in the room, it would have no doubt been broken by the enthusiastic noise of the Grade 1 students. My parents valiantly manned the fort with us, looking a little shell shocked at times, with a gentle suggestion at the end to perhaps consider toning it down just a smidge next round. 

Party-host extraordinaire, Dave, was in fine form, wrangling all of the kids and siblings in round after round of old-fashioned classics – such as ‘Sonic Says’, ‘What’s the time Mr Sonic?’, Limbo, musical chairs and hide-and-seek squishmallows. I ducked out of the party with Eli to collect the steaming hot pizzas from Hastings and we relished the blissful silence in the car. Harvey’s friends sang him ‘Happy Birthday’ at the top of their lungs and the birthday boy happily blew out his candles. At the end, Harvey went around with a basket of Whizz Fizz to hand out to all the guests (a moment that randomly seemed to be one of his highlights).

Despite my best efforts to discourage any gifts (given all the downsizing we had just done for the move), Harvey’s friends were incredibly generous, giving all manner of toys, books, clothes, games and cash. He was ridiculously excited and grateful to everyone. Perhaps we have now finally made up for our lack!

It’s strange to think that on his seventh birthday, Harvey had spent less than one year in official schooling. After being happily homeschooled for the first half of Prep, he transitioned seamlessly into the school system and heartily embraced all facets of school life. His handwriting is impeccable, thanks to the diligence of his teachers, and he has the most amazing inquisitive brain. 

At home, Harvey brings us a lot of joy. He has the most infectious laugh, which occasionally gets him into trouble if he sets off others at the dinner table. He swims like a fish, having basically taught himself how to swim in our pool – trying to keep up with his brothers and sister. He devours books and I can barely keep up with how quickly he gets through the weekly library haul. On the whole, he gets along well with each of his siblings, although can also issue the world’s highest pitched scream if provoked, and has been pegged as a slight overreacter. We’re working on this. 

This year we’ve seen a growth in confidence, investment in great friendships and a huge increase in basketball skills. It’s such a blessing to be able to parent our funny, freckle-faced boy. 

…

Dear Harvey,

Your smile is like the glittering beach on a warm spring day. Your sense of humour draws everyone in and you are so much fun. Your abilities and intelligence are off the charts, yet you don’t display any sense of arrogance or superiority towards others. 

We are so proud of the boy you are becoming. You work hard, you are kind to others and you always look out to include those around you. We are amazed at how well you have made friends already in your short time at school. 

God has big plans for you, my son. You’ve already survived a lot and I know that God is preparing you for a life of meaningful work. May you dedicate yourself to purposeful life, always honour your Creator and be mindful of the vulnerable ones. 

I love watching you read, draw and create. You persevere when you are learning a new task, even when you initially feel a bit frustrated at not getting it straight away. Know that you can achieve whatever you put your mind to if you are willing to do the hard work. 

We are so grateful that you are in our family. Please never stop giving your amazing hugs. 

Love always,

Mum