For a boy who loves parties, being born on the first day of the year has been, up until now, slightly inconvenient.

New Year’s Eve hasn’t been an event we’ve ever properly celebrated, since the kids (and particularly Hudson) came along – partially because I was inevitably up late for other reasons (such as putting last touches on his birthday cake or hurriedly wrapping presents).

The muted sounds of fireworks and exclamations of glee at midnight would rouse us from a restless sleep, as we hazily noted the moment and then turned over and surrendered back to dreamland.

But this year was different.

It started as an idea from dear friends. They proposed a night of fun with the bold proposition that we allow the kids to actually stay up this year. For the first time, the thought didn’t exhaust or terrify us, given that we truly are out of early kid phase now, so we said yes.

Then the forecast came in. 36-38 degrees. Perfect for a pool party.

With a venue shift and a consultation with Hudson, we decided why not combine the celebration of New Year’s, with his birthday. He was immediately ecstatic.

‘I want a cake. A chocolate mud cake,’ he said, ‘with mango and cream on top. Oh and chocolate on the sides as well.’ The thought of it sent him into ripples of excitement, with a tinge of anxiety that I would somehow forget or get distracted.

‘Have you done my cake yet?’ Hudson would check in with me periodically, a serious and urgent look on his face. ‘It’s all under control, Hudson,’ I would reassure him, but he was determined to keep me accountable all the same.

We shopped for his favourite foods, and went for a general canape vibe, with blinis (with marscapone and prosciutto), empanadas, (chorizo, beef and potato) antipasto spreads and plenty of chips. Everyone offered to bring a plate as well, which resulted in some delicious homemade sausage rolls and a platter of veggie sticks, mini bacon and egg quiches, a plethora of oozy cheeses and cured meats, mini pies & pasties and fresh cherries. The item that excited Hudson the most was the six-pack of mini coke cans (the ultimate forbidden drink) that we relented and allowed him to have on the special occasion.

The kids could barely wait for the first guests to arrive so that they could jump into the pool. They hardly came out, except to have ‘chip breaks’, plunging dripping hands into the bowl and then leaping back into the fray. Friends and family trickled in and made a beeline for the cool water, with the temperatures staying high for most of the night. I waited for the chaos to die down a little before having my turn, and if you haven’t tried hosting a party with a pool, I can assure you, it is the best. I struggle at the best of times to slow down when in party mode, constantly remembering the next task that I should be doing in order to keep everything humming along, but the moment I entered the water, it was as if the kitchen didn’t exist (all credit to my mum who continued to clean, order and serve while I relaxed!).

Twilight sparkled around us, and the first glint of the fairy lights strung on the roof of the deck gave me inordinate pleasure. We relaxed in the spa, enjoyed good conversations and grazed all night on the food that just kept on coming. The kids shrieked and splashed, trying to get a whirlpool effect going together.

It was past 9:30pm but everyone was still going in the pool way into the night. Hudson was very keen to get everyone together to sing him ‘happy birthday’, hovering around the kitchen and all but ‘guarding’ his cake with excitement.

For dessert, there were mini summer trifles (although really not so mini, we discovered!), a layered tiramisu, Tim Tams, chocolates, (meringues with cream, strawberries and custard), Italian biscuits and, of course, Hudson’s cake.

Dripping guests gathered to sing to a suddenly shy Hudson (who promptly placed the perpetual hoodie he always wears, over his face) and we tucked into the spread. And actually, despite my reservations about the flavour combinations of chocolate and mango, it really worked and was a hit!

The kids piled onto the trampoline to dry off, and a neighbourhood possum came to get a closer look, perched within reaching distance on the roof. We brewed cups of tea, set up Mario Kart, Minecraft and Rocket League and challenged each other to races.

Slowly guests began drifting off as kids’ eyes began drooping, hoping to ward off the inevitable over-tired tantrums. Eventually the only ones left standing were my family (my parents and my sister, brother in law and their two kids under 3 – who remarkably made it all the way!). At midnight, our celebrations differed slightly, with the transfer of our attention onto Hudson as the first moment of his birthday arrived.

The countdown concert played in the background and the fireworks began, but we were lured outside at the sound of real ones not that far off. We oohed and aahed from the balcony, watching the glitter of sparks shimmer over the trees. It was a truly magical moment.

Kids all but crawled into beds and my parents crashed onto the couches so that they could be there in the morning to celebrate with Hudson.

Thanks to Hudson’s carefully curated menu (crepes for breakfast, Goodies chips for lunch, and Baba’s chicken lasagna for dessert), I began preparing the French-themed favourite as soon as we woke up. We all shared breakfast together and then Hudson began opening his presents, half ecstatic, half flustered by all the attention.

Our ‘New Year’s Day boy’ finally got the big party he hoped for, and the experience of seeing in the new year with friends and family filled our hearts to the brim.

I can definitely see this becoming a tradition…

…

Dear Hudson,

There’s a saying about those who dance to the beat of their own drum. I suspect you have an entire symphony going on up there that we simply can’t hear.

You know exactly what you want and have been that way for as long as I can remember. Whether its yoghurt, while everyone else is eating ice cream, your ‘uniform’ (favourite clothes) that you insist on wearing every day, or your penchant for hoodies even if it’s sweltering outside; I (mostly) love that you aren’t bothered by the difference, and simply follow your own choices. Although perhaps it might be time to lose the ‘baby voice’. (Num num.)

Life is a series of adventures for you – a chance to hang out with people, to work towards your goal of becoming a builder, and to invent games with your friends and siblings. Your obsession with technology has been there from the start and I love reading the stories that you type up and email to me. Life for you is much better when you do it with people. Your energy sky-rockets whenever there’s a party or friends over. You are, thoroughly, an extrovert.

I admire the way you think about the world and the deep questions you come out with sometimes. You are generous, happy and kind and we are so blessed to have you in our family. Your unique spark gives us a vitality that we keenly notice when you aren’t around.

Thank you for being you. I’m enjoying watching you grow up and move towards the future you can already picture. With your architect-style drawings of the houses you are going to build and your love of treehouses, I can’t wait to see what you will create.

Nine years of Hudson has been an incredible gift. Here’s to the rest of the journey!

Love always,

Mum