I have just one rule with birthday parties: I never do the same theme twice.

Well, it turns out rules are made to be broken.

Whoever masterminded the Super Mario marketing campaign is a genius. Harvey owns a plethora of Mario-themed belongings, including pyjamas, a hoodie, swimmers, tee-shirts, Lego and multiple Switch games. He even has a life-sized stuffed toy! Needless to say, there was basically no way I was going to get away with redirecting him towards another theme, even though Eli’s sixth birthday party was a Mario extravaganza.

Harvey’s actual birthday was over a month ago, but given we had just returned from our road trip and were still picking ourselves back up from Covid, we decided to delay the celebrations a little. The plan was solid, except for our failure to foresee the millions of bugs that are travelling around the school at the moment, which meant that more than half of the guests ended up having to pull out at the last moment. Still, Harvey rallied despite the wave of cancellations and took it all in his stride.

We prepared for the party bit by bit, with Harvey coming along for shopping trips and helping choose food and decorations. We updated the Mario Pinterest board and he chose a ‘mystery cake’ (with a surprise filling). All the usual party favourites were included: party pies, sausage rolls, nuggets, camembert cheese, hot dogs, plus some vine-like fruit skewers, toad cupcakes and ‘brick’ brownies. Ivy offered her enthusiastic support for the day, helping to wrap the pass the parcel (we decided on a compromised version of Lucky’s Dad’s rules, for the Bluey fans), and even drawing up some handmade signs for the food.

The day dawned bright and sunny, despite the endless stretch of rain and wind we have been enduring. Harvey immediately donned his costume and kept an eye on the clock so he could count down to the moment his friends arrived. For the Kinder cohort, many of them had never been to a birthday party of their own before, particularly with the reality of the past two years, so it was a momentous occasion indeed.

Dave dialled up his maximum Games Master for the day, preparing no less than 10 themed games, including Luigi, Luigi, Mario (Duck, Duck, Goose), a gold-coin treasure hunt, ‘dancing freeze’ and many other balloon-related games that kept the kids enthralled for over an hour! The parents hardly knew what to do with themselves (and wondered aloud if Dave was able to be hired for other parties)! Harvey had a few moments of emotional overwhelm, when his bare feet got trodden on in the midst of one of the games, but managed to recover in time to join in for the remainder of the games.

One of the highlights was the cake reveal. The kids had been primed by all the immersive Mario adventures they’d just had with Dave, and they couldn’t wait to see what was inside the mystery ‘box’!

Considering all the events and occasions that Harvey has missed over the past few years, it was so satisfying to be able to throw him a proper party to celebrate the incredible boy that he is. We get so much joy from his company, his wit and his thoughtful questions. Dave and I have been lucky enough to get to spend lots of time with him this year, on the days he is home from Kinder. He comes on adventures to the local French cafe with us, and we all eat lunch in the sun room together.

The biggest surprise this year was how quickly he picked up reading. Not to be left behind by his siblings, he started doing ‘Fast Phonics’ while they did ‘at-home learning’ and quickly began to progress through the sounds and ‘peaks’. Something really clicked for him and, after needing a bit of help to understand some of the phonics rules, he then just took off and got it. Now, I go past his room and hear him reading out loud to himself (usually one of the Hot Dog books by Anh Do) and it always makes me smile.

We weren’t sure how Harvey would take to Kinder, after the past few years of lockdowns, but he didn’t even look back on the first day and hasn’t ever since. He has made a great crew of friends and can’t wait for his Kinder days, particularly because they always seem to having adventures of some kind – puddle hunting, Cluckingham Palace visits and garden tours. Even though there are big changes in store for the Hughes family with schooling this year, we opted to keep Harvey in until the end of the year, purely because of the way he’s thriving there.

Harvey is such a pleasure to have around, with his insightful conversations, the way he notices things that others don’t and the questions that reveal his thoughtful nature (‘how was your sleep, Mum?’ ‘You look beautiful today, Mum!’). He discovered dancing this year, big time, with a memorable debut at his cousin’s wedding when he found himself in the middle of the dancefloor surrounded by a thrilled circle of revellers who copied his every move. Now, every time there is even the semblance of a beat, we see those hips start to go and he’s off!

Despite some significant accidents in his past, Harvey seems to just shrug off pain with ease. This year’s addition to the list included a particularly harrowing experience falling from the ninja line and face-planting onto the deck, cutting a gash all the way through his lip and injuring many of his front teeth and jaw. He was very compliant when I made him swish daily with coconut oil and clove essential oil, which pleasingly saw a remarkable recovery (less than a week) and reversal of discolouration of the teeth. One time, I shook my head at the thought of all the incidents he’s survived and remarked to him, ‘God must have a very special plan for your life, mister.’ ‘I know,’ he replied nonchalantly, with his quintessential one-shoulder shrug.

The introduction of the Nintendo Switch has been a high point in Harvey’s life, with a slight obsession with one game in particular. Once, in the car, I asked an unusually quiet Harvey what was on his mind. He replied: ‘I’m just thinking about Super Mario Odyssey.’

Five years of Harvey has been a complete joy. It’s such a privilege to watch him grow and develop into a confident, charismatic kid.

…

Dear Harvey,

You are a beam of sunlight cast across a fog-laden field, the first glimmer of blue ocean caught as a glimpse from afar. You are a vein of gold discovered, unexpectedly, deep within the earth.

Every time you walk into the room, I can’t help but smile. You carry with you a sense of joy and lightness that is contagious.

I love the scattering of freckles across your nose, the slow-blink of your inquisitive blue-green eyes as they consider deep things, I love your cheeky dimple and the little gaps between each of your teeth.

You launch into each day with enthusiasm, opening yourself up to new experiences and relationships with ease. Your brothers and sister thoroughly enjoy your company and each have their own special connection with you.

You are your father’s son, often reminding me so much of his charm and ability to read a room and deliver exactly what is needed. There is also a great depth to your insight and understanding, and your ability to pick up new skills effortlessly.

May your path be filled with meaning and light. May you be given the strength to tread where others fear to go. May your shoulders be broad and gentle – capable of bearing great loads and encircling your family with love. May you be granted the insight and wisdom to navigate great complexities and mysteries. And may God continue to protect and sustain you from harm.

We love you from the depths of our souls, dear one. What a privilege it is to be your mother. I delight in you and savour each moment as a gift.

Love always,

Mum