Two Birthday Parties

I guess Sam is now that age; he's started to get birthday party invitations. He went to two parties in the last two weeks, and they really couldn't have been more different - especially in terms of his reaction to them.

The first was with a pre-school friend. Sam was extremely excited to get the invitation, and it was to one of the local sports complexes to play ball hockey, which is something he really likes to do. We got to the place and Sam spent the next two hours glommed onto my leg. He didn't want to play, he didn't want to run, he didn't want to talk to or play with the other kids, nothing. All he wanted was to stay with me. Don't get me wrong; it's flattering and all, and I like him, but I was really expecting him to play with the other kids, particularly when he knew most of them and enjoyed the activity. (It didn't help that none of the other parents were playing - or that none of the other kids were doing anything similar. My hangup, I know, but there you have it.)

The second was with a friend of Julie's, and it was at his house. His grandfather had prepped tool box parts for all the boys to put together. Sam both really enjoyed it and was really good at it. It probably helped that all the other dads were also present and helping, and that there were only 5 kids doing it. He ended up playing cars at least near, if not with, some of the other kids after cake.

I really don't know what to make of it, or what to take away from it all in terms of what he likes and how he reacts. I did rediscover that he doesn't really like cake, so at least it was a little educational.