Before 'The Empty Nest' Feeling Come..

Yesterday when i walked blogging, I found a posting of a mom about her daughter's 21th birthday and her feeling about that, like an 'empty nest' feeling. Interesting!
It's inspired me to write this.

With 3 kids aged 13, 11 and almost 5 that put our house -most of the times- in messy, the job of cleaning included put every things back in order really takes my time. It happens almost everyday (weekend is the worst). Tiring, of course!
Blessed me that I live in an Asian country and could have maid's helping. I can't imagine to do all the household works by myself. I really grateful for that :-)

Weekends usually become the most busiest days in a week. Full of plans of doing something or going out somewhere always make weekends becomes special day that we're sll waiting for. So far, my 2 teens still get enthusiasm for getting involved with the 'hustle bustle' of family weekend. But I think, maybe in a couple years ahead they won't be able to join every family's weekend. Certainly they'll have other things to do with friends. Teens love to do anything with friends, don't they?
(Remember when we're teens? hehe..)
Friend could become more 'interesting' than parents :-(

So I think it's better for me (at this time)to enjoy the 'hustle bustle' and all the messy my kids did than complained. I knew one day I'll miss those things so much.
Surely there will be times when they started to "leave" us to welcome their own life
and...the 'empty ness' feeling maybe would come to me.
Sigh. Should every parents has this experience?

Ian Keeps Asking About His Birthday Party

Yes,it has been starting from last month (Ian is going to be 5 next month). My hubby and I never made a birthday party at school or someplace where we could invited many kids. No, that's not the tradition of the family. We always celebrate birthday in private, just 5 of us. It could be at home or restaurant or somewhere else, but we still keep in private and like to do it all the years. My 2 other big kids never asked a birthday party before. They never complained about it. But now, it seemed quite different with their little brother. Ian keeps asking about his birthday party every time he received a birthday invitation card from his friend at school. And..it happens almost every week! I also imagine how many kids there had celebrated his birthday at school. Maybe that's why he keeps on asking.

I had explained to him (every time he asked!)that his birthday is on early July, it'll be school holiday and we can't celebrate his birthday on the other day, 3 weeks after, when everybody come to school again. Otherwise every people has their own special way in celebrating birthday. Party doesn't always mean he's 'real happy' with his special day (although most of them did, hehe..). the important thing is people should be thankful/grateful for his birthday, blah, blah....etc.
But till yesterday he seemed not understand about all I said. Finally I have "his point of view" in this matter, he just be happy to has many birthday presents from friends, like the way he saw his friends had at school on their b'day party. I don't want him feel that way, but I know...he's only a little kid.

Wow..what should I do? Is there any simple explanation for him about 'timing' since he doesn't care at all if his birthday on July will be the same time with school holiday?
Do you have any suggestion for me to say about this to him?
I think I almost give up. It always be easier to explain this to other kids than to mine.