Happy Birthday, Ben

Today is Ben's birthday. 13 years ago, after many many hours of labor, he finally joined the world.

He is officially a teenager.

My sweet baby has been replaced with a very tall, grunting guy.

Yeah.

Nah.

I dunno.

That's pretty much big conversation from him. Unless it's American Idol season.

But when he was little... oh, the curls on his head. (Zachary is in blue. Jake was not born yet.)



He loved a rocking giraffe my mother gave him and Zachary for Christmas. It was the same year she was there and let them play with her fur coat. In this video, you can hear her laughing off screen.





He's grown up now. Not completely, by any means but he's taller than Jeanine. He's handsome and full of teen angst. There are days when we get along great and days I have no idea what to do with him.

Okay, to be honest? It's more of an hour to hour thing.

Tonight Walter and Allan will come over and we'll have the birthday dinner. Until this morning, I thought I was going to have to have Kentucky Fried Chicken, as that was his choice until I finally begged to make him something at home, please please please. He chose chili, corn bread and chocolate cake. I should let them all have Coke and we can have the "C" meal.

I watch those early videos and I cannot believe he was really that little. That he was so free to be himself, wearing pink slippers and dancing a ballerina move. He was full of energy and excitement all the time. He laughed out loud and said I love you all the time.

I know that little boy exists inside the rough, tough, teenage exterior. I know there are times he would love to twirl. I also know all that kindness is still inside, wrapped in anger and frustration from not fitting in the way he thinks he should.

Not to mention the curls which now exist tucked under a "gansta" baseball cap.

I love him and some day, he will be able to love himself.

Happy Birthday, Ben.

Fiddle-Faddle

Last night was Allan's birthday dinner. Roasted duck, au gratin potatoes and fiddlehead greens.

We tried to convince Ben to try the fiddleheads because it was food only famous people ate.




As my mother would have said, Fiddle-faddle.

He simply rolled his eyes.

The Wife's Birthday

It's four o'clock. I'm not anywhere near ready for the wife's birthday. The wife will be home soon. People coming over.

I am in deep doo doo.

Her mother sent beautiful flowers.

Phew. Cross flowers off the list.

I did get champagne- Jeanine loves champagne.

The kids are cleaning up the house as I type which means each one is pointing out what the other one has not done yet. Loudly. In a few moments, I can tell a fight will erupt. More mess will be made. Why did I have children?

We have children so we can accept death, a friend said.

Accept? Try welcome.

Allan called and clearly has forgotten he is suppose to come over tonight. I cannot remember when I told people to show up.

I just looked at Jeanine's desk in the back room. I think I need to put a tarp over it. A five, a four and a three year old are coming over. Stacks of books, unopened mail and gear are all precariously balanced in a corner of the room right next to the video game gear.

Not good.

The one thing I can say?

Happy Birthday, Jeanine. I love you.