Saturday, January 25, 2014

My firstborn is a teenager now.

Unbelievable. Days long, years short.  It wasn't so long ago that he was these versions of himself...

climber0-12

.. and now, in a flash we have the teenage version. Nearly as tall as me. Very likely stronger than me, with all that swimming and gymnastics he's done. A delight.

23 Jan 2014 8:56 pm

He was five when I started this blog. He was making fairy traps in the backyard and falling asleep during car trips.  Now he waters the garden and organises his room and stationery for going back to high school, and worries about how his hair looks.

To celebrate his big birthday we rose early for a pancake breakfast ...

24 Jan 2014 7:42 am
(no photos of that so here he is opening his presents.)

... took a train trip into the city ...
24 Jan 2014 8:49 am

... saw a movie (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2) ...
24 Jan 2014 9:59 am

... came home and watched some Modern Family episodes (the dvds were his birthday present)
 24 Jan 2014 1:21 pm

 ... had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant...
24 Jan 2014 6:51 pm

... and then had birthday cake at home.
24 Jan 2014 7:41 pm

I have it on Tracey's authority that teenagers are wonderful human beings and that we shouldn't assume that the adolescent years will be awful. My gut feeling is that Climber won't be awful, given his sweet nature and kind heart. I do expect him to give me cheek and question my authority, and that has started already, but he's pretty funny with it so it's not unbearable.  (Yet.) I think that what I really fear about the teenage years is the inevitable pulling away from us, his parents, and while I see on a rational level that this is something that needs to happen, I will miss the close and almost exclusive relationship that we've had. My intention is to follow Suse's example; she said once that no matter how old her children get, the rule is they must still kiss and cuddle their mother. This is a most excellent rule, and I hereby put it in writing.

24 Jan 2014 7:42 pm

Happy birthday gorgeous boy. Every day you make us happy.

9 comments:

  1. Happy birthday climber!
    My 16 year old sounds like your boy, and he's has been a joy as a teen.

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  2. EXCELLENT rule on the kissing and cuddling of the Mama. All else will flow from there.

    They need a LOT more parenting and guidance in their teens than one may be led to believe. And the ones who get it repay it in spades.

    Give em a bit of rope, but keep holding the other end.

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  3. Happy birthday Climber!
    From baby to older child and then I guess to teenager and then adult does seem to go quickly when you look backwards. Here's to always kissing and cuddling the mother.

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  4. Happy Birthday! I'm forever looking at your boys and trying to work out who looks like who, but they both such a mix of you both! When you put all those pics together, he looks SO grownup now! Scary to think I have a few years to go till then too!

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  5. Happy birthday to Climber! I will take teenagers over babies/toddlers/preschoolers ANY DAY. Teenagers are the best! (Mine are 16 and almost 18, good lord.)

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  6. Happy birthday to your beautiful lad.

    You might tell him that in addition to the rule, young men who will turn 20 in a couple of weeks (cantbelieveitypedthat) must still submit to having their hair ruffled with minimal eye rolling. And when they decide to grow a beard because they will turn 20 shortly, they must submit to maternal chin and cheek stroking, again with only one small eye roll.

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  7. Happy birthday Climber, beautiful boy.

    My children remained lovely throughout. And my son still cuddles me, though not really in the presence of his wife... .

    Letting go is the hardest thing and I haven't managed to do it easily.

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  8. Happy birthday Climber!

    (He was FIVE when this blog started? That can't be so. And Cherub was two... goodness. I mean, my son's two...)

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Don't let the cat get your tongue.