Party Time!

The big brother gave the kid a classic Nintendo 64 game.

Let’s keep this short and sweet: My baby turned 18 years old last Saturday.

And now a moment of silence, as I ponder the end of his childhood and the beginning of his adulthood. Sigh times 18!

The emotional thumps on my heart are magnified with C.J., because not only was it just his birthday, but he also graduates from high school at 1 p.m. Saturday. Talk about your one-two punches! Guess I’d better stock up on Kleenex with college starting in late August.

Jake poses with RJ, C.J., Ricky, and Jared.

To celebrate his birthday, my son wanted to go to Dave and Buster’s with his big brother, his Core 4 brethren (aka his future college roommate RJ, Ricky, and Jared), and Cody (who, unfortunately, was busy). However, I had a Groupon to Tilt Studio in nearby Katy, so that’s where we went for the first time ever.

The Core 4 plays quad air hockey.

Unfortunately, Tilt turned out to be a poor man’s Dave and Buster’s (sorry, kiddo!). But I reminded my newly minted adult that the fun is who you’re with, not so much what you do. Fortunately, I kept seeing smiles on those five handsome faces (whew!).

Jake tries his hand at basketball.

The guys seemed to enjoy playing all kinds of videogames and competing against each other in basketball and skeeball.

Almost France! Ricky aims for a birdie in mini golf.

They also had fun playing mini golf and laser tag. After all of that, pizza, soda, and lots of talking finished off our Tilt adventure.

C.J. guards his air hockey goal.

Despite the weak-sauce surroundings, looks like it was a successful 18th birthday for my precious baby boy!

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A Milestone Birthday

Age 5

This cute, little slugger . . .

Adulthood includes videogames

. . . turned 21 years old yesterday!

I’m having a tough time wrapping my head around that fact. Probably because it reminds me that:

1. Even though it seems like only yesterday that he was five years old and starting the spring T-ball season in Little League, my wonderful, older son is finishing up his junior year at UTSA. He’ll be a flippin’ college senior, for goodness sakes!

2. This man-child now is an adult. I need to stop remembering how much fun he had with his Thomas the train set and Hot Wheels and help him look forward to the future. Not that I ever will stop thinking about him as a carefree, little guy, though. That’s what moms do!

The brothers posed together last Friday, a couple days before the big birthday.

3. The kid is looking forward to three milestones of his own this year: Turning 18 on June 1, high school graduation on June 8, and leaving the nest for college in late August. My beloved baby boy off on his own! It’s so hard to imagine.

4. Last but certainly not least, I have a BIG birthday of my own in mid-August, one that starts with a six and ends with a zero.

That probably amazes me the most!

Like Father, Like Son

Our new dishwasher is great, but it won’t put dirty dishes and forks inside itself, darn it.

Remember this photo and post?

So close . . . and yet so far. My younger son never hangs up his hand towel.

Looks like the apple doesn’t fall very far from the family tree!

(Happy 62nd birthday to the Mister!)

Hairy Changes

The best presents of all are my sons!

Notice any difference between the top photo, snapped by the Mister on my birthday, and the one below?

They made my 59th birthday very special.

Yes, my sons changed places, and, yes, my baby boy is wearing different shirts. But that’s not it. Look closely at both pics.

Did you note that my younger son trimmed his bushy beard (well, he had help from his dad)? His high school doesn’t allow facial hair, so he has to be clean-shaven by Tuesday when he takes his senior yearbook photo.

I think so far it’s a change for the better!

One-Word Wednesday

Fifty-niner and actually could be finer. Happy birthday to me!

Birthday!

The melted wax almost ruined the cupcake . . . almost.

A Jumpin’ Good Birthday

Ricky and RJ helped C.J. celebrate his birthday.

C.J. had no trouble deciding where he wanted to spend his 17th birthday last Friday: At the Sky High trampoline park. We went there back in January, and he loved it.

The three boys jump and chat.

Joining my two sons once again were my “third son,” Chase, and Tanner. New to the Sky High experience were my baby boy’s friends RJ (who he’s known since kindergarten) and Ricky.

Tanner defies gravity!

Like before, Tanner was our star, flipping with the best of them. He’s so much fun to watch! The other five? Entertaining in their own (often inept) ways.

Jake is about to land head-first in the foam pit.

Before we left for Sky High, I wrestled with my usual photographic quandary: Which lens(es) to use to document the poorly lit event. The first time I opted for my trusty Nikon D700 and Nikon 70-200mm lens. The results? Basically meh.

Ricky flies into the foam pit.

So I decided to change things up, pairing my Nikon 105mm and 85mm lenses with the D700. My ISO still was high at 1600-2000, but I think I got more in-focus pix.

The pit is the place for RJ.

Of course, the guys only cared about that basic rule of gravitation: What goes up must come down.

Chase is suspended in space . . . but not for long.

Again and again and again!

They Say It’s Your Birthday!

Oh, how my sons loved Thomas the tank engine!

This little boy . . .

My #2 son is about to drive off to school.

. . . turns 17 today! Despite an incredibly tough junior year, he can smile and look forward to a wonderful summer and his final year of high school. We wondered if that was going to be a reality a mere year ago.

You’ve come a long way, baby! Happiest of birthdays, my sweet younger son!!