Twelve

It seems to be harder and harder to catch my son on camera. He hides in dark, indoor places, obscuring his face with remote controls and screens of varying natures.
With apologies for the poor quality, I am still going to post the pictures I have, just so you can get an idea of what a big guy he is now.
No longer will there be themed birthday parties. My days of thinking up Star Wars-related games and super-cool science birthday party experiments for a big bunch of boys are over. This year, Drew just wanted to have his couple of best buddies spend the night and play video games alllll night long.

And that's pretty much fine by me. I'm getting too old for all of this birthday party nonsense! I did hang up a "Happy Birthday" sign in the living room and I made them a big "treat bag" to share - instead of the little ones you usually send kids home with from your house. It was a bag filled with candy and Little Debbie cakes, some toy airplane puzzles and sticky frogs and a few confetti poppers. Oh yeah...and chips in a tube. What boy doesn't love chips in a tube? We put small-sized drinks in the fridge, sent Emma to a friend's house for a sleepover (so she didn't have to endure all the manliness) and left the boys to themselves.
I'd like to say that we slept, but the boys didn't, so we couldn't. Sometimes I really wish I had a bedroom door...

By morning time, only one of the guys had slept at all, but they were already gaming by the time I got out of bed. The requested breakfast of 12-year-old champions? Mom's homemade cinnamon rolls - with icing, please. Then we headed over to my mom's house for some swimming. And it rained. It rained all morning long, but fortunately, there was no thunder or lightning.


So they all had a great time getting wet from above as well as swimming. Then, of course, on to pizza for lunch.


And a cookie cake for dessert.

The afternoon was spent enjoying more unlimited gaming privileges - that is something that pretty much only happens at Christmas, on a birthday or as a reward for straight A's, so it's really exciting. So exciting that Drew decided not to nap.

He wanted to sit in the man chair and play a game that we had rented (hint: the surest way to keep this type of boy occupied is to tell him that what he has is "for a limited time only").
And after no sleep, we went out for a steak dinner with the family, then to Grandma's for cake (marble cake, of course, for my boy who has serious trouble making decisions - chocolate or vanilla? uh....both!)

and presents!!


This was pretty much Drew's dream birthday. I didn't insist on giving him educational things. I let everybody give him video games and Wii accessories and Chris and I even got him the holy grail of boy gifts:

A PSP.
His life is now complete.

Change is happening rapidly with this guy. He is suddenly growing up faster than I can even comprehend. He's on the phone more often (I was wondering when that would happen) and fielded his own birthday calls on Tuesday. He's so responsible and capable - he constantly amazes me with what he can accomplish on his own. This kid? I would have had such a crush on him when I was 12. He's that great. And I have the humbling privilege of introducing him to the the world around us. Can I just state for the record that it's such an honor? 'Cause it really is.

PS:
Mary? This is really freaking me out - hope it freaks out Kris too: we were 12 when we met. Yikes.