Adam Turns 13!

Do you think it's a tad foreboding that our first child entered his teen years on Friday the 13th? Yes, it makes us a little nervous! Unfortunately Lyle missed the festivities as he is off in Oklahoma City, the city of his birth, for a dental meeting. As I've heard the story told, I believe Lyle only actually lived there, outside of the uterus that is, for less than a week. The family was waiting on his arrival so they could move to Idaho Falls.

So, while Lyle was in Oklahoma reconnecting with his roots, we had a tasty birthday spaghetti dinner. If I wasn't in single parent mode I might have made the table look a little more festive, but it was pretty delicious sauce, if I do say so myself.

Oh, and I should mention that Lyle had called and left a message on the answering machine wishing Adam a happy birthday. When Adam heard it he said, "You know, he's such a great guy. I hope I can be just like him someday." He does occasionally like us!

Lyle has convinced the Qiuster that she can and should feed herself. You can see the results. That's an apron I have tied around her neck, but really, nothing adequately does the job. When I try to feed Maya she turns her head, clamps her mouth shut, and reaches out her hand for a fork, waving her chubby little fingers. I like how Lyle "teaches" her these skills but isn't around for the cleanup.

Also, this is her new picture face. Get used to it because I have a feeling this is what we'll be seeing for awhile.

This is Exhibit A.

And here we have Exhibit B. This one is a slight variation on Exhibit A. I call this the "picture face delay". If I wait a few seconds she'll usually sneak open one eye to see if I'm still there.

Adam wanted brownies as a birthday cake substitute. Unfortunately, the kids saw the brownies on the counter after school and thought it was an after school snack. Hence the half-eaten pan. It wasn't a birthday feast that would rate very highly for looks, but I think the kids had a good time.

Adam hadn't even seen the present yet and was just being a ham. It's hard buying gifts for a teenager! The present was actually a digital camera. I have no idea why they packaged it in such a huge box! Adam said, "Thanks, but I don't really see why I need a digital camera. I always use yours." Exactly!

Tonight when I put some laundry in the washer, I found a paper in Adam's pocket that was apparently from his health class. It listed different moral dilemmas and asked questions like: What do your parents think about this? your friends? media? and finally, What do YOU think about this? The one that made me laugh was his answer to the question, "What do YOU think is appropriate dress for you?" His response was so perfectly Adam-- "I don't wear dresses."

I do feel for Adam being the oldest. He gets us at our most paranoid, inexperienced parenting selves. I hope we can avoid any Friday the 13th bad luck and that he'll be kind to us during his teenage years. Happy birthday to our teenager! We love you Adam!