Only 1 more year until he’s a man
Today was Earth Day. We get pretty wild and crazy here at Bean Casa. We had presents. And cake. And tons of candles.
Oh wait.
That wasn’t for Earth Day. That was for Justis’ birthday. His 17th birthday. Can you believe he’s 17? Already? I say this every year, but where does all the time go? Next year he’ll be 18. EIGHT FREAKIN’ TEEN. Excuse me while I sob for a moment.
Since words have escaped me, let’s recap Justis birthday in pictures.
Justis opened his first gift to find…a Christmas stocking. In April?
Oh wait. It’s a gift certificate to the gas station. And the keys to his new (to him) Geo Tracker. After last year’s prank I think Justis was a little underwhelmed with his gift of car keys. Did these keys really go to an actual car? One that could be driven? By him? Or were they to a matchbox car like last year.
Well this year they are to a real car. The Geo Tracker that we’ve had for a while and have been teaching him to drive. It’s a manual transmission. It’s been nothing if not entertaining teaching him to drive a stick. I’m pretty sure I’m suffering from whiplash after yesterday’s driving lesson. Took me back to when I was learning to drive my new (to me) ’79 Chevette.
When he saw his new cell phone he said, “I knew I was getting a cell phone.”
“How?” I asked.
“Because my phone just went out of service a little bit ago.”
So maybe I shouldn’t have activated it until after he opened his presents?
He seems pretty happy with his gifts…especially that new phone. Does he like the phone better than the car? What kind of teenager is this?
And this year we actually had candles. No improvising like last year.
I hope he made a good wish. Although he already got a car. What’s left to wish for, right?
Happy 17TH Bearthday Justis!
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Matthew Steinhoff Said,
April 27, 2009 @ 7:01 pm
I learned to drive in a 1976 Datsun 610 station wagon. It, too was a stick shift. Did I mentioned I learned to drive in 1991? The car was only a year younger than I was. It was a beast. The clutch needed replacing. The interior was shot. Only the chunks of rust holding hands kept the body together.
The Joys of Stick
Two years later, I got that Datsun for my birthday. I drove it nearly two more years. Having spent so much time with a stick shift car, I grew to like it. As such, every car I have owned has been a stick shift. I have dumped girlfriends who either didn’t know how or refused to learn how to drive a manual transmission car.
The ability to drive a stick shift is a good litmus test. If you can’t drive a stick, your adventure and preparedness level is too low for my taste. What happens when we want to do a safari in central Africa? You’re not going to find an automatic out there.
Not Quite Cake Wrecks</strong.
My wife does all the party planning. I get to pick the cake and choose what it says. (That’s pretty much how our wedding went, too. My only involvement was picking the cake. She got to make all the other decisions, including picking the groom.)
In any case, here is what was written on Malcolm’s four cakes…
First birthday cake:
One Year Old and I Still Have All My Fingers
Second birthday cake:
Two Years. Five Stitches. No DCF.
(DCF = Department of Children and Families)
Third birthday cake:
Only 15 Years Until Malcolm Moves Out!
Fourth birthday cake:
Malcolm in 2008: Four More Years
(An election theme.)
I’m never sure what the next cake will say.
Congratulations to You, Christine
Before I had a kid, I thought that growing up and not killing myself along the way was the hard part.
As a parent, I recognize that watching a child grow up (and not strangling that child along the way) is far more difficult.
Good luck in the coming year.
Cheers,
Matt
Matthew Steinhoffs last blog post..Baby Watermelon Growing in Raised Vegetable Garden
Isis Elfman Said,
April 28, 2009 @ 6:50 am
Ah, 17. That’s the year I moved out. Still finished high school, of course. But, while others were going to football games, I was working. While others were wondering what sort of car they’d get for graduation, I was wondering if I could afford food that week.
It will be different for my daughter.
-Isis-
Isis Elfmans last blog post..Pay Attention: Life Gives You Signs — Use Them