Birthday lessons from a slacker mommy

Today Keaton turns 15. It doesn’t seem possible. It seems like just yesterday I was writing my “Oh my God my baby’s 14-years-old” post last year. And now I’m all “Oh my God my baby’s 15-years-old.” I seriously don’t understand how a whole year can just fly by in the blink of an eye. How can they go from a tiny 9 pound baby who needed me every second to a high school sophomore who’s almost taller than me and rarely leaves the comfort of his computer chair? *sigh*

When Keaton was a baby his favorite toy was a glow worm. He slept with it every night from the time he was an infant until the head fell off when he was entering preschool age. Back then his birthday wishlist consisted of items that cost anywhere from $10 to $25. This year his birthday wishlist looked like this:

1. An iPod Touch
2. Orange “no show” socks
3. Money

The “toys” have gotten a heck of a lot more expensive.

I was totally unprepared for his birthday this year. It’s been a hectic summer. I’ve known what I was going to get him for quite a few months, but never got around to ordering it. Finally last Thursday I realized I needed to order it if it was going to get here by his birthday (because God forbid I have to actually drive myself to and step foot in a Best Buy *shudder* or Wal-Mart *double shudder*). I paid a little extra for a couple days shipping rather than the 5-7 day shipping. And then I obsessively watched the tracking online. It was on the FedEx truck this morning to be delivered today. Talk about cutting it close.

As soon as I got home from work I made a beeline for my office so I could wrap the present. Only I didn’t have any wrapping paper. How could I not have wrapping paper? I always have some laying around somewhere. But I couldn’t find any. I couldn’t even find a left over gift bag. I considered running up to the store for paper, but he said he didn’t need it wrapped so I just gave it to him in box it came in…sans wrapping paper. I’m such a loser.

Before he opened his gift Lee brought him two birthday cards that came in the mail for him today (one from grandma and one from grandpa). That’s when I realized I FORGOT TO GET HIM A CARD. What kind of mother forgets to buy her kid a card? I’m so slacking at this whole mothering thing.

But Keaton didn’t seem to mind. Especially once he saw what was in the unwrapped, no card box.

He got his iPod Touch. Spoiled much?

He loves it so much he licks it. Licking our Apple products is a family trait. (I swear I did not tell him to do this. He did this all on his own. He and I are so alike it’s scary.)

And to continue the gifting, he got a big bear hug from his sister. Can I get an “aaaahhhh?”

Continuing with the mommy suckage, we move on to the birthday cake. Every. Single. Year. I have this issue with candles. I can never find them. And this year was no different. In my first sweep of the kitchen I found three candles (one blue and two pink) and a big number 9 candle. So I improvised (like usual) with a Sharpie. Sharpies are the new duct tape.

But as we were scouring the whole house (and our cars) for a lighter, I found the rest of the candles. They were all pink, but candles nonetheless.

So, in the end, it all worked out. He got the present he wanted. And he got 15 candles to blow out.

And now I need to go cry because “Oh my God my baby is 15!”