A Letter to the Birthday Boy

We interrupt this diary of a semi-quarantine to bring you another blog tradition.  Quick Day 5 update:  It rained overnight and snowed most of the day so our outside time is limited.  Glenn is now working full-time from home.  We worked with the kids to make a list of things we have to do everyday (read for 60 minutes, exercise for 30 minutes, play a board game, etc.)  and the list was received with only mild complaints.  The city and county have closed all restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, etc. for two weeks .  Lucy is hoping to be able to work from home soon.

Dear Will:

Today you are officially a teen. Let's face it, you've been acting teenager-y for a while so it's not a huge shock but when I write it down, goodness.  Thirteen.  At the doctor's office a few weeks ago, you were officially 5'4" (I think) so just a few inches shorter than me.  Your shoe size is officially bigger than mine but not as big as your dad's yet.  Your sarcasm is way above grade level and your sense of humor is delightful, when it isn't hanging out in potty town.  You are getting good grades and while we still think you could be doing even better in school, we are proud of your effort.

For your birthday, you wanted AirPods and a thousand other things but we settled on said AirPods, a weighted blanket and a fancy rubix cube.  You also were gifted a bunch of $$$ from your generous family members so you can buy fancy baseball sunglasses (please don't lose them, sit on them or scratch them until baseball season at least starts) and whatever else is on your wishlist.

Even before all of this Covid chaos, you had chosen to forego a birthday party in lieu of a cash buyout from your dad.  We'd planned on watching basketball tonight but you are resilient and picked a movie at home instead.  You ordered 25 hot wings for dinner and you've made short order of them.  Cake and ice cream await and I need to dig up thirteen candles.

Will, you are such a cool kid. You have some good friends but you don't like hanging out in big crowds.  You love your sports teams and you found the silver lining in the cancellation of  NCAA March Madness by remarking that at least Carolina won't break their streak of making the tournament.  You love to beat me to the breaking news on ESPN and sometimes you even manage to get the scoop before I do.  You are working hard in baseball and as soon as this snow melts, you'll be back outside throwing a ball against the fence or shooting hoops.

This morning as I was leaving for work, I made sure to point out to you that at that very moment, thirteen years ago, I was yelling in the car while your Dad drove me to the hospital (he parked in the parking garage and made me walk all of the way to the emergency room, a sin I clearly haven't forgiven) and a few rather painful hours later, you made your arrival into the world.  Since then, you've been a mute little toddler, a preschooler obsessed with fireman, pirates and Legos and now a full-blown sports nut. Through it all sweetie, you've been a boy that we can be proud of.  Will, you were the first one to call me "Mom" and that's something I'll carry with me no matter how grown-up you get.  Just slow it down a little, for me?

The birthday boy and his airpods