ThirTEEN at last!

Sam has been talking about becoming a teen-ager for months.  He has hopes that being a teen will involve later bedtimes and more freedom.  I don't know about that....yet.  But we couldn't let such a big birthday slide by too terribly quietly.  So we went to our favorite party joint--the local bowling alley, and had a great time.

Sam invited four friends, and they began the evening with pool and arcade games.

Then it was on to pizza and sodas and lots of, um, "Boy humour."  Marty and I kept our distance while the jokes flew.

Sam asked for a cookie cake, so that's what we got.  Does it look a little less-than-professionally decorated?  Well, that's because I had to to do the writing myself.  I did my best.  The boys seemed to think it was just fine.

After cake, the boys picked up their bowling shoes and after a huge production of putting on the shoes, entering names into the scorekeeping machine, and selecting bowling balls, we were ready to bowl.

And of course bowling was only half the fun.  The other half was clowning around for each other!

There were lots of laughs all around, then we had cake.

Then, onto Lazer Tag!

That went pretty quickly, and before you know it, it was time to go home.

Poor Sam has been sick all week with a nasty cold/flu-like thing (which Benny and I also had, but not as bad.)  When we got home, he opened his presents, then collapsed in a heap on the couch and was asleep in five minutes.  It's a shame he didn't feel so great on his birthday.  But just the same, he's a teen "at last." I would have been GLAD to rewind "twelve" if I could, believe me.  But nope.  Time marches on.  And now I have a 13 year old son.  A son who likes video games, soccer, his pets, music, friends, and bowling.  He still watches some cartoons, and once in a RARE while, he'll let me hug him good-night.  He likes to play football and jump on the trampoline.  He is an honor role student who excels at math but doesn't like reading.  He is patient, and kind.  He's a good guy. 

I just can't imagine how fast the next five years will go past.  My goodness.

Happy Birthday, Sam!