Happy Birthday, Conner!

We celebrated Conner's birthday tonight, even though his birthday isn't until tomorrow. But tomorrow evening is going to be a busy one, with John getting home later and later later than he used to and Conner's soccer game and then Olivia and Peter will be in bed, so...

Besides, we decided that since Conner was born in Germany in the wee hours of the 16th, technically in Ohio he turns 14 the night before! So it's all good.

I did bake his cake -- I got away with that only because he was in school, I'm sure. Conner insisted on decorating it himself.

And he served it...
I tossed a few gift ideas back and forth... But if I was going to be honest, I knew that what a teenager really wants is cold, hard cash.Even Olivia understands that. (Where do you think the 11 cents came from?)Sean-Peter gave him an air gun. Thing is, the air gun already belonged to Conner. Until Sean-Peter "stole it out of his room!", that is. This would be an excellent example of where it's the thought that counts.

The sole concrete non-cash gift Conner got from us was a brand-new lunch box and water bottle. With strict instructions to tattoo his name on it in red ink to deter anyone from stealing it. Which happened last year. And is why he has been taking his lunch to school in plastic sacks.

Hey, these things aren't cheap!

After he got his gift he acts completely shocked. "I had no idea, mom. Wow, thanks." You'd think I'd just given him a new car.

Thing is, this morning he had just told me that we were out of plastic sacks. "What am I supposed to take my lunch in, mom?"

Of course, I knew he was getting a new lunch box later today, but I just handed him a gallon-size ziploc without a word.

"Wow, mom, I had no idea. You're really good at keeping a secret."

I asked him, "What, Conner, should I have been like, '(wink-wink) You won't need plastic sacks (wink-wink) anymore, Conner (wink-wink) if you know what I mean (wink-wink).'"

He just laughed.

Happy Birthday, Conner. I'm so glad you're my son.