10 Years Plus One

My son turns 11 today.  For me August 4th is my own personal holiday.  It's the day when everything changed.  Changed for the better. (Although there are times when I question that:  when we had the tantrums, and now we're entering the obnoxious tween years...)

These past 11 years have been amazing.  I've documented them through words and photos.  Today, I've decided to cut down on the words and up the photos to commemorate this important day:

Day one; birthday zero.  How happy was I?  How exhausted?  How nervous?  It was the beginning of something great. Unknowingly, I also started an annual tradition...

One year old and the annual photo tradition is born.  The one-sie says King James.  And he certainly was.  King of his family and charmer of all those around him.

Birthday number two.  This is AFTER ice cream cake, which is why he is wearing a gray sleeveless shirt and not the one I had originally had on him (which was covered in icing). He’s already showing his impish side.  I had to wrap my arms around him to keep him still.

Three years old and celebrating at the shore.  The swim trunks and t-shirt had turtles on them.  They were a favorite of his.  It's all been part of his lifelong (thus far) love of all things aquatic. 


Birthday number four and he wasn't happy to do photos.  (Though you can't tell from this one.)  There were many attempts and complaints about doing this.  It was a hot day that he spent at home playing with his new Playmobile pirate ship.


The sticker says it all:  I'm 5.  Back at the shore.   Birthday number 5 was a big one with more than one celebration.  The weekend before he had his first birthday party at the little gym with tumbling and fun.  And of course, lots of cake!

At age six he was way too big for my lap.  Try as I might he kept slipping off!  This was the first time he had a special t-shirt that proclaimed he was the birthday boy. (I can't remember exactly how he got it.  It may have come from school??)




Once more at the shore and another "homemade" shirt to commemorate the occasion.  This one was definitely "made" by me   How big is that 7-year-old???  



A mature looking 8.  Celebrating his birthday at the shore, the summer after Superstorm Sandy. Didn't think we'd be able to pull it off, but we did.  We ARE stronger than the storm.
Nine years old and he's almost as tall as I was.  Being at home meant the day was celebrated with Lego building.  (If you look closely you can see Legos in the background.  If you step into my house, you'll "feel" the Legos too)


Which brings us to last year...when he hit double digits.  Still trying (and not succeeding) to keep him on my lap.
Today marks year number eleven and annual photo number twelve.  He's as tall as I am now (maybe even a little taller), so who knows how we'll manage to pose.  (Maybe I should be on his lap?)  But there is one thing for certain.  There WILL be a photo.  And there WILL be even more memories.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We Have Taken America Back

Image
Back to a time when all men (and women) are not created equal.  Where women's healthcare is determined by men's laws and not by medical professionals. Where education tells only the "winning" side of the story and truth does not matter.  Where banning and burning books is a social event.  Where people who are "different" than those in power can be mocked, shunned and hurt with no real consequences. Where lies are acceptable and integrity is  just a word on a page We have moved into a time where rage is the rage.  Where hate is not just normal, but accepted and even cheered. Where leaders can ask to have their "enemies" killed and no one will bat an eye.  Where it's "funny" to see someone struggle.  Where felony is applauded. Where compassion is not shown and caring for others is looked down upon. We have taken America back to a time of pain and suffering for many.  Back to when the "haves" can have and the have nots don'...
Read more

It's Not About Starbucks (or is it)?

Image
  About a block and a half from my home in a major intersection.  At the southeast corner (which is nearest to me), is an empty building.  Back in 1995 it was a Bank of NY (I remember this because they didn't shovel/de-ice their parking lot well and my husband fell and broke his ankle one Monday morning.  I recall this clearly because we were not yet married and it was the first day of a new job for me.  I had gotten on the bus to work and he was catching a later one; only he never got there.  Instead he ended up laying on the ground until an employee came to open up the bank.  Then he had them call an ambulance AND my mother who took control of the situation until I arrived home that night blissfully unaware of what had happened that day.)  It eventually became a Chase Bank; the second one in my small little town.  It eventually closed.  I'm not sure when but it's been empty for quite a long time.  (I do know that it was open in 20...
Read more

As Is

Image
  Today I want to discuss what I think it is a relatively simple concept, but may be difficult for some, even an attorney who might have once, over a decade ago won a  prestigious award  for young lawyers .  That term is "AS IS." As you may know, I volunteer in a thrift shop.  Everything we sell, from all the donations we receive, is "as is."  The items are not brand new.  They are not perfect.  That doesn't mean they aren't any good or worth something. They are sold "as is."  Buyers should go in knowing that. (After all you are shopping in a thrift shop!)  In some cases, particularly when we are offering higher end products, we will actually write on the price tag, "as is." Such is the case of two designer purses that I purchased from there this summer.  (I'm a purse-aholic!  Don't look in my closet.)  They were reasonably priced (especially when you consider the name brand), but each had an "as is" clearly marked o...
Read more