Happy Birthday!

Today my YOUNGER son turns 12 so I had to wish him a happy birthday, despite the fact that he doesn't read my blog. Hard to believe that I have managed to keep not one, but TWO children alive for 12 and almost 14 years. Here's a picture of my boys.. many years ago:



Hard to believe that those adorable little faces are now 12 and soon-to-be 14. 6th and 8th graders. No longer do they want you to sit on the couch and watch Teletubbies or Barney or some other show designed to make and adult's brain ooze slowly out of their ears. No longer do they spend hours playing with blocks and little action figures. The days of giving them cardboard wrapping paper tubes and watching them become medieval knights for an afternoon....gone.

They are products of this generation for sure. I was thinking about this the other day and some of the things I came up with were crazy. They don't know a life without internet access or even high-speed internet access. They don't know life without CD's. They don't know about 8-tracks and records, rotary phones and having to look stuff up in books and encyclopedias.

Last month my cell bill came in.. and my two youngsters put up big numbers. B managed to clock in around 1300 texts for the month and G just over 1100. When you factor in that they can't have them on or even out of their locker during the school day, that is a LOT of text messages in the remaining time in the evenings and weekends. Yes, both boys have cell phones now and I know there are those of you think they are too young, and you are entitled to your opinion. Just remember the fact that they are my kids and I don't give a shit about your opinion! :P

My kids are done with Spongebob and High School Musical now. They watch Scrubs and House. They play the 360 and Wii and computer games. They will never understand Atari or Pong. The only Daisy Duke they will know is Jessica Simpson. They don't know who the A-team or MacGyver is. If I asked them what KITT was...I would probably get an answer like 'Half a Kit Kat bar?' /sigh

I am constantly amazed these days about how fast they are growing now. I know everyone thinks that they don't change as much as when they are infants / toddlers, but I am starting to disagree with that. I see changes happening faster and faster. They are not learning to roll over or walk for the first time, but they are developing as young adults at an alarming rate. Somedays so fast it seems like a blur that I can't get to slow down. You know when you watch something with your kids and you see the adult humor go over their head and chuckle to yourself? Now they are laughing along with me! They are getting into the deeper issues that are brought up and actually THINKING about them. Sure a lot of their responses are still that of a child or teenager, as they should be, but I am still shocked by some of the thoughts coming out of those heads.

This time next year I will be attending events for my HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. How scary is that? I am not one to get all misty eyed and nostalgic, but I can't help but wonder where my little guys went? The ones that would wrestle around with dad on the bed and not stop laughing? Oh don't get me wrong, they still like to wrestle and roughhouse, but now the two of them against me is starting to be in their favor and if they are not careful they could certainly hurt someone. And by someone I mean me. :P

So Happy Birthday to my BABY boy, my young man. 12 today. Growing up and making me proud to be known as Gabe's Dad.