Five teenagers...only four live here right now, but I have five teenage children! This particular one commented the other day on a couple that we know that has a 10 year age gap between husband and wife and he thought that was just so crazy. We explained that it is weird when the husband was 18 and the wife was only 8 but as adults we reach a point where we all kind of fall into a category of adults. When I used the example of having friends that are 15 years my junior but they are wives and mothers so the age gap isn't as evident because of our common denominators and so it doesn't seem weird to be friends with someone who was potty training when I was graduating from high school. His comment to this was that it isn't weird because I don't really seem old. Hmm...yep! He's my favorite. (Just kidding--I don't have favorites--just for the record!)
It has been quite the year of growth for you...I'm not entirely sure of the exact gains, but I can tell you that you are 5'9", 140 pounds, size 11.5 shoe, 30 waist, adult M everything else.
You share a room with Joe and, well, it's always a mess. You pretty much never have blankets on your bed or a pillow case on your pillow...it's just you.
Pius had no school on your birthday and Jakob was home on spring break so everyone was home for your breakfast bed---and despite the fact that they all went back to bed right after breakfast, they all got up to sing happy birthday to you!
Your cake of choice over the years has been a dirt cake. You're convinced that no one like it, but it doesn't really matter if they do or don't...it's your cake. And there isn't every any left, so I'm betting that everyone likes it just fine. We added peeps this year and that probably won't happen again...too much sugar!
It's been fun to watch you grow and change into a young man! Even though you would think I would be used to the conversion, I'm not. It still catches me off guard when I go back and look at pictures.
It's a joy to celebrate birthdays. They bring us all together. Some of your siblings may try to claim that it is the cake, but don't believe them! It's the birthday. It is and always will be special to remember your special day.
We've had to celebrate all these birthdays later in the evening to make sure everyone could be there. We ate waffles for dinner per your request, but at 5 pm (early) and then cake at 9 (after practices).
They all took turns holding you down while Josh gave you 13 spankings.
You are just as competitive as all the rest of your siblings. We said from the time you were tiny (well, you weren't tiny ever, but since you were a little kid) that you were going to be big and fast and aggressive. Time will tell, but you're off to a good start.
You enjoyed your first season of basketball this year and no one would have guessed that you hadn't ever played before. The team that you played for was busy enough with practice and games that you weren't able to wrestle during the same season.
As much as you liked it, you missed wrestling and aren't very happy that they are in the same season in high school. You did get to wrestle for a couple of weeks when basketball was over.
Happy birthday Benjamin! You are our favorite Ben in the whole world and we are so glad you were born!
