September Birthday Favorites

Chase is 12.  Which is crazy.  Like…really crazy.  And to keep from getting overly emotional about his last year of non-teenagerness…I’ve decided to just not dwell on numbers this year.  At all.  Which works out great for me…because on October 24th…I turn an ungodly number that I have very negative connotations with.  But that’s enough about that.

Chase has been counting down the days for about 2 weeks.
“8 more days, Mom” and so on…

And we always pretend that we don’t know what he’s talking about.

“4 days till what, Chase???”

But he calls our bluff every time.

What a kid.  I’m telling you…if you are privileged enough to know him…then you know…

…what an amazing kid.

His birthday was on Tuesday…and on Monday afternoon…the school nurse called me to come get his sister.  By Monday night…she was running a very high fever and very obviously sick.  When I tucked Chase in that night…it was no longer…

“1 more night!!!”

but…

“Mom…I’m really worried about Aiden.  I’m really worried that something bad will happen to her.”

There are glimpses throughout our days that remind me that our kids will forever be changed after losing a sibling during my pregnancy (no matter how early it was) and watching their little sister’s best friend die.  And I realized that he was going there.

I kissed his forehead and told him…

“Chase…Aiden is ok.  I think she has strep throat…and she will get medicine tomorrow and she will be ok.  You can be excited about your birthday.”

But that is just Chase…more concerned with his sister than himself.

He decided to cancel his birthday dinner at BJ’s and have their pizza brought home for supper instead.  He wanted his sister with him.  And isn’t it so true…that it doesn’t really matter where you are…but who you’re with that’s most important?  He is someone that understands what love is.  He always has been.

What a kid.

Annslee told me a while back, “I know what I want to get Chase for his birthday.  I know where we need to go.”

She lead me to the mall…to a store that has movie posters and pictures of old movie stars.  She had remembered Chase noticing an Elvis Presley picture there months ago.  And she was going to get it for him.  I didn’t even care that she had no idea that it cost actual money…and that you couldn’t just walk in and take it.  She was so excited.  She had been thoughtful.  She had been aware.  She had been diligent and intentional.

What a kid.

Tonight, we are taking Chase and his two closest friends to Jumping World to celebrate.  We aren’t leaving until 7.  But at noon…he said,

“Welp…I might as well go ahead and get ready.”

I think he’s excited.  And boy oh boy…do I love that kid excited.

****

School pictures happened up at the ole’ Jr. High.  I don’t buy those things anymore.  They are just awful…and awfully expensive.

I told them…

just tell the photographer that your mom is a photographer.

Because really…who can’t be a photographer if they really want to be?

So…they did.  And I was.

I took their pictures when they got home from school that day.

6th and 8th grade…chronicled.

And speaking of birthdays…the back and forth sack between me and UK is still going strong.

This was his t-shirt from me on September the 8th.

The sack is taped together.  Which I love.

Happy Birthday.  All around.