Happy Birthday, Connor & Happy (Belated!) Birthday, Barb!

Before I do ANYTHING, I've got to tell you - today is Connor's birthday. My oldest *baby* turns 14 years old. We've always been relatively low-key with birthdays - for years the noise & chaos were just too much for him to enjoy, and now he likes to stick with what we've always done. Fair enough! This of course includes cake - now he prefers to go & pick from what's at the bakery that day. And I overheard him talking to himself Saturday about getting McDonald's....our drive-thru has just re-opened after having the whole restaurant closed for 4 months.
"I like to eat McDonald's every year for my birthday because it makes me feel young."
But he's not as young anymore - yesterday we went to Chapters, and "just in case" Connor had brought his wallet with him. He found a nifty little test tube kit for growing rainbow crystals, and decided he wanted to buy it. I went to another aisle to check on Riley, and as we had a deal that no one would leave the children's area....when I saw Connor about 5 minutes later trying to fit the package into his jacket, I squawked & told him "You can't do that! They'll think you're stealing it!!"

Connor: "I'm not stealing it!"
Mom: "I know that, but the store people don't know that. You can't put it in your coat before you pay for it. Let me carry it."
Connor: "But I paid already!"
Mom: "When?"
Connor: "Right now, when you went to look for Riley."
Mom: "What? Why don't you have a bag?"
Connor: "I don't need to waste a bag. It will fit in my pocket."
Mom: "Do you have the receipt?"
Connor: "Of course I do!"
And he produces it from his wallet, hands it to me, and loudly says "I told you I wasn't stealing it!"

I felt mortified! The poor kid. Even a year ago I wouldn't have imagined this scenario - but in the last year the leaps & bounds Connor has made are astonishing. To complete the entire transaction on his own? Connor's speech is difficult for a lot of people to understand, and to be without a 'translator' for the whole purchase - that takes courage that I don't think I have. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my *little* man (who is now a whole nose taller than I am) and who proves to me all the time that it is a fool's game to predict how a child will grow & develop & achieve. I don't in the least mind being wrong on that level :)

Now, I have to also wish a happy belated birthday to my dear Barbles - best laid plans being what they are, Barb & I have been trying to meet up since before Christmas but yesterday managed to have a drive-by quickie in the parking lot ;) LOL! (That sounds terrible but I'm leaving it in.) I was lucky enough to meet Barb in person this year, and I want to adopt her. She's a beautiful, loving person, and I'm so incredibly grateful that I'm getting to know her. Here's the card that I gave her yesterday:

Supplies: papers from Pink Paislee; clip art & type from Crafty Secrets; 'chica' rub-on from EAD Designs; flower from Offray; Sakura Stardust glitter pen; Sizzix label dies

And something that gave me great joy? I got to wrap her present (which like a dork I forgot to take a picture of) in the SEAWEED BOX! (The story on that is at the bottom of this post)

xoxo,

Jessi