WE HAVE A TEENAGER IN THE HOUSE!

I really can't believe I have a teenager. A thirteen year old. An adolescent boy. Wow. Where does the time go?! I have to say right now how lucky I am though... my 13 year old still thinks I'm cool, still lets me kiss him -- and still kisses me! Who says autism can't be AWESOME?! It has been truly miraculous - God's hand all over - watching him grow and mature. Matthew has such a big heart, is so eager to meet people and also so interested in learning about them... it's very cool. He is by far the neatest 13 year old I know, although I know I'm more than a little biased. For his birthday, he wanted to eat at Provino's, and -- this is big -- he wanted to wait until the weekend to do it, because "weekdays are tiring and busy, and I'll be able to enjoy it more on the weekend." This is from a boy who has ALWAYS wanted his birthday celebration to be ON his birthDAY. Things got a little complicated, though, because the weekend before his birthday was the 6th grade retreat, and the weekend after it didn't work out for Gram to be able to come because I was hosting a shower all day on Saturday, so Matthew opened Gram's presents (a sleeping bag and a kindle book he asked for - The Screwtape Letters) ON his birthday with the intention of Skyping with her, but we couldn't get it to work. Technology. We gave him a basketball goal (he's been shooting baskets at Lionheart every day on the blacktop - loves it!!) and in iTunes gift card so he could pick out a movie, and Maddie gave him a Brave's tshirt and "Wreck-it Ralph". Oh, and we also got him a RAZOR!!! He already has enough of a mustache to shave! Anyway, I digress. We went to Provino's with MaMa and PaPa and had a delicious dinner. He had already had birthday cupcakes at school (he wanted chocolate with chocolate icing - YUM, and yellow with vanilla icing for people who didn't like chocolate -- his idea!) The cupcakes were a hit, and the birthday was good. Maddie and I were a little taken aback by how little enthusiasm he showed ON his birthday toward his gifts and the day in general (he was a bit impatient all day, and the only gift he showed the slightest hint of emotion about was the Jason Heyward tshirt!)... but he bounced back in a few days and was his usual jovial self, so I decided he was just a bit overwhelmed by the milestone birthday. Oh, and I thought this was cool: MaMa and PaPa gave him $100 for his birthday, and that Sunday before church he grabbed $10 and said he wanted to tithe 10% of his gift. Wow. I was impressed.