Entering a new decade

Happy Birthday Calob!  I have a stepson who turns 20 today.  He was only one when I met him and was two when I started to date Ron.  Though we have certainly had our moments (it's hard to be a step mom) I feel that we have touched each other's lives in so many ways.  Here are some funny Calob stories from his life:

*When he was three he wouldn't eat chocolate ice cream because it was 'dirty'.

*He used to have a doll named Abby that he carried with him everywhere.  I hear that either Calob or Me-ma still has Abby.  She was a cute little pink doll and I don't know how she became so special to Calob.  We have quite a few pictures of Abby and Calob in the car seat together.

*He and Ron used to sing "Don't Take the Girl" and "I like it, I love it" by Tim McGraw.  He also grew up a Def Leppard fan (and other 80s bands).  We took him to a Def Leppard concert when he was young.  Now he buys his dad tickets to ACDC.

*Calob came to more than one marching band contest with us to see my brother or sister march.  I remember his little body at the top of the bleachers (I was always nervous he would slip between the seats and fall) stomping to the rhythm of the drums with his whole body.  Sadly, he was never in band himself, but he did take private drum lessons for a while.

*Calob used to come visit me when I was in college.  Many of my college friends remember those little footsteps running down the hallways of the dorm.  He was between the ages of two and four then.  Those girls are now women and can't believe he is an adult.  Time flies.

*We took him to Living History Farms, when he was four or five.  My college roommate was interning and he got to help make ice cream with a crank machine.  She even let him have a bite (which was against the rules of the museum).

*I had to convince him to try pizza when he was in kindergarten.  He was convinced he wouldn't like it until I likened it to a cheeseburger (both have meat, cheese, and a bun/crust).

*We spent a lot of time going fishing when Calob was little.  It was a cheap outing and he seemed to especially enjoy when he caught more fish than some of the grownups he was with.

*Calob is the one who started the Christmas cookie decorating tradition with the Feehan family.  This has continued with his younger brothers.  And somehow they all love to pile on so many decorations that they fall off.

*We didn't often have Calob for holidays, but seemed to have him for the weekends that the local Optimist club had their Halloween carnival.  I always pulled together some sort of home made costume and he won prizes more than once for these costumes.

*The first winter we lived in this house we were snowed in for three days and couldn't leave the driveway.  That was before Facebook, but we sent out emails to all our friends asking what they were doing.  He was so excited to see their responses.  He was 8.

*He was Ron's best man in our wedding.  He gave the speech (at the age of 9) and pretty much chose all the music for our reception.

*He was never a member at TV Clubhouse (a website Ron and I frequent, though that isn't strong enough of a word, the members there are friends and family to us), but the folks there know him as Little Crawler and also can't believe how fast the years have flown.  He used to join in the chatroom when he was here for the weekend.  Lance was one of his favorites.

*When he was ten he had to start sharing his dad with a little brother.  We weren't sure how that would go.  He had another brother at his mom's house, but Ron and Calob always had such a special relationship...  I think he has really enjoyed being a big brother, though my boys have to tease him sometimes that they can't remember what he looks like.  Oh the life of a young adult, too busy to spend time with your family.

*He enjoyed many modes of transportation through the years.  I can remember him with his Little Tyke car when he was very young.  This became a battery operated jeep, which he enjoyed taking down the hills of Woodburn (it wasn't as much fun going back up, often needed pushed).  Then he had a go cart that he loved to go mudding in.  We have some great pictures of him covered in mud from head to toe.  Before we knew it he was driving, and like his dad, he has worked his way through a few vehicles in his teenage years.

*He's always been a picky eater.  The only vegetables he liked growing up were green beans and corn.  I didn't think I would hear the end of it when I had him taste cauliflower.  Now he loves Chinese and has even talked his picky dad into eating at the local Chinese restaurant with him.

*As he entered high school he began to date and we met quite a few girls through the years.  We kinda like Katie.  They've been together for over a year and have had their ups and downs.  It's hard to be supportive and at the same time allow him to make his own decisions.

*Hopefully it will be a few years before Calob becomes a dad, but he has a dog, Millie, that is like a kid to him.  She went missing overnight last fall and he called here in tears.  Ron went to help look for her in the dark, but she turned up on her own the next day.

*He is now on his own.  He is learning how to manage a budget and a house.  The first time he went grocery shopping he about passed out when the total came to $200.  It's rough to see a total like that when you are shopping for a family, let alone just yourself.  He works for a glass company, but is currently laid off.  Ron tells me he is thinking about some sort of trade school or internship.  That makes this teacher happy to see him wanting to continue with some sort of schooling.

I'm sure I'll remember more stories after I post this, but I want to get it out there.  Calob, we have sure had our ups and downs through the years, but you have really grown into a wonderful, caring young man with a great sense of humor.  You know, I have known you for over half my life and nearly all of yours.  You are no longer a teenager and before you know it, you'll wonder where all the time has gone.  Enjoy the good times, and try to learn from the bad.    Happy birthday to you!