It has been a busy year but I did not realize how busy until I went to compile the yearly collection of Kid pictures for his birthday post and came to the realization there are months with only one or two pictures containing the Kid himself. Understandably this is due to his lack of presence at Boxes in Fields as he is required to attend school it still saddened my heart I have less pictures to note his changes in facial features, to note change in height, to note changes in attitude.

Your 14th year started off with a bang. Years of shooting bb guns and single shot .22 with your Opa paid off well with a nice clean neck shot on your very first six pointer.

I love how your adult enough to understand the complexity of hunting yet young enough to have fun to take a ride on the wagon with a bag of potting soil holding the coveted roll of toilet paper.

I love how when things get crazy you get crazier. We are in the middle of the Great Freeze of 2021 and you want popcorn?

I love how when you are called out on your crazy you give me this look that says “oh please, I am crazy! Have you seen a mirror woman?” Of course, luckily you are smart enough not to say this aloud even though your eyes give your thoughts away. Word of advise, don’t play poker.

I love how you think you are an adult yet get super excited to sleep out in the woods with nothing between you and the world except a yoga mat and a sleeping bag. And the Planner, of course, on the other side of the fire. Adult so long as there are no boogey monsters.

I love how you steal our phones and take stupid selfie pictures and then laugh about it. You do realize we know you steal the phones and that I am collecting all your ridiculous selfies for a collage to be placed on the wall of the house when it is completed. Keep taking them, they are just the most fabulous documentation of your facial changes. And teeth, too!

But then again, any time I try to take a picture for whatever the pictures of your face look just like your selfies. Maybe your face really is like this and I just cant see. I am blinded by the real face and can only see what I see in my head. Hmm. Food for thought…

I love how when asked do to something you moan and groan the entire time. Can’t you just complete the task grumble free? You are going to complete the task anyways so just do it quietly. Jesh.

I love how you can’t stand to be called out that you might just not know all there is to sailing this particular boat. Yes, we know you know all there is to know about Optis and yes we know that you know how much of that information will transfer over to this boat. But you fail to know is that we know you don’t know it all. I love how you moan and groan about going sailing when you can’t be in total control of the boat as it takes two people to sail yet love to go more than the thought of not going.

I love to see your smile especially when you are on a boat in the middle of the bay doing your best to teach me how to man the sails. Gosh, I really do love your smile!

I love that when we go to visit the Planners mom for the Planners’ birthday and then go to our favorite fast food joint you want to have a Mommy and Me breakfast. The Planner and his mommy in the corner of the picture and the Kid and his mommy across the store. Well a Mommy and Me with masks.

I love how every year for Halloween you take time to develop your pumpkins and then narrow the faces down to two or three of your favorite. This year you even travelled with your gear to make one for the front porch at the Doubters. Then you giggled at the barn cat eating the stuffings you tossed over the fence for the raccoons to eat.

But most of all I love how you still love to be you. Long skinny twig arms, long skinny twig legs, long blond hair. A kid who loves fresh warm tortillas and warm cheese sauce. A kid not worried about what others think but only worried about you think. And yes, your personal opinion of yourself is not always right.

I love how you stand for yourself and those around you. How you think deep thoughts (when I can get you off the bloody phone) yet still love to play, how your treat people like you want to be treated even when they don’t treat you right, how you want to spend time with your goofy parents who love you immensely. Happy Birthday Stinky Feet, we love you bunches.

Oh, and in case you forgot. You have four years left of your free ride before adulthood kicks you to the curb! Tick Tock.