Chay's a TEEN!

My Chay Chay is no longer a "child" but a "teenager"... and he has been telling me that for days now.

It's been a little while since this day but, I remember it like it was yesterday (or at least the day before yesterday). He was the fastest delivery of the three kids, and there was no discomfort at all involved with the delivery...notice, no time for an IV either.

This is Chay on his due date May 10 (2 weeks old)
(Just a little tidbit, Blade's due date was May 10th also)

Even I have to admit that he was a cute 2 year old.

At age 5, this is the face that I remember.

Age 7, and Nicole and Chay made his birthday cake together. He still has the cute little boy look that I love.

Age 9
How did he get such a great tan in April?

Age 11
This is the face of Chay that I see when I invision him.
He's such a great son and is so much like me in many ways. He doesn't like to eat hot spicy things, he doesn't like heights, and he is more cautious than daring.
Take note of the multicolored thing in the background, that's the year we agreed to get Chay a hamster for his birthday, that gift was "short lived" (pun intended).

Age 12
A great celebration with the Takahashi's visiting....and candles that Chay couldn't blow out.

Chay's a TEEN!
...AND he has grown sooooo much this past year! He is no longer my "little" boy.
People no longer confuse him with me on the phone, he is one B+ away from being a straight A student, and he is a great friend to Blade.
He's on the count down until he can get a driver's permit...wishing that he was in Canada so that he could get on at 14 instead of 15.

I had Nicole wash the money (and press it) so we didn't feel too badly about putting the money next to the food we were about to eat...

Blade does love his brother and wants to keep close but, notice how it's the money he is keeping his eye on?

The picture of Chay looks better in person, the camera just doesn't do it justice.
Chay knows just the right thing to say to me. When he got home from school and saw the cake, I asked him if it was what he was expecting. He replied, "No,....it's better!"
Quite the gentleman.

But then, last week Nicole was telling us about an experience on the field at her lacrosse game and a girl on the opposing team yelled at Nicole "Damn you!". After the story Chay asked her,
"Do you think it's okay to swear if you are telling a story?"
Nicole replied, "Yeah..."
Chay's response threw me off guard and I bursted out in a genuine laugh, no courtesy laugh here...
"Well, I have alot of stories to tell you..."

I love Chay's sense of humor! He has quite the way with words and I can't help but laugh at some of the things he says. Nicole asks "why do you encourage him?"
"Because he's funny".

My Che Che is a young man...

This is what happens when the siblings are hanging out while the Mom is busy cleaning up the cake decorating mess.

Behide the scenes.
Nicole got home from lacrosse practise in time for the photo shoot (okay, we were waiting for her) and Dave surprised us by getting home early so that he could hold up a backdrop (okay, so that we could celebrate in the traditional way of going out to eat where the birthday boy chooses).

A sad Blade after being told he can't have any of the money around the cake.

A big thank you to Brylie, Tyken, Angie and Mike for the wonderful birthday package that arrived for Blade today! He was so excited. It was like it was a birthday package for me because I LOVE everything in it...I love bento supplies! Blade is having a shaped hard boiled egg for lunch tomorrow.

Blade had to open the packages himself.

Notice the hole in the front of his shirt? It wasn't in the previous picture....

He was so excited to figure out the chop sticks, and was ready to get some Chinese food.