Eighteen Candles

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein

Tomorrow, for the eighteenth time, I will throw a birthday party for Jacob. As he did last year, he will once again share his birthday party with one of his best friends, Jonathon. They are five days apart in age. Jonathon will turn eighteen on August 12, Jacob on August 17. But Jacob will leave this weekend to spend two weeks with a friend at a cottage in North Bay. He won't be here to celebrate either of their two actual birthdays so we will celebrate early. Last year, the birthday party cake read "Happy 17th Birthday J2" (with the little two at the top like a squared sign). This year it will read "Happy 18th Birthday Jacob and Jono". The boys are too old now for the cute slogan of last year.

There will be ribs and fries, crudite and rolls, lots of junk food and of course a great huge chocolate cake with raspberry filling and chocolate butter cream icing. Jacob picked the cake and the menu. I remember the birthday cake from his very first birthday. It was an adorable "Barney" cake with purple dinosaur candles. There have been lots of great cakes over the years - Lion King, Star Wars, golf, trucks, jungles, dinosaurs - essentially whatever Jacob's passion was that year. We had parties at Chuckie Cheese, climbing centres, bowling alleys and glow in the dark indoor golf centres. We've done Medival Times and Dave and Busters. This year, the kids will come here. They will hang out downstairs doing whatever it is they do these days. They will have fun.

It will probably be the last time Jacob lets me throw him a birthday party. It makes me a bit sad. Maybe he'll let me do it again next year but maybe not. We'll see. I'm planning to enjoy this one just in case it's the last.

And as he will be in North Bay for his birthday this year, as he was last year, I have decided to ease my pain at being away from him on his special day and make the long drive north so I can share a birthday dinner with him. He will be eighteen - an adult. My baby has grown up.