Rick is 16

Yesterday my oldest younger brother turned the big 1-6. I feel like time is flying in my eyes, I can only imagine what my parents feel like. Like I said, big things are happening around this household this year.

The oldest turned 21 and starting her last year of college
The second turned 18 and then went to college
The third turns 16 and can officially drive
The youngest turned 14 and is headed to high school

When I got my license the state of Texas hadn’t issued the law where anyone trying to get a license has to ride in the car with a sheriff or police or whatever. But now they have to (starting the year after me…win!). Appointments are required and if you tried to schedule one now you would have to wait until October. It’s plain crazy.

Dad, the brothers, and I had to come home early from moving Morg in while mom stayed so Rick could make his appointment for 10:40 yesterday morning. I didn’t think I was going to be awake, so I set out his favorite croissants to rise overnight and gave him the directions on how to cook them when he got up. Look at these things! His favorite breakfast on his birthday 🙂

They got home a lot sooner than anticipated and we had a ceremonial “put the key on the key ring” moment. Him, not me. I’m just the photographer here. And i’m lucky I got a picture of him.

Then afterwards I was sure the world was ending because he decided to spend some time with me. I KNOW. So we watched Tuesday’s Pretty Little Liars episode.

And then I worked on some school work, picked up a box of cake mix to bake, and got a little work-out in before our dinner reservations. I got home from the gym to the birthday boy doing what he does….

…nothing. The boys had gone to get Ry‘s present to Rick earlier (side note: I missed the first drive by himself picture and i’m still kicking myself about it!!!) and then finished throwing the baseball outside before they came in to lay on the couch. Because when all you do is play video games all day, you will be exhausted when you get up for a few minutes to walk around.

We went to our family’s usual birthday dinner place for Rick’s birthday dinner. PF Changs.

This is me attempting a picture because I knew I wasn’t going to get anything else. Oh yeah, let it be known that the outfit he’s wearing – that he probably wears in every picture I take of him – is his favorite outfit. Which means that I was up at midnight on Tuesday night washing his clothes so he could wear these for his driver’s test. #bestbigsisteraward

We got our usual lettuce wraps and wonton soup.

Instead of edamame we got the cucumber slices. Yummy.

Dad got a dirty martini. And ew i’m not a martini fan.

And dad and I shared a new dish: Chang’s Lobster Rice.

While Ry got his normal Honey Glazed chicken and Rick got the beef and broccoli. So good.

We got a complimentary dessert.

And he made his wish and blew out his candle so dad could chow down on the dessert. It was a banana egg roll with fruit. Yeah, not a 16 year old’s dessert.

As we were walking out I mentioned something about taking pictures and THEY OBLIGED. Let this day go down in history….Middleton boys didn’t argue about getting their picture taken.

After we got home, I lit a piece of the cake I baked him and we sang some happy birthday tunes for him to enjoy.

And he opened my gift of a new cross necklace with his baseball number engraved since he wore my other one out. Then went to his room to play video games or something as equally teenager boring. But, I now have another person that can chauffeur me around. #halfglassfull

I love birthdays.