On the brink of 17

Graphics are giving me fits tonight, but I have endeavored to put up some pics of Rob's birthday mural.  He chose a Jamaican theme this year.  I think this is inspired in part by the reggae music that both he and I share a love for.  Birthday murals have been a long tradition in our house, but as our kids have gotten bigger it has been harder to find time to get them done!  This one was no exception. When the kids were young, we could take 2 weeks involving them in the mural project. The paper for this was slapped up on Wednesday--Rob's actual birthday is tomorrow! (Sunday)  Um, not my best planning!  We are celebrating it on Monday but that doesn't change the fact that this was an "expedited" art project.  To aid in the speedy construction I found 2 clear panals at a party store of palm trees and birds. We layered these over the two ends of our mural and they help give color and dimension to the art. Since I can't figure out how to organize these pics, for viewer reference, these are the first and last shots in this blog post.

The second shot is bobble head Chet.  The kids drew him bent over as he is always in this posture at the beach looking for shells even if he is in the water.  The third shot is bobble head Rob wearing dreads (which he did for halloween.)  You can't tell in the pic but his bobble head self is holding a very outsized Jamaican flag and looks a bit like he has leapt 40 feet into the air.

The third shot are bobble head Lissa and Fiona as island princesses. I did not have the heart to tell them that it was not likely that they wear grass skirts in Jamaica. LOL

Next up is Bobble head KC who fancied himself a lifeguard for this mural!

Somewhere in the mural are bobble head parents but they didn't make the short list of photos on the computer! :-)

I can't quite wrap my head around Rob being 17.  I need to think on this!  Tomorrow I am taking the kids out to celebrate with a birthday breakfast and then in the afternoon is the surprise party at his girlfriends house.  I am taking the littles shopping tomorrow for his gifts and wrapping mine.  The nuts and bolts of party time are ready, it is getting emotionally ready to watch this fine  young man stand at the beginning of a new journey--one that I will only watch. I've not really had a child become an adult and this is virgin territory for me.  Rob is the first of my kids who is capable of leaving me a note on our dry erase board saying "gone skating, text if u need me"  and such.  He is increasingly ready to become a young adult and i am so proud of the adult I think I glimpse within him.

But oh goddess will there be a big ole hole of emptiness in this house the day he steps out on his own!