Another Adult in the House

Nathan turned 18 a few weeks ago...I know!  18!  How the heck did that happen?!  I'm certainly not old enough to have an adult child.  It's taken me a while to post about it, maybe because I want to deny that it happened. 

Eighteen is a weird age.  He's still my child, but legally an adult.  I got a letter from the high school saying that I would no longer have access to his school records unless I sent a letter to the school requesting access.  He can excuse himself from class now.  He can vote, register for the draft, buy cigarettes, gamble, be charged as an adult if he commits a crime.  It's kind of scary.  His life seems to have more weight now. 

I'm entering a new phase as a mom...the mom of an "adult" with no more "little" kids.  I was in Silverdale running errands a few days after Nathan's birthday and saw several moms with their small children.  Little ones sitting in grocery carts or holding mom's hand.  I almost started to cry realizing that I don't have that anymore.  I'm not sad enough to want to go through the baby years again, just sad that phase went so quickly.  I've become one of those "older women" who tell young mothers, "Enjoy them while they're young, they grow up so fast!" 

I wanted to do something special for Nathan's 18th birthday party, so we decided to have a formal dinner party.  He invited 12 of his friends, 6 boys and 6 girls, and told them to dress up. Brad and I cooked:  grilled steak, corn on the cob, caesar salad, bread, and Jillian and Kylie served.  Then we took our dinner out on the porch and let them pretend they were at a nice restaurant.

After dinner, we sent them on a photo scavenger hunt of Nathan's life on Bainbridge Island.   They were supposed to take a picture of themselves at the various locations the clues led them to.  Examples of clues were: the first house Nathan lived in on Bainbridge Island (which they got wrong! Even Nate didn't know!), the piece of public art that Nathan helped to create in the 5th grade, the place where Nathan has always gotten his hair cut. They divided into teams, boys against girls. Nate drove the girls' team and Erin drove the boys.  The girls' team won, but then they did have an advantage with Nate on their team!  I was a little surprised that Jared Bell knew all the answers, but he and Nate have been friends since birth, so I guess I shouldn't have been.

Jordan, Nathan, Katie & Makenzie, in front of the 2nd house Nate lived in, not the 1st!

Casey  on the mosaic glass map of Bainbridge at Rotary Park,

the piece of public art Nathan helped create in the 5th grade.

After the scavenger hunt, they came back to the house and watched a movie and then played Apples to Apples.  I think they all had a good time! 

We celebrated with family a few days later. He requested lemon squares, so I cut them into 18 pieces and put a candle on each piece.  It made quite a mess blowing out the candles!  I wonder what he wished for... my wish is that he will be a happy, kind, responsible, successful adult!