We all knew this day would come eventually. Chooch (né Riley) turned 18 today. It’s already been a really emotional year with college preparations and I have had several big cries over that, but this morning I woke up to Alan Parsons Project “Games People Play” and actually listened to the lyrics for the first time ever and then lost my ever-loving mind.
THIS PART???
Where do we go from here
Now that all of the children have grown up?
And how do we spend our time
Knowing nobody gives us a damn?
Ooof. Not what I wanted to hear first thing this morning!!
It’s been so much fun being his mom (I mean I know I’ll still BE HIS MOM after today but you know what I mean) and I can’t believe that the college years are about to start and he won’t BE HERE. Who will make fun of Henry with me? Henry?!
I really couldn’t be any happier with the way Chooch turned out. Raising him was pretty easy and extremely fun. My travel buddy! My roller coaster partner! My haunted house companion! I think the coolest part about him is that he grew up with my friends as his friends. He’s always been a part of the inside jokes, always been taken seriously, always had adults caring about what he had to say. So thank you to all of my friends – old, new, present, former – who helped us get him to where he is today as a person, because I think he turned out pretty freaking excellent!
Anyway, I forgot that last November, I took some photos of him that were going to be contenders for “Senior Portraits” but I had to let him drive the car through the cemetery as a bribe ugh.
You will note that plenty of these are blurry because MY FUCKING EYES ARE TRASH OK? I legit cannot tell what I’m doing behind the lens anymore.
I’m pretty sure he was making fun of me here.
Wrinkled shirt? Of fucking course!
My brother Corey was texting me today and saying that he was actually tearing up thinking about how he turned into such a solid kid with his head straight on his shoulders, and that he’s so proud. Dude you guys. Just, dude. That meant so much. I love the relationship that Corey and Chooch have!
I don’t know what to “get” him anymore, so we took him to Hershey Park (um, that was also mostly for me because I wanted to ride Wildcat’s Revenge and have fun after serious college stuff) and we’re taking him and some friends to Cedar Point in a few weeks too because what do you get him?! He literally doesn’t “want” anything (except money lol). I did send him the Rock the Vote website though so he can register to vote!
18. Holy fucking shit. When I was 18, I was a goddamn mess. Fresh off the heels of dropping out of high school, dating a psychopathic loser, basically staying in my room constantly to avoid getting heckled by family members for being “white trash.” It was a really bad time and I had no support system, but I have given Chooch all of things I desperately needed from my parents and didn’t get, and look at what happens when parents do their part. Look at what happens when a kid is loved and included and listened to it. He turns into this. And I am so proud.
And also so fucking depressed.