Happy 17th Birthday Nigel!

Nigel, siblings, and cousins!
Smiling is not cool and optional.

Nigel turned SEVENTEEN today - even in the midst of viral dust and germs floating in the very air we breathe, the kids (and us) are still getting older - and we have to celebrate it, the celebration of life must go on, we cannot let a stupid virus take that away from us.

So this means we have been parents for exactly seventeen years - full of ups and downs (recency bias makes it feel more down), joys and fury - all rolled neatly into a package of 17 years, and counting.

He's already more than halfway through his teenage years - and I think we can safely say the terrible teens are much worse than the terrible twos. In fact, I'd welcome the latter anytime, even if I had to suffer through bursts of tantrum (from the child, not me) and the occasional high-speed chase through crowded malls.

Anyway, here we are - Happy Birthday Nigel.

May all your dreams come true! But in order for that to happen, you first have to put your phone down and go to bed!