How can my baby be all grown up?
As most of y’all know by now, I’m a proud mama to two wonderful young men. My oldest, Denver Jr. (grandson to Denver and son to Denver Dale), turned 21 yesterday. It’s amazing how the milestones keep flying by – it feels like just yesterday Denver got his driver’s license, and a moment later, he was graduating from high school. While some mamas would be worried sick the night of their son’s 21st birthday, I wasn’t because he spent the day with me and Dale.
Denver and Dale stayed up late on Saturday night, so that the morning of his birthday, at 12:01 a.m. sharp, he could drink an inaugural beer with his dad. And last night, he celebrated with our family and friends at a pool tournament. While my friends did buy him a couple of shots of Jack Daniel, there wasn’t any wild and raucous partying by any means – Denver had to work today (along with the rest of us!).
I know, I know, I’m the typical braggy mom. All this being said, there have been a few times that my dear son made me want to reach for a drink or two.
For example, I remember one night – we were just trying to get through our typical bedtime routine (you know – homework, dinner, kids bathed and off to bed) – but nine-year-old Denver just would not comply.
The first time I told him to go take a shower, he came back with a totally dry head of hair. I said, “Boy, did you wash your hair? You didn’t wash your hair, did you?” So, I sent him back.
Clean, dry hair in this picture – success!
He went to the bathroom, came out, said he was done, and his hair was still dry! I asked him to come over to me so I could check his head. It was worse than I thought: his hair was caked with gray, dried clay! He and his friends had been throwing balls of clay mud at each other earlier that day.
“There is mud in your hair,” I said. “There is no way you washed your hair! Get back in there, and wash your hair!”
So, he went back into the bathroom, and he came out with wet hair. ‘Hallelujah!’ I thought, ‘Third time’s a charm!’
“I washed my hair. Ya wanna smell it?” he said. I smelled his hair, but I smelled something else too.
Me and my (grown-up) boy
“Did you use any soap in the shower?” I asked. “Did you wash your body, too?”
He paused. And then, I remembered: I’d just gone grocery shopping earlier that day, and bath gel was on my list. But I hadn’t restocked that bathroom yet.
“Denver, is there even bath gel in that shower right now?” I asked.
“I dunno. Lemme go check,” was his reply.
Oh, that boy! The fourth shower was a charm, but if I’d been playing a drinking game, I would have been on the ground by then!
Of course, it’s been years since I’ve had to double, triple and quadruple check up on him. He stocks his own bathroom with plenty of bath gel these days. And now, he’s old enough to thank us for raising him right by stocking our fridge with an occasional six-pack of beer.
Happy Monday,
~Mary
