ETHAN IS 16 TODAY!!!
What!!?!?! I know, it’s the most cliche thing ever to say, but time please slow down…..😭
I feel like I can divide my kids’ lives into “pre-covid” and “post-covid”. It’s probably just due to their ages when the pandemic hit (5th and 4th grades), but I felt like we entered the pandemic with “little kids” and exited it with definite “BIG kids”….and this post-phase has just felt like a zooming woosh of time speeding up and speeding by.
16 is a big birthday number, at least here in the U.S. I mean, 16= driver’s license. Which is the #1 reason I think most kids can’t wait to turn 16. For the very same reason, it’s probably the birthday I have kind of dreaded the most! Really, I don’t think I’m ready for this…. sigh. I know, it’s part of life, but it just really freaks me out. I don’t think I’m normally an overly anxious parent, but I AM probably more on the jumpy side in general related to risks and fears related to driving.
Ethan is such a great kid. I cannot believe how much he has changed in this last ~year. It’s crazy!
The big shift to high school…. working…. driving…. lots of independence….. high school sports…. increased maturity, responsibility…..honors classes…. He’s so different from just a short time ago. It happens so suddenly!
Part of me feels so sad that his childhood is going by so fast, but another part of me loves these new, exciting stages and getting to know him as his own big, grown up, real person! Not just a child. Bittersweet.
My favorite thing about Ethan is that he’s just always generally so good-natured. He’s fun to be around, pleasant, cooperative. He’s not into drama and has never been a particularly moody kid or anything like that. If we ask him to do something, we know he’ll do it, with minimal complaints. I also like that he’s typically pretty receptive to feedback on things. I mean, all kids seem to think they know everything, but I feel like he’s a little better than average in this regard?
He doesn’t yet know what he wants to “be when he grows up”, but I have no doubt that he’ll figure it out. 🙂 He has a great sense of humor and loves funny things, even though he himself is not a fan of being the center of attention.
He’s a saver, not a spender, and is pretty pragmatic about life in general- he’s not one to just want things impulsively, and he tends to see things for what they are. If he sees something he likes, but it’s quite expensive, it’d be totally like him to say, “Oh, never mind then. It’s just not worth that much money,” even if he could easily afford it. (Ahem, my other child could probably take some lessons from him, though. 😆)
If something disappointing happens, he’s also pretty likely to say something like, “Well, that’s just life, that’s how it goes.” And then he’d shrug. I admire that in him, since I’m way more emotionally charged most of the time. Haha.
He goes with the flow, he’s reliable and sweet and just an all-around good guy!! We really never worry that he’s going to do something really stupid or impulsive or irresponsible. (Also, he is seriously so handsome. Sorry, but it’s true! 😉)
Today he wanted to go to Starbucks with me this morning for his “free birthday treat” from the app (always the lemon cake for him, plus strawberry lemonade acai). I had an iced black tea lemonade and Asher and I split a brownie.
Before that, we took Charlie on a walk at the marsh near our house, instead of his normal morning neighborhood walk. It’s so beautiful there! However, we all agreed it sort of looks better in the pictures/ sounded better in theory, because in reality it was a) hot and b) suuuuuper buggy with tons of mosquitoes!! Oh well, we made it pretty quick and at least will remember that we did something a little special this morning. 🙂
Tonight we’ll go out to dinner as a family and then on Sunday my parents are coming for a little “party” (just us). He went golfing with friends yesterday (that’s a been a huge interest this summer)…. not sure if he has any other plans for today yet!
And now, since you all know I never shy away from photo overload in my posts, here are some pics I pulled. From his birth-day in 2008, to his 6 year old birthday in 2014, to this year, turning 16 in 2024!!!
2008
2014…… 6 years old
A Year in Review: July 2023- July 2024! Now turning 16 years old.
Here he is as a new 15 year-old last July, getting his temps! Drove us to his birthday dinner that night. Also, it sounds weird, but this is now officially HIS car, too. (Used to be Ivan’s, but Ivan just got a new one this week so Ethan can take over this one. He will be paying us a certain amount towards it, still working details out.)
Starting high school, August 2024:
Volunteering at Ironman Wisconsin, September 2024:
Loved high school soccer this fall!!
Our mom/son fall retreat in Upper Michigan was a total highlight of my year. I LOVED THIS. 😍
Welcoming puppy Charlie in October… Ethan is a very good big brother to his little doggie brother. 😉
Out for my 40th birthday…Broadway’s Aladdin and dinner:
A hardworking guy! He’s closing in on almost TWO full years employed already! He has racked up a lot of dough over these two years. Very proud of him!! Currently exploring what’s next, as he’s about ready to move on from McDonald’s (in search of a bit higher pay…lol) now that’s he 16 and his options expand.
Always a good sport with my great many photo op requests. 🙂 Posing here while decorating the Christmas tree. I also love that he’s never too old for our traditions.
Holiday family night out:
We’re all terrible at decorating baked goods, but oh well. It still tastes good. 😉
Mexico 2023, over the holidays:
Hiking the Toluca Volcano:
Downtown Toluca:
Where he’s most likely to be found when home…. video gaming….
Spring break 2024:
Always happy for a good chat with grandpa. 🙂
He’s been my #1 gym buddy this year! Not all the time, but we’ve hit the gym together a decent number of times.
Wrapped up his club soccer career this spring (just due to time constraints)! 😦 Moving forward to just high school sports- soccer in fall, tennis in spring.
Had a lot of fun with HS tennis this spring:
Wrapped up freshman year in May with high honors and overall just really enjoyed his first year of high school! Looking forward to being able to DRIVE to school this fall (Lord help us) and new fun challenges ahead.
Hawaii 2024 in June… amazing family trip to kick off summer, and he was again such a wonderful sport as I photographed his every move. 😂🤣😂
Always willing to smile for me, even when he is actually complaining and/or annoyed with my photos…. HAHA.
Happy birthday, Ethan!!!
GRATEFUL KAE 
Awww! What a sweet post! Happy 16th to Ethan! I vividly remember turning 16. It was winter and I took stats at an away boys’ basketball game that night so my mom made cupcakes for the whole basketball team which the guys of course loved.
I’m almost 3 years older than you but it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around the stage of life you are in with a 16 year old that can get his license! It’s good to be reminded that I might miss this stage of parenting some day… But I can see how I will miss the elementary school years. The toddler/preschool years? Not so much…
Paul sounds a lot like Ethan. He’s pretty easy going and a pretty happy and easy-to-please kid. He has his moments but overall he’s easy to have around and has a “ray of sunshine” kind of personality. He’s also a saver. We sometimes watch game shows and Phil will ask what he would do if he won $5,000 or something along those lines and he wholeheartedly says – save it! He asked when he will get a bank account so he can save money. He doesn’t have one yet but he does have a 529 plan so that is where we deposit birthday money and such. But eventually we’ll have to get him set up with a checking account.
And you can tell Ethan I didn’t figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up until I was 30 years old! You have time to figure it out and it’s ok to NOT know what you want to do just yet.
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I also have a July 12 baby who is turning 10 today. Happy 16 years of being a mom!! Funny how innate the spender/saver mentality is in kids. Our oldest is a saver and middle is spender as in always owes us money because he can’t keep $5 in his pocket.
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It’s so fun to watch the kids grow up! Happy birthday to Ethan! He sounds like a great young man with a bright future ahead of him.
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Happy birthday! Sixteen is such a fabulous age, right on the precipice of adulthood. I hope he has a great day!
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All the heart eyes for this post, Kae. Love this celebration of such a special young man and loved seeing all the pictures (they really do grow up SO FAST).
It is heartwarming to see parents invest in relationships with their kids and it is so obvious how richly that has paid off with how close you are as a family. Love the picture of you, Ethan, and Charlie (buggy or not, it is ADORABLE).
I hope all the birthday festivities are delightful from start to finish.
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Happy birthday, Ethan.
Honestly, he sounds like such a great, responsible, kind kid – I don’t know if you have to worry about him much. Sounds like you did a lot of things right 🙂
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Happy birthday Ethan! He’s such a big boy already. Sounds like a kind soul and easy going. every birthday is a bittersweet moment for parents. It reminds me the need to enjoy them every single day as our time with day sharing the daily mundane doings is limited.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ETHAN!!! What an amazing guy. And, I know how bittersweet it is. Time really does go by so fast. i like Coco’s comment about enjoying them every single day. When I think about my son going back to school in August I get sad- then I remind myself “He’s here RIGHT NOW. Enjoy this time!”
Wow, Ethan will be driving himself to school- that should help you guys out a lot! I think you have an amazing new phase ahead of you.
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Happy Birthday to Ethan!!! What a great kid! Love the photos – especially jumping off the cliff under the setting sun – that’s got to be like a visual metaphor for life 🙂
My oldest (also Ethan) will be 16 in a couple of months….
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Awww! This was such a lovely tribute to your SIXTEEN year old!!! He sounds like such an awesome person. And I loved all the photos. Happy birthday to Ethan!
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