Bronwyn Green

It’s Killian’s birthday, today. He’s 16.

I was foolishly looking through baby pictures – foolish, because now I’m feeling like a bit of a sad panda that my boy has gotten so old so quickly. I blinked and he went from wearing his Harry Potter robes everyday and flying around on his broomstick to texting his girlfriend (!) constantly.

I’m acutely aware of the fact that there are plenty of parents who would give anything to see their children turn 16 and never will, so I refuse to be depressed about it. I’m lucky to have this great kid. He very rarely gives me grief about anything, he’s pretty helpful, he’s kind and funny and sarcastic. He’s pretty much the perfect kid for me. Note: I didn’t say perfect – just perfect for our family. I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten this one.

This is Killian at about 18 months (and my mama). Whenever my mom comes over, the first thing she does is put the kettle on the stove for tea. Doesn’t matter if it’s winter or summer – there must be tea. When Killian was little, she’d always share her tea with him. In fact, as soon as she’d walk in, his little face would light up and he’d run to the kitchen gate babbling, “Grammywansometea.” Which translates to “Grammy want some tea?” We still joke that Grammywansometea is her Native American name.

Damn…I still need to make cake!