Sweet Sixteen

I can't remember my 16th birthday. I remember my 18th, my 19th, my 20th and 21st. My 30th, my 8th... but 16 is a big nothing. I think it was around the time I blanked out most of a year in my memory, for whatever reason (can't remember - blanked it out! :-) ).

Today's my son's 16th. He's taller than me, turning into a man. He shaves (occasionally) and checks out girls (surreptitiously). All his clothes are getting too short or too small. He's hovering between kid and adult.

We've had a quiet celebration. Yesterday his uncles and their families came around for cake & coffee. The cousins got into his Bionicles in a big way!

We three had supper at the Spur - and avoided the singing waiters.

Today it was prezzie, home-made pizza and non-alcoholic champagne, with a movie on the side.

Tomorrow we're off to apply for his official South African ID document - and that opens doors to all sorts of things! Learner's car licence, motorbike licence, part-time work, travel as a semi-adult. It's now that things start to get interesting!

It's been a pretty good 16 years thus far. Let's hope the next 16 are fantastic!

(and no, he hasn't yet been kissed)