Liam is 19!!

Wait. I remember typing, "Liam is 6!" And now you're not. Now you're a college student. I can't believe I've been blogging that long, logging birthday after birthday. Think I'll ever type, "Liam is 30!" Arrgh.

 I am happy to say we've fixed the garbage bag suitcase issue. No matter. You wore it well. 

You got to see your sister one last time before she took off for the Canaries in early September. It was a good summer, with both of you home.  The best.

 Drawing your sister!

We had a seriously good Sasquatch sighting.

Because we're always Squatchin', eerwhere we go.

 We had crazy baby jays to play with for a little while. I absolutely love how you let Josie Jay whack away at your phone. You know how to move around wild birds, which is not much at all.





And you let Phoebe paint your toenail red. Not many about-to-be 19-year-old guys would do that. Nor could most people I know put up with the hammering of a curious young blue jay. You're something else, Liam!



Now Josie's off in the wild doing whatever jays do in the fall--stashing food everywhere, hammering acorns open. Thanks for letting her practice on you.



I thought for your birthday post I'd collect some of your favorite things. Pumpkins. The smell of a freshly opened pumpkin. I understand your poor son has gone downhill since this family portrait was taken. Well, mine hasn't! He's only gone uphill.

Speaking of favorite things, I promised I'd cook you a turkey for Thanksgiving. I found the world's smallest turkey (only 10 lb!) and, inspired by Canary Islands cuisine, I'm going to make a

Ter-What-the-**cken! Can't wait!

 

I'm so thrilled you're thriving at WVU. Making lookalike friends! Have you thought of doing a Liam and Finn podcast? You could speak in Irish accents. PS Finn thank you for taking Liam clothes shopping at the best places. A collegiate rite of passage.

 

Speaking of accents, I ran into someone near and dear at Warren's IGA yesterday. It's Ma and MOM!!

(Aileen works at what was once Liam and Phoebe's elementary school, and all the kids call her Mom.)

We took this picture for you. If she isn't the best I don't know who is.
She told me Sarah has qualified for Olympic trials!!!! Can't put enough exclamation points after that!

 

When I showed her my most recent photo of you (the one below), her knees literally buckled and she said, "Can that be the little boy who wore the cape around his neck?"

"SO HANDSOME!!"

Hailey and Liam, all dressed up for Roomcoming!!

I assured Mom it was indeed that little boy, just stretched out a bit, with his imaaaaagination intact.

It wouldn't be a Mompost if there weren't something embarrassing in it. Just another service I offer.

Home's waiting for you. Just a week! It's not going to look like this any more; the leaves will be gone.

 

So I took some pictures so you could see Marietta in its best dress.

 This enormous gingko reminds me of you. All yellow hair, piled high.

 With the first really cold night, all those leaves will come tumbling down at once, like so many gold coins. Good thing that doesn't happen to your glorious coif after a cold night!

You love to kick through fallen leaves. Here you go.

 

When you come home we'll take a walk in town, see what we can see.

We'll kick through the leaves and go out for Indian food.

More favorite things: I found you a doggeh in Ecuador. His name is Mashi Amigo. His owner wanted to make sure I used his last name. But of course.

He had a very boopable nose.

I couldn't bring him home for you but I wanted to.



Also found a coatimundi. Probably a really bad bet to sneak into the suitcase, so I refrained. Besides he wasn't quite tame.

Photo by Kim Beard





Also found the world's smallest bat

 

which turned out to be a moth after all, but how do you like that??

You've always loved good-smelling things, ever since you were a chunky little monkey.

So yesterday I dug up a present for you--the last tuberose, still trying to put out a bloom spike in November. It's a pink one! I pulled it into the greenhouse. Let's hope for the best!

We'll sit down there and have a cup of tea under the twinkly lights and you can tell me all about WVU and what it's like to take four art courses at once.

I'm deliriously happy that you've found good friends to be with, to care for you at WVU.

 Hilda, Liam and Hailey

Hilda, Mikayla and Hailey, at their first (searing hot) WVU football game.

Juan/Buan, flautist extraordinaire! @the_magicflute on Insta.

"Hang with the cats who have soul." -Geepop

I'm ridiculously proud of the way you've honed your art chops. "Sticktoit-iveness" is my least favorite word, but you've got it, son.

It's good to keep an eye on your process. Thank you for posting your work on Instagram.

 

 I love to see those pictures develop right before my eyes!

 

The one on my studio wall is ever my favorite.

 

We did Parents' Weekend, just not like we were supposed to. We hiked Raven Rock and you told me the entire plot of The Nun, complete with scene framing, and I found myself thinking, "Is this kid going to be a filmmaker?"

We took a slefie with mountains.

And a complete stranger, Steven Ondash (@sjo.photo on Instagram), captured us looking at the slefie. Caught the love, he did. Thanks, Steven!!

 Hurry home, beautiful boy. We love you and miss you like crazy here! Keep shining like the comet you are.   Happy 19th Birthday, Liam!!

 Love,

 Ma