Liam is 14?!?

Liam has had a good fall. He loves fall most of all for the colors and smells. And because he loves Halloween. We go as a family to Marietta for trick-or-treat. And though 14 is pushing it, for someone who loves Halloween like Liam does, it just had to happen one more time.

He gets his love of Halloween honestly. His Granny loves it too. So do his mom and dad.

Liam was to be a zombie. It was something we could do pretty quickly, which was good, because we got back from freezing our bits off at an all-day meet in Pickerington OH with one hour to prep for the trip into town.

Zombie fashion sense--not so good. Bill's victory--figuring out how to wire the burger girl's pigtails into a jaunty curve in less than ten minutes.

The poor discombobulated zombie lurched all over Marietta collecting candy.

He stopped at the funeral home to look for some friends

before turning in for the night at Mound Cemetery.

Happy birthday dear Liam. They broke the mold when they made you. If indeed there is a mold for one so unique. Other than the green mold on your face, of course. 

He runs, too, you know. He's the tall blonde one about eighth from left, a row back from the front.

We took a sunny October Saturday to go to Cambridge to see the kids run on our favorite course. 

Bill gave Liam a pep talk the night before. It was about mental toughness and excelling and lots of other man-things.

And the next morning, Liam ran the best race of his life.

He beat his previous best time for a 3K by two minutes! My kids continue to do things I can't, to do things better than I can. This is the natural order of things.

Always with the black trouser socks. At least they match. 

This extraordinary achievement elicited a whirlaround from Liam's Cross-Country Team Dad, Jordan Anderson, he of the deservedly famed Anderson Family of Runners.

He was interviewed at length by Bill. 

He got Bro-hugs from Owen.

But the hug he was most looking for was from Phoebe

who kicks his butt and cares for him each and every day.

Mam has real tears.

A team photo of Phoebe's cross-country girls' team. Right? Not quite. 

A macro view shows there is a creeper lurking.

Could it be Liam? Would he do something like that, spoil a nice photo? Ohhhh yes.

Yes indeedy.

Today, we are all going to Columbus to do whatever Liam wants. Which may include COSI, shopping for new and groovy threads, lots of eating, whatever. You only turn 14 once. And we mean to celebrate our boy, because there's only one Liam and we love him so.

Happy Birthday, LIAM! 
Keep on deucin' with your swaggy self!
 Love, Mam

I had to embarrass him. It is just another service I offer, along with birthday blueberry pancakes.