Guises and surprises

January 18, 10:00pm

Nathan's 16th Birthday Eve

This year he requested 4 cheesecakes.

2 for when grandparents come over for cake.

2 for him.

I'm starting a bit late but I can do this.

**************

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Nathan's 16th Birthday

Background:

Nathan bought his own Jeep awhile back with his own hard earned cash.

He didn't insure or plate it because it had a cracked windshield

that needed replaced and intended to search the junkyards.

Wednesday evening Doug talked to Nathan about possibly getting

the insurance, plate, registration taken care of in the next week

and the plan was for us to go to DMV after classes Thursday am.

*******

Reality:

Adrianna, Solomon and I race to the DMV after dropping the kids at class.

With proof of insurance and application for personalized plate,

we register the Jeep and run out with temporary plate in hand

heading for home.

We tricked up the jeep with a few extras that we bought,

threw the temp plate on and headed back to Holland.

Doug picked up the kids from class in the van,

fabricating a story about Adrianna's teeth really hurting

and drove to the DMV get Nathan's license.

During this time, we in the jeep ran through the car wash

and hid behind a snowdrift waiting for the call.

As the birthday boy arrived at the DMV,

Doug called asking how AJ was doing, etc...

this was my cue to slowly creep through the Ditto parking lot.

I asked Doug to put the phone on speaker and apologized

for not being able to make it told him everything he would need.

Meanwhile, AJ ties the Happy 16th balloon out the window

and we begin racing toward the van, still talking on speaker phone.

According to reports, Nathan turned and pointed out a jeep that was

the same color as his.

At this point, I am blaring the horn, telling him

I made it after all.
Franchesca had tears in her eyes when we pulled up.
Doug did too.

I had been running the video recorder in the car wash

until Doug called and in my excitement threw it in the seat next to me.

The plan called for AJ to video the entire approach.

Instead, I have 3 minutes of upside down video of the steering wheel.

When I grabbed the cam to get this shot I wasn't thinking and took it through

both of our windows.

The surprise factor was hugely successful. 

Here Doug fields the classic question about what school is closed today...

He was so flustered by the whole ordeal that

he spelled his middle name wrong! 

We attracted quite a few stares.

Seems as though folks just don't have their entire clan with them

when someone gets their official drivers license.

We must not have appeared too suspect

as no social workers arrived at our doorstep.

We walked out and my son asked me to ride home with him.

We had to make a stop for him to buy me a York peppermint patty
and a pop for him.

What a fun day.