Yesterday this boy turned 18. In the eyes of the law - an adult. In the misty eyes of a parent, a lifetime of memories. This adult thing is quickly becoming a reality and then he will be gone. Last week he received his notice to register for the selective service. I've never received that letter. Oh, I knew that guys had to register but I just didn't think about it. It wasn't part of my world yet it is part of his. Today he returned home from school with his cap and gown. A reality of the end of high school. The start of the journey of adulthood, of being his own man. I guess I'm ready. It is a strange feeling. I see that he's ready even if he is fighting it in his heart.  It seems so strange to realize that I have an 18 year old son. I barely feel older than that myself sometimes. I wanted to celebrate this milestone birthday as a family and so something. We had sent him to Washington DC earlier as a birthday/graduation gift/spring break hurrah, but I wanted the day to be special. It started ok, with crepes filled with nutella and then lunch at Old World Deli but it quickly dwindled from there.  The gift that Lona and Job got him didn't arrive in time and so they made due with a card and some rolos. He just wanted to chill and play Xbox but that wasn't a birthday.  He's having a bunch of guys over on Friday night to play pingpong, pool, Xbox, maybe soccer, grill hot dogs and have a bonfire. I wonder how that is going to go. Some kids I know, some I don't, some I only know through the Xbox. It's a birthday celebration but not really because he isn't telling anyone that we are celebrating his birthday.  He just wants to "chill" with his friends before summer really begins and kids go their different ways. I guess that is what a graduation party is but there are so many that we decided to have a going away party in August instead and this relax no-agenda one now. He's maturing and letting go of so many kid things.  The change of style is nice, even a professor commented on it.I'm excited to glimpses of the adult he's becoming.  The laundry nagging bit though probably won't change.