Happy Birthday Steven Matthew!

Well, today is Steven's 19 birthday. I'm really thankful that he made it this far. It is so hard to believe that he isn't still the pudgy little 9 lb. 3 oz. baby I gave birth to. Then again, we have been through so much trauma and drama with him, it sometimes feels more like 40 years than 19!

I had to take him to his eye doctor appointment this morning, so I made him a batch of brownies last night. I also brought a stash of breakfast burritos and a pan of tamale pie, so he was pretty happy. He is going to hide the brownies from his housemates so he can have the whole pan to himself! He got new glasses, since he won't wear his contacts (takes to long to put them in and out and he doesn't have time. In other words, he is too lazy and never took the time to get fully used to them.) He was very good about getting only the things our insurance allows, so I only had to pay a $25 co-pay. I can't wait until he is fully on his own and can afford these things himself!

He did talk about going to school, though, which is good. He said he really likes the idea of going to the nearby community college for the summer semester and then transferring to the community college in Richmond that has a Culinary Arts program. I just don't quite know how that is going to be paid for. He certainly can't afford it and Mike and I can't afford to co-sign for any more loans. I know he wouldn't qualify for a loan on his own, so it is going to be an uphill battle for sure. The thing is, though, if he doesn't go to school, he is never going to make enough money. Even though they are teaching him to cook at his restaurant, he will never make more than $10 or $12 an hour as a cook around here. If he gets a culinary degree, he will have the opportunity to make a lot more money.