Update II: Isaac's Surprise Birthday Party

The Saturday after we returned home from Texas (July 5th), we had a surprise birthday party for Isaac.
My mom set the whole thing up, Lego Star Wars style.
We had it at grandpa's, and when we got there all his friends were hiding. When he walked into the back yard, they all stood up and said "duuuude!" Is that a sign of the times, or what?
They had pizza and chips and cake and root beer floats (because what occasion is complete without them?).
There were games, like pin-the-light-saber-on-the-Lego-guy, among other things.
Isaac was surprised!
He is ten now, though, so it was a more quite surprise and excitement then it was when he was nine.
He and his friends stood around talking and catching up on summer stories more than they ran around and played.
He sure is growing up.
I don't like it one bit.
And I love it all at the same time.
Sometimes, when I look at him, I think I can see the teenager, young adult, man he will become.
I see it in his facial expressions, in his smile and his eyes and the way he turns a phrase, or laughs at something or talks about politics.
Crazy.
It is amazing, watching your children grow.
And then, as if all this wasn't bad enough, he got braces yesterday!!!
It was an early morning procedure: 8 a.m. on the dot.
His dad wanted to take him, so Isaac came in and kissed me before leaving, and thorough my half-awake grog, I knew that somehow something was changing forever, and more than just his jaw line.
I kissed his little-boy face and felt my stomach flip-flop because I knew the next time I would see him, he would have braces.
Sure enough, hours later, he came home toting a bag full of "goodies": a water pick, a travel tooth care kit, a new toothbrush, the payment booklet . . . and a new look.
Even in braces, he is the most handsome 10 year old boy I know!!
His mouth is sore, but boy is he taking it like a trooper.
I know this may sound crazy, but I believe that this experience will teach him things about who he is and who he needs to be.
Doesn't everything? Every situation, experience?
So, my son is 10 . . . going on 2o it seems sometimes.
I thought about how fast it is all going, how my first baby is 10! Already!
I thought about what we have done with the time. I feel like we have so little time left.
Later that afternoon, even with pain in his mouth, I found him making forts with his brother and planning elaborate attacks (complete with sound effects) for their invisible enemy.
I smiled.
He's only 10, after all.