He's The One Turning Nine Years Old...

...so why do I suddenly feel so much older?

Maybe it's because he says things like:

"Mom.  I'm a tween.  You know.  Between being a kid and teen.  That's why I sigh A LOT and stomp my feet."

"Mom.  I can pick out my own outfit."

"Mom.  You don't have to hold my hand!"

Or maybe it's because I can actually trust him to watch his baby brother for a few moments.  And know that neither of them will be [permanently] maimed.

Or maybe it's because he can read his own stories at night, snap his own seatbelt buckle, make his bed, make his breakfast, feed the dogs, and find his way around a computer and the internet better than his Grandma (sorry, Mom!).

I blink oh-so-briefly and he's not little any more.  Where did time go?

What was once this:

Became this...

And this...

And is now doing this on his own...

Successfully building these...

Cheesing it for the camera like this...

 And hanging out with his pooches like this...

Happy 9th Birthday, Owen!  You sure know how to make me feel old.

BUT, as you've already learned, getting older is pretty cool.