Last Thursday, the 13th, Cedric turned 16 years old. Another person we know quite well, who shall remain nameless, turned 66 on the same day. His initials are DON.

Cedric began his journey at the hospital on Langley AFB in Virginia which everyone knows is peppered with spies and such. Thankfully, his Grandma Diane was on site for his arrival, otherwise, he would have grown up motherless, an only child. That’s true. We think some of the trainee spies were involved somehow, perhaps filling in as pretend doctors and nurses, but there’s no way to prove it so that’s pure conjecture.

Since I was working at the time so I didn’t get to see him when he was right off the assembly line. I had to stay home while Diane attended the event, and that’s OK. I’m glad she was there. I went at a later date and got my baby fix, the best feeling in the world, the first time Cedric fell asleep on my chest. That’s awesome. It never gets old.

During one of their visits to Oregon, before settling down here, Jennie brought Cedric to my work place for a visit. I let him around, introducing him to everyone, and he was especially enthralled with Gretchen’s patterned nylons. In a display of investigative courage, that has guided him throughout his life, he bravely walked up to her and put his little hand on her knee to see what the pattern felt like. After rubbing her knee for a while we continued our introductions.

Another memorable event happened with the gas fire-place in our last home. It was cold out so we had it going and the glass was very hot. We all explained how it would hurt him if he touched it and he kept his distance for a long time. Curiosity overcame good sense, however, and he walked up to the glass, reached out his finger, and touched the glass. It burned him, of course, but he didn’t cry, other than to make a cry of surprise. When asked why he did that after all the instructions he had received he calmly replied, “well, I’ve just never done that before.” This was everyone’s second clue about his curious nature.

Today, Cedric doesn’t feel it’s necessary to fall asleep on my chest, he’s never approached another strange woman so he could rub her knee, and he’s never, ever touched the glass of a lit gas fireplace screen. Those mysteries are solved. But, though he’s as tall as I am, he still huddles with me on the couch which is almost as good.

To celebrate his 16th birthday he received six tickets to the premier of the new “Superman” movie. Though it didn’t officially premier until 12:01 yesterday morning, the Columbia Theater in St. Helens had a special deal with Wal*Mart which allowed citizens to purchase tickets for a 7:00 pm pre-premier Thursday evening. He took five of his friends and they had a terrific time.

At the end of summer he will begin his sophomore year of high school and start the next chapter of his life. We have absolutely no doubt that he’s going to do well at whatever he chooses to do.

Journey on, Cedric.

Here are some pictures of Cedric taken over the years. All but one are Cedric.