1.15 Teenage Celebrations

Only two days in the house and already, the triplets teen birthday was upon them. Adaleigh and Laurent strung up a few banners, though the kids vetoed the massive amount of balloons this time, and invited a few friends over to celebrate with them.

"Balloons are for little kids birthdays," Collin had said matter of factly. "And we should do blue and turquoise as the color since we boys outnumber Laura."

Laura thankfully didn't mind at all. She loved the color turquoise almost as much as she loved the color pink.

The morning of the birthday, Laurent was beginning preparations. The kids wanted Roast Chicken (Collin), Chicken Stirfry (Cameron) and Pasta Primavera (Laura) and that meant a lot of cooking. Not to mention he needed to make a cake too. He decided on a Hamburger cake as this would most likely be the last he chance he had to make one. Plus it would be an interesting challenge.

Adaleigh made sure the boys got some breakfast in them and told them the party wouldn't be until later that night around three. She had planned to have the same talk with Laura but she was intently working on something in her room.

"Do you two know why Laura is locked in her room?" she said as she looked over her shoulder half expecting her daughter to come in the room.

"She said she is determined to be an Artistic Prodigy before she ages into her teens. She's been drawing like crazy since last night." Cameron informed her between bites of eggs and bacon.

"Ah." Adaleigh wasn't surprised. Laura was driven like her father. She needed to be creative the way some people needed to breath. 

"Oh, Mom, is it ok if I go fishing until its time for the party?"

"Yes, Cameron, just as long as you get back inside and changed before the party ok?" she said indulgently. Cameron loved that their new house was right next to the pond. He had visited the pond every day since they had moved.

Collin decided to just hang out at home something that Cameron seemed to find really funny. But Collin didn't enjoy the outdoors the same way that he did so he understood.

As he headed off and Adaleigh washed up the other dishes from breakfast. It struck her. Her little babies were growing up. The passing of the mantle would be very soon. As Laurent cooked away dilligently she took a few moments to study Collin. 

He was her eldest but despite his creative nature and his social butterfly wants he had been mostly a homebody. He, of course, was eligible but she couldn't see him willingly taking over her mayoral duties. He might take it on because it was something she held dear but she just wasn't sure if it would something that he would care deeply enough about to see it through.

Next, she peeked into Laura's bedroom she found her daughter determinedly practicing on her violin.  Determinedly, if not very well. Both Laura and Collin had played the violin they owned at what was soon going to reopen as Newcrest Park & Gardens since becoming children but Collin, despite his practicing less, seemed to have outpaced his sibling in violin skills as his practicing sounded much better. Still Laura was very determined.

Maybe she would the next Mayor of Newcrest. Adaleigh could very well see her little girl taking charge and designing the next build. She was creative and driven.

And then there was Cameron.

Cameron, her self-reliant, outdoor adventurer. He was the most easy going of her children and in many ways, the most like herself. Cameron was at ease as much with other people as he was alone and he had such an amazing sense of the ridiculous that even allowed him to laugh at himself.

All her children were different and amazing in their own ways. Still only one of them could be the heir to the Mayoral McGinnis Legacy. 

"Adaleigh?" Laurent's voice interrupted her thoughts and she walked back inside to see what her husband needed.

*  *  *

Before long, the party was underway. Tim was one of the first to arrive, of course, immediately joining in the impromptu dance party that Adaleigh had started with her sons. 

Soon after, very pregnant Eliza AND Summer arrived, with J in tow behind Summer. 

Adaleigh smiled at her best friend and good friend. "I'm really glad you came." then she looked at Eliza. "Though neither of you looks like you are really ready to be here."

Eliza scoffed. "It's mine and Bob's second. We're hoping for a little boy since we had a girl at first."

"And you know I wouldn't miss the triplets birthday. It's bad enough I had to miss the first one because of work. Besides what else is maternity leave for?" she asked jokingly as she plopped down in a chair at the dining table. "But if they don't mind, I think I'll celebrate from here."

With all the guests around, Adaleigh added the candles to the birthday cake and the twins began their transition into teenagerdom.

Laurent was especially excited and zealous in singing their happy birthday song.

The first to age up was, of course, the eldest, Collin.

He aged up into handsome young man. Being the Mommy's boy that he had always been it turned out that Collin was destined to be quite troublemaker as a teen.  Maybe it was because Adaleigh coddled him, maybe it was because he never shared the same sense of humor as his siblings. But upon aging into  a teenager, Collin turned into a slob and his new aspiration was to be 'The Chief of Mischeif.'

Always appreciateive of his father's cooking, Cameron began his own turn with the candles by taking an appreciative taste of the frosting.

Collin celebrating his younger brother's entrance into teenagerdom with a giant horn.

Even Aunt Summer and Uncle J celebrated. Albeit from the dining room but they meant well.

Cameron aged up just as handsomely as his older brother. He still kept his calm demeanor but becoming a teenager awakened Cameron's inner romantic. He gained the Creative trait and his newest aspiration was the find his Soulmate. Proving he is the most like his mother so far having gained two of her three traits so far.

That left only baby Laura.

Stepping up to the cake, both her brothers immediately  began to celebrate. Collin blew his horn and Cameron sang at the top his lungs. Adaleigh watched proudly as they supported her. One thing she knew for sure was that no matter what her triplets would be there for each other through thick and thin.

Laura aged up gracefully. She looked like a spitting image of her mother, although her nose was narrow and upturned in a way that must have come from Laurent's side. She retained her idealic nature though and gained the Romantic trait and surprisingly the Ace Angler aspiration.

Apparently she had always secretly wanted to go fishing with Cameron and becoming a teenager had given her the confidence to admit it to herself. 

Laurent was the most excited for his little girl.

 With the candles blown out, the party began in full swing.

Laurent spread out all the food he had cooked on the bar and called everyone to eat while he began preparing some more bar drinks.

He may have gotten a little show-offy in his enthusiasm for his children. But the food was delicious.

And then the unexpected happened. Eliza went into labor in the middle of the party.

"Oh dear," she murmurred holding her stomache. But she was determined that since knew that she would not be getting any food for the next few hours that she would enjoy Laurent's cooking before she left.

Still it was hard not to notice her pain.

Adaleigh thought her friend was acting weird and went to check on her.

"Eliza, are you alright? Is the baby alright?" she asked concerned.

Eliza took a bite of her food and grimaced. "It's nothing really, just labor pains."

"Eliza..." Adaleigh took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Adaleigh, really its ok. My second go around." she said through a mouthful. "And Laurent's food is worth a little pain."

Adaleigh turned to look at her friend squarely. "You need to call Bob and go to the hospital." she said firmly as she took away Eliza's plate.

Eliza didn't like it, but she knew Ada was right and went to call her husband.

Adaleigh shook her head as her friend walked out the door. She wasn't really sure about Eliza sometimes. Still crisis averted she went off the enjoy her friends.

Still part of her was just as much sad as happy about her children growing older. It made her feel so old.

There was only one thing left to do. Present the kids with their birthday surprises. They had added desks and few decoration to each of their room.

[Collin's Room]

[Cameron's Room]

[Laura's Room]

That night, after all the guests had left and the triplets were tucked into bed, Adaleigh sat in the living room for a long time. Time to get ready for the next generation.