They grow up so fast. One minute he's a curious, talkative nine-year-old, and whoosh! He's 21, still curious about the world and still with an answer for everything. And boy, does he know how to celebrate.

I shared a little bit of David's birthday today. He and Eric play on a low-key, low-grade softball team on Tuesday nights, so between and amongst all the parties and celebrations, they both showed up at the field tonight. Eric just got back from New York, and David was just back from Margaritaville (among other stops).

Considering everything, they played pretty well. Not up to their own standards, but it's not the most competitive team in the league anyway. Fewer errors and more hits probably wouldn't have mattered, as they lost something like 22-8 (we lost count). They each had one hit in the game, and they both made at least one good play in the field, so the rest of it can be forgotten.

It's amazing they did even that well, with all the distractions. Girlfriends, exes, parents, friends, and one creaky old uncle were there to witness. You can't say they don't have fun when they play. And what other reason would there be to do it in the first place?

In a flash it was over, and they were off to their next event. I didn't follow along, as I'm not doing well in crowds these days. I came home and took another dose of allergy medicine. They can't party too late anyway (yeah, right), since they have to leave for the airport at 5:30 tomorrow morning. I'll see them after they get back from Las Vegas next Monday.

As Suzanne noted, David has been turning 21 since he was about 16. He's been partying hard since at least last Friday night, and a week in Vegas with a few dozen friends, plus whatever new ones he makes while he's there, isn't likely to slow him down. At some point he'll come back to earth. I'm not worried about that, because he's pretty well grounded and focused on his long-range goals. His life might be a rocket ride, but he knows where he's going.