And now you are 12

And now you are 12

And now you are 12 my son and what a journey you have taken over the last 12 months.  I can’t believe that we are almost in the teenage years.  This last year you’ve gone through another lockdown, the hell that is and was school at home, more time away from your bestie too.  You had to deal with two different teachers in your last year of Primary school, you started Year Six with one class and ended with another.  But you made it and I was so relieved and pleased for you that you got to finish Primary School in school with your best friend by your side.

We found out that you’d got into our Secondary School of choice and we all rejoiced.  We planned your route along with your best friend.  We prepared as best we could.  But covid guidelines meant that you had to walk into school by yourself on that first day and take your first LFT in school surrounded by strangers.  You did it, took it all in your stride.  I won’t ever forget the beaming smiles at the end of the day when you and your bestie got home and told us that you were in the same form group and then in all the same lessons together.  What a relief all around.

You’ve had an amazing first parents evening.  You’ve settled really well, work hard, try-hard.  We’re very proud.  If you could show the same resilience with your homework that would be wonderful, but I guess you can’t have everything. You look so grown up in your uniform.  Laces have been mastered as has putting on a tie.  You’ve tried new things, made a few more friends and now you are 12 and growing up in so many ways.

You still love Lego, you are the ultimate designer and engineer.  You look at a photo of a locomotive and the next thing I know, you’re showing me that loco made in Lego.  I have no doubt that you have a talent for something that neither your father nor I have.  It’s impressive, I hope you keep it up for a long time to come.

Your Uncle and cousin’s partner let you loose on their F1 games with all that that entails and you loved it.  You’re a boy of few words, still, but the smiles often tell their own story.  You’ve lost an Uncle who was older than your Gramps and been to yet another funeral.  It broke my heart a little when you asked if you’d ever get to go to a wedding instead.  There’s been so much loss in your 12 years.

You always ask to light a candle for those you’ve lost whenever we go into a church or cathedral, even for the grandparents you never got to meet.  You’re a sensitive soul and I hope that never changes.  We reached the first anniversary of losing Paddington, you struggled so much with missing him but you now sit and laugh about all of his adventures.  He’ll never be forgotten, but you have Brewster, Pippi and Fudge to love and hug.

Still not a lover of reading, but you do like watching films now, and we finally got to watch all of the Harry Potter films much to my delight.  We’ve only been to the cinema and theatre once this last year thanks to Covid, but you still love both.

And now you are 12

We’ve not done anywhere near as much travelling this year thanks to ‘it’, you’ve still not seen your grandparents in Spain, hopefully, 2022 will be third-year lucky! We can but live in hope.

I can’t quite believe that this time next year I’ll be looking at a teenager.  You already have bigger feet than me, you’re only a few inches shorter than me now, where will you be next December.

Happy Birthday young man, sorry you’ve got to go to school today, but come 3pm it’ll all be about Lego, pizza and having fun.  Homework can wait until Monday for a change!

 

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