Ok, so maybe it’s the day after….
OK, so maybe it’s the day after the day after the day after your 9th birthday,
OK, so maybe it’s a lot of days after your 9th birthday, but it wasn’t when I started this, alright????
I didn’t get around to writing this on your actual birthday due to the many, many birthday celebrations and the fact that I spent 12 solid hours cleaning and decorating for your birthday party. Still, it’s better than last year when I never got around to writing your birthday post at all. Or Mini Mess’s for that matter.
I didn’t win many Mummy points last year.
For your birthday this year, you had your first ever sleepover party. Then, two days later you headed off on your first ever school residential trip. Your first night away from home without a family member. It’s like the world is conspiring to slap me around the face with the fact that you’re getting older.
I mean, you’re now nine. NINE!!!!! That’s one year away from double figures. Two years away from secondary school. Only the same length of time away before you head to uni, and leave home, and get married, and have children and……
Now I’m freaking out.
Can I get a pause button for my children please?
I’ve started to realise that this parenting lark may be a lot harder than I first gave it credit for. I mean I always knew the important stuff – keep ’em clean and fed. Stop them from choking on stuff or setting themselves on fire. You know, the basics.
Now that you’re getting older, all that isn’t enough. Now, I have to worry about helping you build character. I have to instill morals and help you make good life choices, when if left to my own devices I’d spend all day in my pyjamas, playing The Sims and binge-watching Hallmark movies!
I have to give you all the advice and skills that you will need to grow up to be a walking, talking, fully-functioning adult! I’m not even convinced I’m a fully-functioning adult yet! Do you know how many times I’ve flooded the kitchen when I was supposed to be washing the pots? Do you have any idea how many times I’ve locked myself out of the house??
Luckily for me, you seem to be managing rather well all by yourself. You’re slowly developing into a little human, with your own sense of style and your own ideas and personality. I may not always 100% agree with those ideas, but I guess that’s part of having an older child. They’re not always going to think like you.
You’ve had another amazing year, with so many achievements that I could never list them all here. You were moved up to the main group of Television Workshop, as they’d enjoyed working with you so much. You performed in your first ever pantomime at a proper theatre. We’ve had more great dance exam results and more excellent school reports.
More importantly, you’ve just been you. Glorious and unfiltered. I’ve watched you look after your little sister. I’ve watched you look after me! You always try to be kind and thoughtful. You’re even starting to learn that everyone has times when they don’t feel like being kind or thoughtful, and those are the times you really have to work at it.
I hope you had a lovely birthday and I look forward to seeing how you grow and develop over the next year.
Love you always
Mummy xx