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Yes, yes, I know, it seems like only a few days ago we had a birthday in this house. That’s because we did. No.1 and Pink’s birthdays are 7 days apart (and Jolly is just before Christmas. Fine planning, indeed).

So – No.1 is eleven today. ELEVEN! It just seems so big. I know we say that every year, but this one feels like the closing of an era – I see him changing right in front of me, morphing from my darling toddler boy into the wonderful man I know he will become. This is the year he heads off to High School, and really the babyhood is behind him.

His tenth year has been a tough one for my biggest boy – he has been very ill, missed two terms of school, had doctors looking VERY hard for leukaemia, but finally – thankfully – diagnosed with CFS. Slowly but surely, since the summer (the restorative powers of days and days spent with his brothers was a joy to watch) he has steadily improved, far quicker actually than his doctors or therapy team expected, and he’s now finally back in school most days.

Has been a nice day – he’s having a birthday of three parts. He’s actually off school again this week with tonsillitis (gah) so has had a very peaceful day curled up in the armchair listening to his new (red, lego, alarm clock) radio and playing his new (Pokemon platinum) DS game, occasionally stroking his new (Swiss Army) penknife. Then next week, when Ikea decide to deliver his new (lovely small double) bed, we are re-decorating his bedroom for him – hasn’t been done since he was 5 and moved in there, and is still complete with larey lime green walls with silly dinosaurs stuck on them (cut from a big board book), so time for a change we though. C NEVER gets involved in decorating choices… But this room has been all his idea. Is all big boy wicked-cool-skateboardery, and is going to be so so SO fab I can’t tell you… But will no doubt show you soon enough.
Once that’s done, he’s having two mates over for his first proper sleepover Boys Night In, with takeaway pizza and no bed time… So rather a long drawn out birthday for him this year!

So in honour of this seemingly momentous occasion (and not in any way because I did it for Pink and would be in Big Trouble if I didn’t), I’ve done another little montage of my bright, funny, silly, talks-too-much boy.

PS – do keep your eyes peeled for a small yellow Lion called.. er.. Lionel. He pops up quite regularly…

No.1 is doing good. This week he’s been in school 5 full mornings, and he’s coped perfectly. A little weary, but enough to make him sleep, rather than make him ill, y’know? The one day he drooped and came home early was the day after we had visited the high school in the morning and he had done the rest of the day in school – late morning, lunch AND afternoon. Bit much for him.
And there’s another hoooge dilemma. We have to choose his high school by Friday. With his illness we hadn’t really considered any but the nearest walking distance one.

BUT.

Now he’s improving so fast, we’d be silly not to look around – small local high school has 120 students a year, is a nice school, he can walk back and forth.. But it is slowly improving from being a dodgy school about 5 years ago, has a very limited VIth form, and less amazing opportunities than… Option B. Big school (210 students) 9 miles on bus, excellent academic record. Long days, big school where sensitive boy may feel lost.

BUT.

Fab Gifted & Talented programme, far far better results, much much more in the way of opportunities for clever boys. We mostly want him to enjoy and be happy… But equally don’t want to narrow his horizons by choosing the convenient/easy option NOW, when later he would thrive in a more structured, academic setting and be thrilled by the opportunities available. Sigh. Local school we visited last week, and it really was good, and we liked a lot.

T’other bigger school we visited today and we’re letting No.1 decide for himself where he thinks he would be happiest – and sod the academic bit.

Option B school is very big, very new… And as we sat down in reception to wait, No.1 leaned over and whispered in my ear “I feel really at home here!”. Spoke to Assistant Head for a bit – lovely, she spoke mostly TO No.1 (not at him, down to him, or over his head at us), she listened properly and we didn’t feel we were being rushed (despite being a last-minute extra visit that was thrust upon her). Then we were handed over to two VI form boys for the tour – and they were just lovely (And taller than me! Scary!). No.1 was in awe for a minute for three, and then just became sooo excited by the school. He chatted to the teachers who’s classes we interrupted (again, instead of acknowledging with a brief smile, they spoke, waved and where possible came over and spoke to him), went googly eyed with excitement at the DT rooms, the science labs and the ICT suites (Geek) and in all he simply can’t wait to go back.

So Option B is the Chosen One! Am very happy with decision, think he’ll be really happy there – just fingers crossed he gets in now.

Had a weird epiphany over the course of the Big School Choosing decision. I have spent the last few years watching him furtively with a little sadness, jealously guarding my time with him, missing my toddler very very much, and feeling that the best parenting bits with him have probably gone now. But all of a sudden the future has opened up again – I can see forwards to who he will be, can see him growing into himself – and already feeling huge pride in the man he will become.