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 Bear’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 Bear 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…