Sixteen

We celebrated a birthday in this house a week or so ago.  I am not sure where the time is going these days, I can't believe it is over two weeks since I last posted.  My life is full and happy at the moment but writing blog posts seems to have taken a back seat, crazy really when I have so much to post about!  Anyway, a birthday.  Cameron turned sixteen.  We had a quiet celebration as is his wont.  I took him to meet a friend for a very cold mountain bike ride, he was lucky that despite lockdown that was allowed, that was all that he wanted, he has never had a birthday party with lots of people, he loathes that kind of gathering for himself.  As he celebrates his sixteenth time round the sun, I write these words for him.

You are so much taller than me, about four inches now.  I feel so short when I stand next to you, like I have shrunk and you have stretched.  Your hair is long and still blond, down to your waist and you have this particular way of flicking it over your shoulder to get it out of your way.  Your voice has stopped that squeakiness which I know you found funny, flipping between high and low mid sentence, it has now dropped completely.  Your eating carries on a pace.  I am not sure where you put it all as you are still stick thin and weigh less than me, I am sure you will fill out in time if your appetite continues as it is now.  

You continue to be an amazing employee, the glowing praise I hear from your employers makes me so proud.  You get yourself up every morning to deliver newspapers to houses in our village.  It is has given you so many skills, some of which you may not even realise at the moment.  You are wise with your money, saving most of it.  You bought yourself a very expensive mountain bike this year, it cost £1000 second hand, it took you months to save that amount.  You love your bike and look after it with such care. When it needed some work doing on it that you couldn't do yourself you had the money to pay for it.  We were so lucky to get it back the day before our county went into full lockdown.  You had some amazing bike rides with your dad during that time, gone for hours, exploring the hills around our home.

Lockdown hasn't bothered you.  You love your own company and are happy to while away hours in a book, or hanging out online on the computer that you have also bought for yourself this year.  You were offered part of a PC from a friend, you consulted your Uncle, the computer knowledgeable member of our family, over whether it was a good buy.  You researched what you needed to buy and saved your money to build it into a gaming PC of your own.  You put it together yourself and solved the problems you had along the way.  I have noticed this year that when you get a problem you quietly get on with sorting it, in the past you have thought that you couldn't do this and have stopped at the first hurdle with lots of noise and frustration.  I hope the resilience you have built for solving problems this year will stand you in good stead, they are useful skills to have.

You interest in design has continued to grow this year, you are always drawing, mostly cars.   You have decided that you want to develop your art and design skills and are considering a college course for next year.  It might mean that you have to take some exams to get a place.  I thought this would put you off, but it hasn't and we are now working towards a couple of exams.  You have a place on a virtual open evening at the college next month when you hope to find out more about the course you want to do and what you will need to get a place.  If you do go it will be your first step into an educational establishment since leaving nursery age 4.  It is a big step which you are taking in your stride.

We left you overnight on your own this year.  You cooked your own tea and got yourself up for work in the morning.  You were offered the option to stay with a friend but that is not what you wanted.  You loved your time by yourself and were so proud of your cooking.  You have not shown any interest in it before, I am so glad that you were able to make yourself a meal, one that you made up with ingredients you chose.  You loved that it was so tasty.

You continue to be a delight to be around.  I love your wit, your humour, the words you come out with that have me doubling over in laughter.  Your dry and caustic way of looking at the world which is not hurtful or poking fun.  Meal times are such fun especially when you and your sister get going!  Your relationship with your sister has shifted this year.  You have needed to change the way that you interact with her, not wanting to play the games that she wants to.  It has taken a while but you have found the middle ground that you both need, most of your time together is spent talking with small amounts of play.

You have great taste in music, I love the artists you have introduced to me in the past year, widening my already eclectic tastes still further.  I love that we can share our love of listening to music and that you have found genres of music that you love.

You continue to be my greatest teacher.  I am so grateful for your continued patience with my mistakes as I learn to be the best parent I can be.  It feels like your seventeenth year round the sun is going to be a year of big changes for us both.  I am so proud to be your mum, happy birthday my love.

Fifteen
Eleven
Ten
Nine
Eight