T is now a teenager! Weds 4th Nov 2015

To our T, 

On your 13th birthday, here’s 13 things we love about you.

  
Yes, little man you enter the world of teenager-land today. It’s felt at times this year like you’re already there, football disappointment, mega amounts of school work and the fact that you can change emotions like the flick of a switch have all taken their toll this year.

You’ll get embarrassed by this post, you don’t really want to be in photos anymore and in true T-style you’ve told me off for smiling too much this year. Not manic smiling btw, just me being happy after all my smiley “stuff” this Spring and showing it.

But anyway, this isn’t about me, it’s about you! Our 13 year old, what can we say….

1. In true T-style, you were bang on your due date! You don’t like being late and you always like to know where, when and how to get somewhere when we’re out, so it’s perfectly logical to you to arrive when expected. I can just picture your face as you say “well, why wouldn’t I?”

2. And you were born at home, in our old house. Again, for someone who is very much a home bod (unless you’re playing in a match) that was perfect for you. You don’t remember too much about that house as you were 18 months old when we moved but it’s known as the “blue house” and that’s how Dad and I met, when he changed the rather boring old exterior walls to a nicer cornflower blue colour – little did I know how much of a Blues fan he was and that you would be rather a passionate one too! Life is funny sometimes.

3. Talking of funny, I love your sense of humour, the way you giggle so much you get hiccups – which makes you laugh more until they irritate you and then the icy T-glare takes over, which means Stop Laughing, Now.

4. That T-glare is very evident when you’re in protective mode. You are very protective of your sister and me when we’re out. Woe betide anyone who points or stares too much at your sister, out comes the glare (ditto if I smile too much, which (ssh!) I must admit I do do sometimes to annoy you a bit – well, what are mums for, if not to provide embarrassment?!?

5. You’ve never been one for your cuddles or “I love you” so that makes a cuddle rather special. They’ve been a bit more frequent as you’ve dealt with all the football ups and downs this summer, they’ll always be available – if and when you want them.

6. At your age, I was just getting into music and would “drum along” to songs on a biscuit tin with chopsticks – not always a popular move but perhaps the only way to listen along to Phil Collins’ songs! You prefer your YouTube videos, each to their own. The language on the commentary can be a bit fruity (shall we say), but, like when you watch senior football, you know it’s something that shouldn’t be repeated and, if you do have to tell me something related, you spell it out so your sister doesn’t get it. Thank you for that! 

7. Another thing you’ve inherited from me (and your dad) is your determination to get things done and to the best of your abilities. I’ll admit to a hefty dose of stubbornness too. It gets things done but it means that sometimes you take yourself on a bit of a journey to do your best. I love that you persevere, in everything.

8. One thing that has challenged you this summer is your football team. Your dad and I tried to keep the team together after the (not very good) manager left suddenly but the timing was dire and it didn’t happen. We know how disappointed you were, how you enjoyed playing as a team with the same boys (bar a few changes) that you had since you were 7. It’s been difficult, you’ve had to integrate into a new, a one year older team and they don’t play as a team, not yet anyway. You immerse yourself in the game, see where you need to be and get there, you are a wonderful team player and we know you find it extremely challenging to keep motivated when the losses are frequent. We admire you for sticking with it and hope things turn around soon.

9. Being in a team means you have home and away games. Dad is a willing chauffeur, driving you here, there and everywhere on cold, damp mornings. You like to know the route and will remind him if he takes a different way, sometimes he means to, sometimes he doesn’t (!). He misses that you used to call the indicator sound the “tick tock”. He’s good, your dad, living his childhood again through you, especially when it comes to football.

10. You make me laugh, our T. Especially on days like today, when you’ve “accidentally” left your cooking at school. I know it’s a rush at the end of the day but that little smile as you get off the coach and anticipate what I’m going to ask (ie. did you remember your cooking?”) tells me that it’s your way of having a bit of fun. Shame cos your recipe today was for a double chocolate Malteser cheesecake – yum, yum and yum again! Hopefully it will make its way home tomorrow.

11. School now. We are mega proud of you and how you’ve adapted to secondary school. Off you trot, whether in sunshine, drizzle or windy weather, to catch that school coach. You had 100% attendance in year 7 and, even though you get extremely cross if the coach is late, you wait and you get there. It wouldn’t cross your mind to do anything else. It’s a case of A to B for you.  

You have the lessons you like (Maths and PE) and the ones you definitely don’t. You get off that coach fuming at times because you haven’t hit it off at all with one teacher. She knows it and there seems to be a mutual dislike. It happens. If everyone liked each other all the time it would be very boring. Well done for sticking with it, for not back-chatting too much and for letting it go sometimes.

12. You and your sister try and get me into your Minecraft worlds sometimes, purely so you both can laugh at my appalling lack of how-know around the game. It’s great to see you both laughing as I “drown” again because I’ve ventured into a lake accidentally or I try and pet an animal – not appreciating that it causes damage to them. It’s times when we’re all laughing that I think I love you both even more, we might not have the “traditional” family set-up with everyone sitting around a table eating a roast dinner (more like three separate ones) but that’s okay, that’s why we get by.

13. You are the second child I didn’t know I’d have. I kind of always knew I’d end up a single parent  having had your older brother. I met Dad, then we got engaged thinking if any little ones come along, that will be a bonus (as having your older brother took a course of treatment too), wedding preparation followed. I didn’t expect to fall pregnant with you within two years of knowing your Dad and I was a bride with a little bump. It’s nice to know that you were at our wedding too, our little man. Your sister arriving 18 months later was a lovely bonus too.

I’m a better person for knowing you, our T. You have taught me so much about life, about living with autism, about what can be achieved if you put your mind to it.

We’d rather time slowed down a bit now, before we know it you’ll be taking exams and thinking about the future.

Enjoy being a teen and thanks for the cuddle today,

Your Very Proud Mum (and Dad too)

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