A Boy And The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

This time of year is magical for children and Tom's love for it is huge. As soon as Halloween is over the plans and preparations for Christmas can be legitimately performed. So our build up to Christmas starts with Halloween.

Tom loves Halloween. In actual fact, I would say he loves it almost as much as he loves Christmas and his birthday. No sooner is it over and he is planning his next outfit for the following year. He loves it. He loves the build up, he loves the dress up, he loves the trick or treating and as always he loves a party.

This year was no exception. We had our usual gathering of family and friends. Tom dressed as zombie/ghost. The build up to Halloween is important. He plans his character and costume. With the skills of his Mum he becomes that character. He is so enthusiastic and hoping to be scary, which he most definitely is. The party consisted of spooky party food, spooky music, spooky decorations and the trick or treat tour around our area. It was everything Tom wanted from Halloween.



A Spooky Tom. BOO!!!

Daisy Doo Boo, a spooky boy's best friend

No sooner is Halloween complete and Tom is getting excited about Christmas. The most important thing for any child to perform in the build up to Christmas is the wish list. Generally Tom tells us what he wants and we ensure Santa is informed of his wishes. Tom  has been a good boy all year so he is hoping he is on the Good List. I am sure he will be. Mr Elf has been with us throughout December and I believe he is relaying information back to Santa at the North Pole.

As the epic day gets closer Tom gets more and more excited. As I write this we are now on Christmas Eve Eve, or as Tom now calls it Hypemas Eve. Hypemas is his new Christmas Eve name because he says he will be hyped up all day on Christmas Eve. The mind of a 9 year old, nearly 10, is fantastic.

Tom has done great this year at school and has been a pleasant young man to all, so I know he will be on the good list.

Have a great Christmas!!!



Tom, Nanny O, Ronnie, Auntie Jade & Great Nanny Christmas 2017

 

A Boy Back To School And The Distant Memories Of The Summer Holidays

When most children return to school they are not necessarily looking forward to it, but not Tom. He did not seem phased by the new school year coming. Yes he did have a tear the day before school over something silly, but we got over it. Tom has settled fantastically into the new school year with Rachel making the routine a continued pleasure, earning himself a house point on his first day back.

We are now three school weeks back into the new school year and the summer holidays seem a distant but happy memory.

The school holidays can be a juggling act but I think we have it down to a tee now, but the main thing is Tom had a good time.

There was fun, playing, friends, seaside holidays and Tom's favourite, family.

Most importantly Tom had great fun on his travels and his visits to his family. 

A Boy, His Dad And Fathers Day 2017

What has soothing music, smiles, love, gifts and Pokemon? Our son Tom on Fathers Day this year.

As I have mentioned before special occasions always take special and normally secret preparations. This fathers day was no exception. Tom and Rachel worked super stealthily to provide me with a pleasant surprise on fathers day. I love fathers day because I love how Tom makes me feel so special for being his dad and this makes me love him more, an ever lasting circle of love and happiness.

It started with Tom coming upstairs at about 9 am to wish me a happy fathers day and carrying Rachel's iPad playing soothing music. Bleary eyed I awoke to his gorgeous smile and this angelic music. I told him to go downstairs and I would be down in a few minutes. When I got downstairs the iPad was propped up in front of the TV playing the soothing music. Surrounding a bag of gifts and a card was a selection of Tom's Pokemon characters and other fun toy characters. I opened the gifts and was not disappointed. One thing Tom really does well is choose presents that fit the receiver well. Yet again the boy did good!!! And when I asked what the music was I could not help but smile. In true Tom style the soothing music was soothing Pokemon music streaming from Youtube.

We settled down to a BBQ for lunch. The day was an absolute belter for sunshine, too much for me at points, but a great happy day none the less.

Thank you Tom and thank you Rachel. xxx

A Boy And His Mum Do Sports Day And The Razzle Dazzle

Two weeks ago today, June 8 2017, was sports day at Tom's school and I am eager to attend, so every year I make sure I go. It is not because we are a sporty family, but because I like to see Tom try his best and he did. On this occasion Rachel and I were a bit unsure of the weather, so with coats on we went to cheer our boy and his classmates on.

Sports days have definitely changed since I was a child. Gone are some of the races I remember, three legged race and wheel barrow race to name but two. In are team events and the winner of the sports day is not an individual child, it is the house team that has accumulated the most points over the afternoon. I must admit I prefer it this way. This way no child will feel bad if they do not win a race. 

As ever Tom and his team did their best and as parents that is all we can ask. Well done Tom and well done to Tom's house team, Team Dempsey.

The highlight of the day was not sports day for Tom. It was a date night for Tom and his Mum, they were going on the razz, on the razzle dazzle.

Tom loves a bit of music that he can sing along to and he is heavily influenced by Rachel. He loves musicals and music from shows. Currently he has been loving the music from Les Miserable and Abba. But his current fave has to be Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Tom loves their music and every opportunity he has to listen to them he does, singing or just listening along. Even Tom's school friends love the music now too!!!

As a treat we bought tickets for a cover band that played The Four Seasons music at a local venue. Rachel and Tom met up with our friend Jan, Lady Morrell. Also in attendance in the audience were Nanny O and some of her gang of friends, Tom met up with them at half time and after the show. 

Tom loved it, Rachel loved it, Lady Morrell loved it, Nanny O and all her friends loved it!!! The only one that did not love it was me, because I was at home washing my car....

I love Tom's enthusiasm for fun and music. On his date night he got to display both and had a great time. Don't ever loose your sense of fun Tom or the sparkle in your eye. 

A Boy, His Mum And The Viking Conquest

Doing something creative with your child is a great way to help you child develop. For starters the parent child relationship grows. In addition to this your child will learn new skills and develop existing ones. It is also a great way of doing something fun together. I have mentioned before that Rachel, Tom and myself have done projects for school before. These have been making dress up costumes for book days or costumes related to class topics. We have also made models and pictures as required for homework.

Most recently the class topic has been Vikings. Tom has therefore had plenty of homework in relation to this subject. Rachel, our chief stylist and costume designer, did a cracking job of getting Tom to look like a Viking for the dress up at school. Rachel does great job and keeps spending to a minimum by borrowing or recycling items for the required subject. This occasion was no exception. Tom looked great and fell into character straight away. 

Well done Rachel and Tom!!!

A Boy And His Crazes

When we are children we all want the new in thing and even when we are adults we may yearn for the latest crazes. Fads come and go and may come again. They may even stop being fads and become part of everyday life.

Tom and all the children he knows are no exception to wanting to take part in these crazes. In the last year or so I have really noticed Tom wanting to take part. Some of which he was more successful at. I remember several years ago Tom's elder cousin, Leah, being crazy about loom bands and what she could make with them, she was even selling them at school at one point. Tom noticed how this occupied Leah and wanted to take part. She was a master at it. Tom and his helper, me, where most definitely not. Great idea but hard work for our not so nimble fingers.

When Tom discovered Minecraft I knew he had discovered a craze that he would be good at. He is still to this day. At around the same time Tom discovered trading cards. We had Starwars,Skylanders, Match Attax football and rugby cards to name just some. As soon as a kid starts collecting this type of thing they become obsessed. 

Then we had the Pokemon craze. BOOM!!! This currently rules Tom's life. It started with Pokemon Go. It then progressed onto trading cards, limited edition trading cards, Pokemon DVDs and further Pokemon video games. He even sports some Pokemon clothing. A while ago Minecraft was his life and now it is Pokemon for sure.

There is one exception to Pokemon at present. It is the nutty invention that is the fidget spinner. Strange phenomena, but if it catches on then who am I to judge.

The great thing about Tom is that even though he has found new fads there is still space in his heart for many of the old ones. You gotta love him for his enthusiasm on such things.

A Boy And His First Solo Adventure

All is calm in the house tonight, it is brill. This time last week Rachel and I relaxed after a fraught few days without Tom. Tom had been away on his first school residential trip. In actual fact it had only been his second time away from home without Rachel, myself or family with him. The first was his first sleep over at a friend's a few weeks before, school trip training.

For the past couple of years we asked Tom if he wanted to do the residential trips at school when they came up and he was adamant that he did not want to do them. When we did ask we could see that he was uneasy about  them and we did not want to push him. Then, several months ago, we asked him if he would like to go to Grafham Water and he nervously agreed. This was a big step for Tom.

Over several months we prepared Tom for his first big solo adventure. We talked to him about it to settle his nerves. We made sure we packed everything he needed, Rachel even tried to colour code different outfits to make getting dressed easy.

As the time got closer to Tom going away, Rachel and I got nervous. After all we had not spent so much time without him. Although we knew Tom would be in great hands with representatives from his school and his school friends would be there for him, it did not stop the anxiety on our parts. Then the big day came. We all got up as usual. I did Tom's breakfast and went to work and Rachel dropped him off at school with his luggage. Both Rachel and I were conscious not to make a big deal, as we did not want a sad boy to go on a trip. How little did we know? Thankfully, on the day he was not sad and was looking forward to his trip.

As soon as the bus left the school Rachel kept track of Tom's trip through the school's Facebook and Twitter feeds. She was like a detective on stake out. I was kept well informed by Rachel and when there was a gap in the school's social media updates Rachel and I got a bit edgy. No need!!!

After three days and two nights it was time for Tom's group to return to school. Rachel eagerly awaited his arrival at the school by getting there early. On his return he told us what a fantastic time he had canoeing, sailing, orienteering, swimming in a lake and mountain biking. But when we asked what the best part was he said,"The food, it was amazing!"

Tom going away was terrifying time for Rachel and myself, but a great time for Tom. We were glad to get him home, but really proud of how grown up he acted by being away by himself.

Well done Tom, you did great!!!

A Boy And His Quest For His Holy Grail, The Pen Licence

Tom has always been literally creative and is very capable of putting his ideas down onto paper. His story lines and the detail he puts into them are amazing. As a parent I may be biased, but it is true and every parents evening his teacher has commented on this. Unfortunately, Tom has always been very eager to get his ideas down and content generally is more important than presentation, or at least that is what I thought. Then, on a recent parent teacher exercise at the school, I saw how truly fantastic his writing skills had become.

Until recently I had never heard of a pen licence, or even had an idea on what one was. For those that do not know, a pen licence is given out at some schools when a child's hand writing gets to a certain neat level. It is a great milestone and helps motivate children into developing their handwriting.

For several months now Tom was telling us that different class mates had received a pen licence. As time went on he started to Rachel and myself when the next assembly was that they were given out at and that he was hoping to receive one. In actual fact it became more and more apparent that this was important to him, very important.

Finally, for what seems like an eternity in waiting Tom has received his pen licence. I would even say that it has been like his own personal Holy Grail. Tom has longed for this achievement and has finally succeeded, thankfully.

Well done Tom, you deserve it!!!

A Boy, A Sleep Over And Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2

How long have we been waiting for this movie? Too long!!!

Since the original film came out Tom and I have eagerly awaited this sequel. We were hooked from the beginning. To say we were not disappointed was an understatement. Tom and I have always loved superhero films, especially Marvel. We have also always loved sci-fi ones. So when you combine the two, BANG!!! You hit the jackpot with us boys.

As it has been such a long waited occasion, Rachel and I wanted to make it extra special for Tom. We therefore made it special, but boy was it hard work, worthwhile though. The plan was to go for a meal, take one of Tom's friends and then have his mate stay for a sleep over. A few weeks before the event Tom introduced his mum and friend to the original Guardians Of The Galaxy movie and they enjoyed it. It was a bit of a relief to me that Rachel enjoyed it because she is not normally into sci-fi, but luckily it had Chris Pratt in is all I can say.

The closer it got to the day the more Tom and I got excited. The day arrived, last Saturday. We took the two boys to a local restaurant. Two very excited boys that could hardly keep still and there was plenty of school boy humour bouncing between them. We then went on to the cinema. Armed with our pre-booked tickets, popcorn and drinks we headed to the auditorium, with the two very excited boys, three if you include me. This is where the fun started. Online I had chosen central seats and as the cinema had recently had a makeover we all had reclining seats. Reclining seats are excellent and the walk ways in front of them have plenty of room if people had to get by. Unfortunately for us it was Rachel and I having to get up to take the boys to the toilet several times each. However, this did not impact on  the enjoyment of the film. The gang of Guardians kept us entertained. Baby Groot was probably one of my favourite characters of the night. We all gave it two thumbs up.

Then we had the sleep over!!! It was Saturday and the boys were not in a hurry to go to bed, but by 11pm they were tucked up. It took until gone midnight for the boys to finally get to sleep. By this time Rachel and I were pooped, absolutely knackered. The next day the boys played Pokemon together and were quite relaxed, but Rachel and I were still whacked all day.

It was hard work. Was it worth it? Hell yes!!! Seeing Tom happy is always worth it.

A Boy, A School Disco And The School Play

It has been the build up to the school Easter holidays. As all kids know things get more relaxed and fun at school. This year Tom had the school Easter disco and a starring role in a school production, as the villain.

We follow the same routine prior to every disco. Rachel gets helps him get all smart, excited and takes a pre-disco photo. He is then delivered to the school for a boogie.What goes on in the disco only the teachers, helpers and kids know, but they all come out happy and buzzing. In addition Tom comes out wet. Wet??? Yes, generally wet. Not from a water fight or a drink thrown at him, but from the sweat of an hour of constant jiving. Tom really does loves to party and dance at the disco. The kids get so much from this type of event. Whether it be exercise, fun or even a different way of interacting with the teachers. Of the last point, I think it is hugely important that the children see the teachers having fun, I think it helps create a more relaxed atmosphere.

The pinnacle for the end of term fun was Tom in his first starring role of a school production. He was great!!! It all started with auditions. Tom knew before he even got a part which part he really wanted. The role he craved for was that of the villain in Aladdin, Abanazar. As soon as he got the part he was made up. Rachel and I were worried as it was a big part and a lot to learn. We did not need to worry, because after a couple of months of rehearsing at school and at home with Rachel he did a phenominal job. The two of them did a great job. He was great!!! The show was performed three times. The first showing for the school, the second for parents but afternoon and the third, an evening performance for parents. Rachel attended the second with her Mum, sister and neice. I attended the third with my Mum. What a treat it was. Tom and the rest of the cast delivered a very funny pantomime production that brought a tear to many of the parents. Tears of joy and pride. This included me. He was great!!! Rachel and I really do have a talented son.

Did I say Tom was great? I am sure I did. Proud parent thing...., but he was great!!! Well done Tom and really looking forward to the next production.

But I think the pinnacle for Tom and all the children is the very last day of term. Holidays to look forward to. Easter eggs to look forward to. Fun to look forward to. Enjoy Tom, you deserve it!!!