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!!!

A Boy, His Dad And The Viking Long Boat

School projects are great but can be hard work. Recently Tom has been inundated with homework. He has had reading, spelling, memorize a poem to recite to the class and his Viking topic work all to do over a short period. Sometimes it does feel like too much for a child of eight. However, Tom has been a trouper and with the help of his parents he has managed to complete it all with excellent results.

The recent Viking topic has been fun and we have the opportunity to do something creative that is a bit different. Tom was given a choice of subjects to choose from and had to complete several over a period of a few weeks. They varied in how difficult they were but luckily for us Tom is up for a challenge therefore does not always take the easy option.

On this occasion he chose to make a Viking long boat model. We all picked our brains on how we could make a model that stood out from the crowd. Eureka!!! I gave Tom an idea that we could engrave a piece of perspex, mount it on wood and illuminate it. He loved the idea. Between Tom and myself we created a totally different take on a model long boat. I did most the prep work, ie. drilling, cutting and set up the picture for tracing. Tom expertly traced his picture of a Viking boat with a Dremel etching tool onto a thick piece of pvc. He then painted the wooden mount and assembled the pieces together, with a little help from me. The final product was great. It gave us some great bonding time.

Well done Tom keep up the hard work and thanks for making this a fun project!!!

A Boy And His Idol - DanTDM

We all have heroes, people we look up to and idols. This is a fact. As we get older we may not react as excited or our idols may change over time. This past twelve months Tom has been lucky enough to meet/see some of his.

Late last year we went to a Sci-Fi convention and had the luck to meet Doctor Who 5, Peter Davidson, who also is the real life father in law David Tennant, Doctor Who 9. Tom was impressed but not as much as me. In actual fact I think I freaked Mr Davidson out a bit. Will have to develop my composure.

We then met Stephen Calcutt who is an actor and has been in quite a lot . He was stand in as Darth Vader on many of the long shots. Tom and I were in awe of him. He was polite and gave Tom some great advice. At the end Tom shook his hand and walked away whispering,"I shook Darth Vader's hand." He loved it.

Tom looked up to these two fellas and to tell the truth I was probably more in awe of them than Tom. There are a few people Tom has grown to idolise, people Tom would like to be like in his mind.  In the past it was through a specific talent, singing, dancing, acting or being a comedian for example. As a fan we would have got our fix through TV, films, shows or magazines. Unlike when I was a kid, now there are extra avenues for people to get into your life. Since the advent of the internet you can now become famous for being you or doing things you like in addition to the old routes.

Tom has been a big fan of Minecraft and video games for sometime now and he has also been a fan of the people that play them for a living on Youtube. There are many Youtube vloggers that specialise in all manner of things. The list is endless. Two of the biggest vloggers in Tom's favoured category are Stampylonghead and DanTDM (The Diamond Minecart). These two fellas play these games but also vlog about their lives. Tom sits there engrossed now as if he was watching a major movie. This past weekend Rachel and myself took him to see the DanTDM show on tour in Ipswich.

I cannot say much about it as he has asked us not to, in order to keep it a surprise for future audiences. What I can say is that he interacted with the audience and had the audience interact with him on stage throughout, almost like panto with technology added and it worked well. Rachel and I actually really enjoyed the show. As did all the kids. My ears were literally hurting by the end of it, it was that noisy, but great fun. To top the show Dan came to the stage door and gave high 5s to all the kids there. He then took a photo for his Facebook page. I can honestly say he seems like a great young fella.

As you can imagine Tom was thrilled throughout and felt ecstatic by the end of it. Glad you had a great time Tom,you deserve it!!!

School's Out For Summer!!!

It is the day of the year most school kids count down to, apart from Christmas and birthdays. The end of the summer term and the start of the summer holidays.. Tom is like all school kids and has been counting down for several weeks. As the day got closer the conversation regarding it became more frequent and the excitement increased. I love how excited and enthusiastic he gets. It is times like these that take me back to my childhood. Great memories. Hope Tom enjoys and remembers these times fondly when he is my age.

For Tom the last day was yesterday and the school hols officially start today. For some kids at Tom's school it was their final year, before moving up to secondary school, and he had the honour to sign some shirts. As Rachel and Tom left the school grounds they stepped over the line that separates the school playground from the outside path in unison and thus it was official. Woo!!! Hoo!!!

Starting today Rachel has taken him to see a film he has been longing to see for a while, The Secret Life Of Pets. He is going to have a fun packed time off. Visiting Nanny O, Nanny Pam and Grandad. Also getting to see his cousins and aunts and uncles a lot more. In addition Rachel and I will be doing fun things, seaside holiday and days out with him.

Let's hope we have good weather. On the off chance that we do I have invested in a jumbo paddling pool for some beach fun but at home.

Happy days!!!

Enjoy Tom, like the song goes, Schools out for summer!!!!