An Emotional Date

My first born, Fraser, starts school on Monday and yesterday I planned a ‘date' day for us. Every now and then my husband or I take Fraser on a date to the cinema or bowling to make him feel special and to do an activity that he doesn’t get to do when his baby brother is around.
 
I had planned our date, I'd booked a day's annual leave and paid a small fortune for tickets to Kidzania at Westfields, London.

We woke up, sent baby Caleb off to nursery (guilt!) so we could have our precious day together, just hanging out, enjoying each others company.
 
It was all very exciting, we got on the train and a tube to London and arrived at Kidzania. We checked in, got our boarding cards and walked in to what can only be described as Las Vegas for kids, where you can be or do anything that you want to. Be a fire fighter, a pilot, a chocolatier, a smoothie maker - anything! It all looked amazing, so much to do and see!
 
And….. Do you know what he wanted to do first? NOTHING! He did not want to do any of it, because doing any activity meant stepping about 5 steps away from me. Adults were not permitted in the activity rooms, but I’d be right there, behind glass watching him. But he wouldn’t join in, the one thing he did want to do was play board games with me in the board game room.
 
All the planning, the journey, the money and all he really wanted to do was spend time with his Mom. I could’ve cried right there in the middle of Kidzania. He just wanted to play a flipping board game or jenga with me! I’d put so much pressure on this big fun day out before he goes off to school but it was all unnecessary.
 
We played board games for an hour or so and did one activity - the only one that they would let me in to (which was drumming and music) and then I said lets go and get a pizza. We went via the Disney Store and then to Pizza Express.
 
As we were travelling home on the train, I was thinking about our day and looking at my handsome little guy and wishing that he didn’t have to go to school. I KNOW, I KNOW, he is so raring to go, he’s ready and it will be great for him blah blah, but I am going to miss my little best friend when he’s there, our little chats and his jokes, I have loved having him at home all summer.
 
Time is one of the most precious things that we all have or can give to our children. You can’t buy more of it and it stops for no one. There is a famous quote that says ‘Life is what happens when you’re making other plans’ and it is so true. It is such a cliche but time really does go by so fast.

From now on I am going to stop putting pressure on making memories. After all some of our best times are unplanned and spontaneous or just relaxing at home! Some of my best memories as a child are just building a fort with my sister, jumping off the dock into the lake 100 times at our cottage - simple things, just spending time with the people you love.

I’m also going to (try to) stop being upset about him going to school. I am going to put on a brave face on Monday when he walks through those school gates (and then obviously run back to my car and ball my eyes out) but in front of him I’ll be strong. I am excited for what’s to come, watching him grow and flourish at school - I know he will thrive there and learn so much more than I could teach him. He’s so bright and funny and Matt and I couldn’t be prouder the boy that he has become.

(Lots of cute photos below :-) xx

Enjoying his Drum lesson!

Rockstar in the making!