Celebrating – word of the week

I’ve been doing it all wrong. In all fairness, it’s more a question of letting things slip, somewhere between waving the children off for their last day of primary school and this week. That’s a good number of years. To put it simply, I’ve stopped celebrating all the chances that life throws my way. Especially the small ones. Obviously, we celebrate the days that are already printed on the wall calendars, but what else do I let go by with just a sigh of relief that it’s out of the way?

Birthday

This week has been all about celebrating. We’ve had a birthday. Admittedly we always make a huge fuss for birthdays. Eldest teen will have to be renamed next year, as she entered her last year of being a teen, this week. Nineteen!

Celebrating at the lavender farm
Overcast and drizzly day at the lavender farm

I took them all to the local Lavender farm and dragged them round the fields. It was drizzly, but not enough to cancel the walk. I bought lavender ice cream for everyone and a couple more lavender plants for myself, as a “Well done you for completing 19 years of parenting“. It’s a tradition now.Bishops Palace Wells

In the evening, we went out to Wells to an Italian restaurant. First time eating out since her last birthday, I think. So different from our last restaurant visit when we were surrounded by walls of plastic sheeting, which only the lack of the water and a goldfish, and maybe plastic castle, stopped it from being a full on aquarium experience.

A card and plant to celebrate her GCSE results
A card and plant to celebrate her GCSE results

GSCE results

We are celebrating Middle Teen’s exam results too, this week. She worked so hard and we’re so pleased that her hard work has paid off and she can see the effort was worth it. She’s ready to start her A’ levels in September and has already tentatively chosen her university and subject. There is no stopping her now.

I discretely thumbed my nose at a couple of teachers who tried to label her as not good at a particular subject and make her feel bad. This week, she got an 8 in the subject, (an “A” in the old system. Grades are 1 to 9 now, where 9 is the highest and 4 is a pass), so proof that the games not over until it’s over.

I’m glad I had her back and thankful for good teachers in the meantime.

Celebrating with cream cakes
Only one custard tart was left

Double good news, this week, as Youngest Teen is going to take triple sciences at GCSE, instead of double. It’s an invite only course for students at his school. Offered to those that they think will put in the extra work. I’ll make sure he does. Anyway, another proud mama moment and more celebrating.

We did the honourable thing and celebrated both successes with cream cakes. Lots of cream cakes. I can’t remember the last time we had cream cakes and I think I’ll be adding them to all our celebrations from now on.

Running

Good job I’ve been running a lot this week. We’ve lengthened our run to make it two miles (about 3k), with a few walking sections for Hero the Hound to sniff and relieve himself. Usually we run two or three times in a week. This week, each day one or other of the children have wanted to come out too. I ended up running for five days on the trot. It’s a milestone for me, if you’ll excuse the pun.

I am tired. I was definitely feeling it today, but so pleased to get them out running with us. We did have an emergency trip to the shops to buy new running shoes for Youngest Teen, when we discovered that he’d grown again and was running in shoes a size too small. He’s overtaken his biggest sister in height this holiday, so I don’t know why I was surprised. He’s running like the wind and whinging less, so I’m calling it a win.

Cream cakes on blue plate

It’s been a good week for celebrating. I must remember that every success and milestone is worth celebrating with cake, and a plant maybe. Even the seemingly small moments. I hereby promise to do my best to celebrate them all with cake. No event shall go past without celebrating.

Joining in with Anne’s word of the week linky. What’s your word?

Word of the Week linky

11 comments

  1. What a great week of success and celebration you’ve had. So happy for your daughter and her results!
    My best take from your week though was having the kids wanting to come out and run with you! That’s so special in my eyes!
    Well done on your parenting. And I agree, celebrate all the little things with cakes and plants.

    1. Thank you! It has been a big week to celebrate. The children said that I made my running in the morning sound fun that they had to join in. Then they enjoyed it, so kept on coming too. They are far fitter than me, so they make me try harder. No bad thing!

  2. All the celebrations sound lovely.
    Happy birthday to your eldest. My eldest is 19 next month and it makes me feel old. Good on you for treating yourself, 19 years of parenting is a massive achievement.
    Well done to your middle teen with her GCSE results. Good luck to her with her A-levels and your youngest with Triple science.
    Well done you with the running. It sounds like you are doing great. x

    1. Thank you. Time has certainly flown. Strangely, they seldom make me feel older, which is nice. Maybe it’s something to do with less responsibility as they get older.

  3. Belated happy birthday to your eldest teen. My eldest never get mentioned on the blog now but it’s a long time since they were teens…heck they are even past their 20s eek! I’d like to forget I have older children but they still live at home so no chance! I love the cream cakes. I feel kind of mean not celebrating that my teen actually finished school. (The eldest two didn’t for different reasons) So, I might take a leaf out of your book and celebrate her college placement when it’s finalised (we are pretty sure it will be because they have already offered her to resit her GCSEs.) It’ll be cakes all round, I just hope they look as delicious as yours 🙂

    1. Yes to cream cakes and celebrating. It slips by so quickly and college counts as a big deal. I hope she enjoys it all.

  4. Happy birthday to your eldest teen. A walk around the lavender farm sounds lovely. I’ve never tried lavender ice-cream. It sounds yummy. Congratulations to your middle teen on her GCSE results and to your youngest teen on being invited to do triple sciences. Cream cakes is a great way to celebrate – they look delicious. I’m very tempted to start a tradition in our house of celebrating things with cream cakes now. Glad the children have enjoyed getting out and running with you and that the new running shoes are an improvement for your youngest teen. #WotW

    1. Thank you. It has been a good week to celebrate. Lavender ice cream is very nice. As for the running, the children carried on coming out running with us this week too. Still winning!

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