When I was fifteen…

“Mummy, in ten years I will be FIFTEEN which is a grown up!”

That is quite possibly the scariest thing that has ever come out of my son’s mouth. Fifteen? I remember all too well who I was and what I was doing at fifteen.

At fifteen I smoked, I drank (like a fish – white lightning cider and 20/20 do not mix well), I fell in love (lust), lost my virginity, had my heart broken (crushed in fact, which I replayed repeatedly to Tom’s Late Night Love-In on the radio as I sobbed into my pillow), I wore ridiculously high mules and suitably short dresses and had a heavier hand with the eye liner than David Bowie ever did.

Don’t get me wrong, at 15 there were some amazing things that I miss to this day, probably most of all the ability to leave the house braless, without tripping over something. At fifteen I was invincible, I was sure, I was so naive.

What do you remember about being 15? For the most part I loved being 15, heart-break aside, and if I could reach back and grab my 15yr old self I think rather than tell her not to do things she did or make the mistakes she did I would just give her a big hug and let her get on with it. My teenage years went a long way towards defining what and who I would become later on.

Tell me about your 15yr old self.

And for those who were 15yr old girls, and now have grown up boys, tell me it’ll be easier!

 

photo by photoproject2004 via PhotoRee

Working from home mum – the Jubilee half term edition

One of the best things about being a freelance writer and working from home is that the work can be completely flexible when necessary. This week is of course half term and we’ve had the Jubilee celebrations as well. Being self-employed I haven’t had to book holiday leave, I have simply done a bit of a switch-around and freed up time to spend with my favourite people, Roy and the boys.

 

Grandad and Kieran - Thirsk Jubilee celebrations

We’ve had a great half term so far, with Jubilee celebrations at home and in town with the rest of Thirsk, a big family get together / birthday party and barbecue, lunch out, baking, lots of Star Wars-related art and craft and of course playing with cardboard boxes.

Box fun

This isn’t the longest of blog posts because I have to finish some bits and pieces before eating Kieran’s blueberry jelly surprise, cooking a Wookie tea and attempting the world record for the number of bubbles in a kid’s bath.

Playing nicely

Whatever you have done this half term, whether you’ve been working or not, I hope you’ve had a great time. I for one will be sad when the half term is over and “normality” resumes!