An open letter to my children, Evie and Harry.

As 2020 draws to a close, I thought now would be the perfect time to look back on the last decade of being your mam, a little trip down memory lane remembering the last ten years of our family life. Reflecting on the highs, the lows and all of the moments in between that make up our family story.

Family Timeline

Evie, you arrived in October 2010. Harry, you made your appearance 15 months later in January 2012. Despite some of the comments, you were both very much planned. Having you close together has been amazing (although, I have nothing to compare it to!) Yes, you occasionally fight and argue but, for the majority of the time, you’re best friends. I hope that never changes. You’ve both always been good eaters and good sleepers so your early years were pretty easy. You both enjoy learning, settling in to school no bother. Evie, your teachers have always commented on your mature attitude and class you as “an all rounder”, performing consistently well regardless of the subject. Harry, your love for maths has been noted from an early age – you can do sums for days! Outside of school, you both love online gaming, the two of you seem to have inherited my interest in cooking and neither of you complain when I drag you along on random days out (although if it’s too cold, Harry, you will ask to stay at home with dad). As you enter your tween / teenage years, I’m fascinated by your personalities, the little quirks that make you you and your ability to make me smile daily.

Major Events

Luckily, hospital visits have been few and far between. Not least, that time you, Harry, became concussed after dad threw you off the floor (that’s not what actually happened but it’s the version we recount 😂) and Evie, you fulfilled your childhood dream of breaking a bone after a day in Durham. When it comes to newsworthy events, the ones that stand out for me include when Storm Emma (nicknamed the Beast From The East) hit in February 2018. Two weeks of temperatures measuring -5°C and snowfall reaching 50cms. The UK has never been able to deal with snow so you can imagine the chaos that ensued. Schools were temporarily closed and if we thought those few days were tough, we had no idea what 2020 had in store! Which brings me on to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. Working from home and homeschooling became the norm, luckily your school, Bede, went above and beyond ensuring any gaps in teaching were kept to a minimum. Days out, trips, and holidays were all cancelled as we were told we must stay in doors. As I write this, we’re still very much in the midst of lockdown and who knows when we’ll get back to any sort of normality. For the most of it, you’ve both coped brilliantly with the changes and, although you miss seeing friends and family, I think we’ve all enjoyed living in our little bubble.

Fond Memories

My head is full of fond memories of you two growing up but, for the purpose of this blog post, I’ll tell the times of when you both made me proper belly laugh. Evie, you’d landed the role of Mary in the Reception nativity. You delivered the lines with a slight twist that made Mary come across as a feisty feminist. And Harry, you once took a black biro to your face in the middle of Asda and proudly proclaimed “look mam, I’m a tiger!” You wouldn’t let me wipe your stripes off and so we continued the shop while you roared at everyone that looked at you.

Not So Fond Memories

As I’ve said, you were both pretty easy children and I honestly don’t have any truly awful memories of either of you. Probably the worst time was when we had to deal with Chicken Pox. Evie, you had them first. The spots appeared two weeks before we were due to fly to Disneyland. You had a pretty mild case and didn’t seem to suffer at all. Luckily, on the morning we were due to leave, the doctor issued us with a Safe To Fly letter and off we went for a week with Minnie and Mickey. A week after returning home, Harry’s case of chicken pox hit and it hit hard. I’ve never seen a child as covered as you were – they were in your mouth, on your eyelids and in every crease of your little body. You were an absolute trooper though – you happily played in oat baths, giggled as I covered you in the “magic foam” and tried really hard not to itch. You have one little scar in your eyebrow from the whole horrific ordeal.

Personal Achievements

Aside from the academic achievements, I think you should both be super proud of the times when you’ve really pushed yourselves. Remember how you felt when we reached the top of Latrigg and you had that amazing view of Keswick at your feet? Conquer your fears and worries more often and embrace your self worth after doing it.

Things I Hope I’ve Taught You

Put yourself first! Regardless of the relationship, if it feels toxic to you there’s absolutely nothing wrong with cutting that out of your life. I know at this age you both roll your eyes when I tell you to listen to the words of different songs but, give it time and you’ll adore “Sunscreen” by Baz Luhramm as much as I do.

The Next 10 Years

I mean, nobody could’ve guessed how 2010-2020 would turn out so I’m not even going to predict what the next 10 years will hold. But I want you to know how incredibly honoured I am to be your mam, I feel privileged beyond belief walking beside you both as you continue on your journey of life. Hand-on-heart, you’re both proper canny kids.