2026

What if?

Since yesterday my mind has been in overdrive wondering if we missed something of if we are to blame for how Lincoln is behaving but also in the back of my mind I have this nagging doubt that it might not be all it seems, but daren’t voice it incase my ignorant uneducated opinion is wrong!

…but what if he’s doing it for attention?

Another performance where everyone is watching and it feels almost like Wizard of Oz felt.

We were called by his RS teacher this evening someone we all hold in high regard and as such she felt she could tell us the truth and talk at times “off the record” about the situation which I am so glad she did!

The “Ticking” she described as an epidemic in the school which did begin during Wizard of Oz and that several of the cast now do it from all the years involved and that although it is getting worse non of the students outside of the performance are involved. The school are aware that they have to tread carefully here because there may be an actual problem that they are not qualified to diagnose judge treat whatever but it just seems strange that its this group only.

Lincoln’s girlfriend Liv has diagnosed tourette syndrome and is managed by the school for that to help her throughout the day, and Lincoln could be mirroring her which is very possible. We know you can’t catch it but you can mirror the person especially if you are in their company a lot and if you see them treated differently? Lincoln is in love and I can imagine if he thinks she might like him more for any reason his 14 year old mind might think lets do it!

The school recognises that this group hang around together and like Jamie says from her psychologist view point children will gravitate to like minded people and do things to be accepted by them. She pointed out that everyone was gay this time last year yet only the actual gay person in that group is still gay, and Lincoln came then and proclaimed he’s bi?

Actions that were “positively” reinforced because in this day and age you are allowed to be anything you want to be which is fine but at 14 you just want to be accepted and liked and are prepared to be anyone but yourself to achieve this!

The teacher asked us to respect that a lot of what she told us was off the record and that she just wanted us to know its not just Lincoln. We are so grateful she did because it made us feel so much better knowing the facts rather than possibly spending thousands seeking private help.

We will go and meet with the school next week to discuss it officially and make a plan to help the children through this.

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Tick that one off

We always question our parenting but are usually reassured by each other firstly and from outside the home too which helps us believe we are doing ok. So its hard when someone says either of our children are not perfect but that is now what we are hearing about Lincoln, that he is being hauled out of class for swearing or being reprimanded for refusing to wear school uniform which just doesn’t make sense but its not one person its several?

For a while now he has been “ticking” which involves head twitching that he says he can’t help, and now there  are sounds like whistling and as mentioned swearing which again he says he can’t help. The involuntary twitching we were told best to ignore after trips to the doctor and getting blown off by, because drawing attention to them could make them worse, so we did. To be told now that he’s telling teachers to “fuck off” and being told to leave the classroom can’t be ignored and we have to do something.

We sat him down and talked it through with him at length and he told us that it happens when he feels stressed which is fair enough but it only happens in school. He said that’s the only time I am stressed.

The school called and said they need to get him assessed and that a school psychologist councillor will be brought in, so this is about to get officially serious for him because the school want to help if he has a problem, so do we.

His behaviour is changing he is 14 years old but this has happened so quickly and come out of nowhere it has really caught us off guard and made us extremely worried when he has never presented anything remotely like this before and for us the catalyst was Wizard of Oz his school performance which I guess could have triggered underlying issue?

Tomorrow the school are going to call us to formulate a plan going forward so we can get him the help he needs!

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Its a promise

Jamie travelled to London this morning just for the day to attend a couple of important meetings in person and returned this evening which left me to walk the Billster make sure both kids went to school (although Reagan was practically the only year 11 pupil in school today) and work before taking both to music lessons eventually getting to sit down at 8:30 just before Jamie arrived home too

Reagan needed some photos of her educational Journey to send to school for the leavers assembly on Friday so tonight while mom helped her collate a few good pics I got Reagan to promise she will pose for her final day in school photo

She agreed so a promise is a promise!

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Dream big

Talking to Davy on a night out with Jamie’s mates he told us how things in his village in Malawi were becoming reality but how shocked he was that they had given him the go ahead for a hospital! He told us that he could not believe they said it but felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the project that felt impossible.

I told him that all he had to do was believe, because once he did it will become possible.

No it won’t easy, nothing good ever is but it is possible and that means everything!

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Drawer fronts

Going to see Nannie is becoming what I do on Sunday morning Billy loves it he get a treat and I love it too.

Sunday afternoons and anytime I get is spent in me shed attempting to make things from the wood I already own which means no cost today because I  already spent it…

Today I made drawer fronts on my bench under the table saw something I have wanted to do for ages just to match the rest of the drawers I’ve made, and succeeded in the “scrap wood challenge”

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Costco or bust

We are running low on toilet paper we only have 3 packs left in the store we need to to go to Costco

I think she secretly loves going to Costco?

We went to Costco leaving Reagan studying and dropping Lincoln off at his girlfriends house on the way. For me I get to spend quality time with Jamie, for her she gets to buy American stuff

Thats a win win

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Let’s end this

As always on nights out with my mate Dave we go to a pub and we all have a great time, beer flows we laugh we joked and everyone is happy….except one?

Since I have known him he has always thought that there is something better somewhere else and we need to be involved, yet every time we leave a pub that everyone is happy in, the night breaks down like tonight.

We were all on a rare night out together and everyone was enjoying each other’s company beer was flowing and it was perfect, but then Dave says right we’re off to the White Bear which we all agreed to do but that practically killed the night.

We got there at 10:30 they rang the last orders bell at 10:50 and I am writing this lay in bed at 11:20?

I can still hear the Cheese playing music ffs…

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Best exam ever Pt2

Reagan left for school somewhat unprepared or so it seemed, still revising History while struggling to eat any breakfast, watched by her friend who had to  wait while she gathered her things before they both left.

French and History exams awaited them both and although the first one was important to do well in I was concerned that she may struggle in History a subject she intends to study at A level, if she feels unprepared.

Let’s just say I need not have worried as she burst into the bedroom where I was working proclaiming Best exam ever although Physics maybe still number one!

Dad it was perfect everything I’d revised was on the paper even the big question was on what I was revising on my white board at the breakfast table. I found it quite easy. I told her that’s because the hard work she’d put in was paying off!

I asked Did every one else find it easy which she said actually no most people seemed to say they struggled which means they just didn’t work it hard enough.

She said French was great as well and feels confident she did really well in that too.

I am so proud of her and how she is handling these exams proving to herself mostly that hardwork pays of, and that might prove the most valuable lesson of all, but for now I just made sure she knew how very proud I am of her!

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Pool win

Good win tonight against a tricky side Albert’s Corner with some good pool played by all. On a personal level although not perfect I have played quite well the last few weeks winning 5 of 6 frames I’ve played a real upturn in performance since changing the way I play. My concentration level is better and I consciously stay down on each shot which has really helped me improve. I go earlier and get a few practice frames which also help a lot too.

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Best exam ever

For some reason Physics has finally clicked with Reagan and last night she was buzzing that the revision was flowing and she just seemed to get what they’d taught her finally.

So it was fingers crossed today that she carried that confidence through into the exam it self!

When she arrived home she gushed with excitement “Dad it was brilliant, easily my best exam so far,I even answered the circuit questions…!”

Wow

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