I remember how excited Reagan was to finally pull on her uniform and walk with Mommy and Daddy to Middlewich Primary School to begin her education and I remember how proud I felt crouching next to her for this photo!

I felt the same pride stood next to her this morning, when Reagan returned home having completed her 26th and final GCSE exam and officially finished High School.

As your Mom wrote on Facebook earlier “Our beautiful girl has completed high school today, it has gone so so fast! So many school runs, last minute onsies, trips, teachers, homework, tears, joys…so many wins. We are so proud of the articulate, kind, funny, faithful, caring, and wise young woman you have become. So poised and graceful, quiet to everyone else but us, we love every single part of you, never stop being yourself, you are always enough! being your mama will always be my most important role”

Words I can only echo on how I feel.

From the very first moment I met you 16 years ago, I hoped I could be the best Daddy you could ever imagine. I’ve tried every day to be that, and I will keep trying for the rest of my days.

You had the easy part being the best daughter I could ever have imagined and you certainly held up your side of the bargain.

You have exceeded all my hopes and dreams. Your academic achievements are just another string to your bow in my eyes. From your first day to your last, you have always given your best, and for that, you deserve every wonderful thing that lies ahead of you.

I couldn’t be prouder of the incredible young woman you’ve become, and I can’t wait to see where your future takes you. Whatever you do and wherever life leads you, I’ll always be cheering you on and loving you beyond words.

Fly high little Dude!

Lincoln in conversation with his mom made light of an incident in a cafe in Northwich today saying he did not flick the bird it was a see you gesture which annoyed me more than I have ever been annoyed with him before!

Knowing that his behaviour is more than likely mirroring rather than an underlying psychological problem it pisses me off that he shows so little respect to us and believes that this can be tolerated or accepted when he is more than very likely in control of everything that he is now doing?

We have raised him to be a kind compassionate thoughtful human being who is looked upon by almost everyone as such, is as parents something to be proud of, and for him to think that becoming some’thing’ horrible just to fit in with people he thinks matter more than who he is REALLY hurts!

Yes he is 14 and becoming a man but real men don’t do that!

He is about to learn a valuable lesson whichever way this goes and only he can chose which way that is…..

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.

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!

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”