Being 19 Awkward But Lovely

Age brings privilege at certain milestone ages you can do stuff , stuff that is important and essential to life in many circumstances from buying a lottery ticket ( at 16 ) to 17 to being able to learn to drive and pass your test to the voting entitlement at the age of 18.But what does 19 bring you other than certain beguilement and confusion, 19 you can still say you're a teenager and that is about it !

Being 19 is I think an awkward age as you can still say to your friends you’re a teenager and your parents can infact refer to you as a teen , you’re an adult but life just throws you awkwardness.We put such an emphasis on age and the importance of milestones no one really things what it is to leave your teenage years.

You have spent nearly all of your teenage years at school then maybe you go to university and you're there with people a few years older than you and it's cool but as you come to the end of your first year at university there's a change a foot. And I think it is the reaction of the prospect of going out into the world.


Taylor Swift hasn't written a song about being 19 but has written songs abut being 15 and 22 so I think Taylor Swift needs to get a wriggle on and write a song about being 19 it's sure to be a hit, hell I will even write it for her!

And the age of 21 IS so far off and here you are 19 and you feel like 19 should have a big celebration of its own !

When you tell people you're 19 people go awwwh and they begin reflecting on their own youth , I am the parent of a 19 year old and it's had me reflecting on myself.I do think 19 now is a harder pressure than when I was 19 but then I remember feeling a pressured from people who were the same age as me and I thought they were doing better.

And family gatherings are weird cousins are younger or maybe adults and you're wondering where you fit in, and you've still not got to go to a family wedding yet ! as none of your cousins have got married !

And being 19 is well just that its' 19 and at 19 you're still lovely wether you're shy or outgoing or somewhere in between and lovely at 19 knowing you're mine.

What's Your Favourite Holiday Snap ?

What's your best holiday photo ?

As a family we've been on many family holidays from Florida to Finland and in that time we've taken many photographs!

'Holiday Gems has asked me create a post based on my best holiday photo! Why is it the best photo? Where were you? What is the story behind this picture? 

It's a tough ask as I've been on so many holidays, we have literally just got back from our holiday in Rome and Rome is such an amazing cultural location. We were truly blown away by Rome with cultural at every single place you look.

So as you've probably guessed my favourite location of late is Rome where we spent a whole week exploring the Eternal city.

Rome is just one of those places you'll instantly live and will want to return to which you will as you will toss your coin in the Trevi fountain.

I feel that photographs should tell a story either by what they convey or how you're feeling.

And now for what I think is the best holiday photo of late is a family photo taken in the Vatican City. The story behind it is that I was conscious of taking family photos before my son goes to university. I'm not known for pulling a natural look in my photos and when I'm asked to smile it has varying results but the result is fun and natural I think in the case of the picture taken in the Vatican City.

The Start Of Myself

It's been ..

No that's a song 

It's been 16 days since I was no longer a teaching assistant and I wondered how I would be , I'm not sure yet as working wise it has been 7 days where I haven't been in the classroom.I think I will feel like myself soon again and this is starting with tea as on the plus side I've more time for tea and when the Uni student is ermm at university I'm going to get out with my camera and take pictures . At the moment I feel like doing that when he's not here in order to fulfill my time and get back to how I was.

We've doing stuff as a family as we are a family even tough the University Student is off to university , I honestly say you rethink that Brexit is a headache then trying packing and thinking of all the stuff that a University student needs it is never ending.

But it is the start of myself you might not think that but it is!

Yeah this is me ~ parenting level achieved today as my son listed me as "Mother " on Facebook 

I've got this parenting lark all sewn up , ps I'm saving that popcorn on my shirt for later.

Easy student Marconi Cheese

I couldn't really make Macaroni cheese before , I know it is a simple dish but you know what the simplest of dishes can sometimes make you fret * I've still got to attempt a Victoria sponge cake.But I finally got my act together not over the cake but the macaroni cheese and I've made it twice.

So simple that even a university student could make it once they've recovered from Freshers week !

Ingredients 

3 tablespoon of plain flour

50 g of butter 

Half a pint of milk or more if needed

50 g of grated cheese 

Method

First prepare your Marconi by just following the directions on the packet then set aside.

In a saucepan melt the butter over a gentle heat then add the flour stirring till it's formed a roux.

Add in the grated cheese stirring till it melts 

Then gently pour in the milk and stir till smooth and it starts to thicken.

If you need more sauce add more flour / milk as necessary , you can even add in left over sour cream / soft cream cheese.

Stir in any other ingredients into the sauce like smoked salmon .

Then pour over the Marconi giving another little stir .

Then eat and enjoy !! you'll never buy shop brought macaroni cheese again !

Letting Go Of That Packet Of Dinosaurs

Letting go of stuff is hard letting go off stuff when it's your child's toy is harder , I'm not overly sentimental but when your own child is off to university then you do crumble somewhat. In the midst of stacking all the stuff for university you'd be forgiven for thinking that Sir Bob Geldof had launched a relief campaign.

So today I'm making the decision to let go of that packet of dinosaurs on my window sill  Toy story 3 has nothing on me and my packet of dinosaurs on the window sill. The packet of dinosaurs is going to my work colleagues little boy who is madly into dinosaurs. So you see that packet of dinosaurs will be played again and loved still I'll miss them . It's probably going to be a case of empty dinosaur syndrome. * coughs 

I'm sure I'll hold it together when we drop of the University student (probably not but I'm sure a trip to Bettys would revive my stoicic centre )

University is a big leap not only for the students but for their parents also it is akin the Lion King where Rafiki holds Simba aloft over the rocks to proclaim him as the King to be.But raising children also means letting them go and splitting the 1000 bag of tea bags with them and the 40 rolls of toilet paper thats currently blocking my hallway.And I think the University student has inherited his love of tea from me I think tea keeps me from going to the dark side. So it is a week on Sunday that we take the University Student up ready for his archaeology course but first there is Freshers week , we have made sure that all his injections are up to today including having the flu jab.

You don't have to take a washing machine to University you might well laugh but that is honestly what in says in the list of things not to take to university ! We have a long list of what to take to university which will vary from course to course.