I'm loving the ages my kids are at right now. The way our family works. We are sleeping through the night most nights, we can discuss anything and everything, we can go out for a coffee in a cafe, we can be silly, we are happy at home playing games and making stuff, we can go for walks around the place and everyone will walk, everyone still wants to hang out together and they are still happy for me to be the style police.

We've had little glimpses of the future in the past few months and I'm not ready.

There have been arguments about mobile phones, about hanging about in town unsupervised, about bed times and about what goes on at other peoples' houses and it terrifies me.

I'm not ready.

I don't know how.

I remember being that age where I was filled with a restless need for something big and wanted to challenge authority and be an individual. I have no idea how my parents parented me though it and I have no idea how I'll deal with it.

I'm not ready to give up being their bestie yet. I still want them to ask me if what they are wearing looks good, to tell me their secrets and to cuddle me and hold my hand.

I'm not ready to be the baddie. I don't want to be the law enforcer. I don't want them to pull away.

So if its ok with you, then we'll freeze things here and now.

If you are looking for us today, you'll find us at the craft table cutting and pasting. We'll be wearing daggy home clothes and listening and singing along loudly to music and maybe if you look carefully you'll see a funny dance move or two.

Have fun. Stay young and silly.

XX