Today’s blog is on a personal note.

I realised this weekend that I have now been a mum for 7 years.  You heard it right here. I have devoted the last 7 years to looking after the 2 most wonderful and beautiful creatures on the planet. My Witchlings, who are now 10 and 12, have brought me joy and laughter beyond measure over the last 7 years, along with a fair amount of angst and some tears along the way.  My apologies to every other mum or dad out there who thinks that their own children are the best in the world. But in the world of Parent Gossip, the Witchlings rule.

Since the children came to live with me we have tried to celebrate the anniversary of their placement with me each year. It is called Family Day. In recent years the practice has somewhat fallen by the wayside as we have moved around so much and so many things have got in the way. This year, however, we saw to it that we celebrated.

The Witchlings were duely spoiled with new skinny jeans and lovely tops to wear (thank you Tammy Girl!), and Grandmera and Grapper and The Anti-Cath travelled up from Shropshire to spend the day with us. We spent several hours over a lovely long Sunday Lunch and raised our glasses often to family and parenthood.

It feels like yesterday that two tiny people were introduced into my life. I have protected them and watched them grow and suddenly I have 2 adolescent girls in my life, with distinct personalities and distinctly different outlooks on life. I hadn’t noticed how grown up they have become. Reminiscing about the old days brought back memories of little children splashing in a paddling pool and struggling to walk all the way to the top of The Wrekin with Grapper. Nowadays Witchling 10 is a veritable Thorpedo in the pool and dives like a dolphin, while Witchling 12 will be staying indoors with her DS Lite and a computer for company if she can help it this week.  It is on one hand, a little sad that those days are gone, but on the other it is exciting to know that the next chapter is about to begin for the Witchlings. I wonder what it will hold for us all.

I may be approaching 35 this year (my mid thirties! Does this mean I’m going to be middle aged?) but The Witchlings have kept me young!  Move over Garnier and Olay. The Witchlings are all I need!