My lovely boy is twenty already - how did that happen?

[Kewcumber]

I think there's still a few people around who will remember our story and even might remember back in the early'ish days of mumsnet when I got the call and posted the thread "All my bags are packed I'm ready to go..."

And this weekend my lovely boy was 20, he's not a teenager anymore. We've had a bit of a journey, he and I and he has struggled to work out just where he fitted in and what he wanted to do and I'm so proud of him for getting where he is now.

It's a long story but last year after a few false starts at other things he went back to college to do A levels - politics, history and law, he sat AS levels in the summer and got the highest grades in his year group and has just had an offer to study politics at his preferred university so fingers crossed he'll be off there in September.

Whoever knew that tiny little tot not even sitting up at 11 months when we met who had been a 26 week 980gr premmie who had a "query cerebral palsy?" on his medical would turn into such a star. (Well i knew, but he says I have to say that because I'm his mother - I assure him he's wrong and a blind man in coal shed could see how fabulous he is).

Can you beleive that thread is still there nearly 20 years later!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/adoptions/231439-all-my-bags-are-packed-i-m-ready-to-go?page=1

Congratulations to your son and to you. I’m sure he absolutely will excel at uni. You should be very proud of not only him but of yourself too! (I hope that doesn’t sound patronising!)

Haha! I knew this would be you! Congrats to you and your boy! Well done on getting him through the hard stuff.

I knew too that this would be you posting, Kew! Congratulations and what a journey!
My eldest is now 14 and I am currently battling to go at least some work for his GCSEs…,all a bit of a struggle….but your post has given me hope! x

@Kewcumber

Lovely update. Im sure he will have an amazing time at uni.

My 'boy' is 21, final year at uni and has been accepted on an MSc. He was as special school when he arrived age 8 and significantly delayed.
After the reports over the weekend its great to hear about those kids who are doing well.

I remember you from when I was just starting out and you were inspiring to me. Congratulations on all you’ve achieved with your boy. I agree with @Ted27its so important to celebrate when you can.

Congratulations! And to @Ted27 as well.. The Boy done good, and Peppa Pig is long gone 😂

@Baital
Omg, Peppa Pig still haunts me 😂

If ever I have grandchildren, its banned !

I was there lurking in some of your earliest threads, never commenting because I had (and still have) no experience or advice to offer. And so, so my goodness, how wonderfully lovely this all is to read. So thrilled for DS and you.

I remember your story, pretty much from the start @Kewcumber and I still think of you sometimes (mostly when I'm in Kew!). What a lovely update. I'm so glad you're both doing well.

As someone who's 9yo DD is massively struggling with school at the moment, this thread has warmed my heart. Massive congratulations to you and your amazing son.

congratulation @Kewcumber

Congratulations.

How brilliant, he has gone on to great things.

You're a fab mum. Well done to you too.

Hope all is well with you.

And a quick update...

DS got his A level results last week 2A's and a merit in a Btec and is off to his first choice of university in 4 weeks.

4 weeks! Is not long enough for me to process that my little baby is all grown up. He rolls his eyes at me a LOT.

Congratulations to you both, wonderful son, wonderful mum!!

Congratulations!

@Kewcumber

Congratulations to you and your young man.

A great achievement and a new chapter in your lives.

What is he going to study?

Politics (with a smattering of modern history)

Fabulous

I did history and politics, good choice

Amazing! You should both feel so proud.

we are coming up to our 13th and 10th year respectively of adopting. DS1 has been transformed (or at least his grades have) by taking meds for late diagnosed ADD (I always suspected). Going into year 11 and I feel hopeful that he may do A Levels! and finally left primary school behind as DS2 moves to a new school in September

Hoping for a good transitional year for you @Hels20 , my mum died not so long after DS started secondary it not the best year we ever had... the SEN manager said "I'm not sure he can cope with a mainstream school" to be fair she was great in the end and a big support to him. I sent his previous secondary head (he went to local further education college) an email telling her his results and I got a couple of lovely replies from his teachers who had taught him in his early years - you could spot his interest in history and politics even then! I thought they deserved to know how they'd influenced him.

All the best people do @Ted27 ! How is your health now? More recent news I spotted sounded quite positive (fingers crossed)

@Kewcumber

Thanks for asking. I'm ok, chemo has been completed, thank goodness as it was quite brutal
I am waiting for my end of treatment scans which my oncologist is very optimistic about.
So now just focusing on recovery, though I will be on medication for the rest of my life, currently an injection every 3 weeks and daily tablets.
Also have to figure out what to do with the rest of my working life

So glad to hear, for you and The Boy. About to do an MSc?! I remember the early years! Peppa Pig 4ever... 😂

Oyster is in her last few months of teacher training and about to get engaged. Shrimp is in her last year as a teenager 😮 and starting her second year of a BTech in performing arts at College. Both thriving.

Lovely to hear about you and The Boy - you were both a huge part of our early life as a family.

It’s lovely you messaged his old school, Kew. Soon you will be telling us that he is getting married and having children of his own. I wonder what happened to Lilka.

And are you still with your man, Kew? Whilst school is going well for DS1, he is currently exhibiting very challenging behaviour. He is quite vile. I expect it is a mix of hormones, his ASD (yup - he has that too) but I also wonder if there is some trauma underneath there. Birth mother got in touch last year wanting to get in touch directly with him and I had SS call me up and exploring that as a possibility….DS currently wants nothing to do with birth family.

@Baital

Lovely to hear Oyster and Shrimp are doing so well.
Peppa Pig still haunts me 😂. We went to visit my mum today who is in decline. Her long term memory is still there and she was remembering how the Boy.used to call her every Thursday and sing her a song. She revealed how much she hated Baby Shark !

Boy's graduation is in 3 weeks. His foster carers are coming which is nice. Birth family more complicated as you would expect