As years go, this year has probably been the most emotionally draining year. It’s also been even busier what with us entering the home stretch to the world of school. I thought last year was a busy one, but as T is getting older the years seem to be passing us at the same rate as his legs. If I’m not working, we are out and about, seeing friends, or squeezing in a holiday or two, and whilst I honestly wouldn’t change it for the world, I wouldn’t mind a few more days with T before his next growth spurt or developmental milestone.

I know I say this every year, but this year was by far the best one when it comes to T (it probably wasn’t the best as a whole though, which I explain later on). As much as we’re getting further and further away from T being our ‘baby’, with his independence growing rapidly, I’m thoroughly enjoying having a three-nearly four year old and the magic that comes with it.

Here’s what our 2018 looked like. If you’d like to read about our 2017, you can find this here.

2018

January – March

The year thankfully started off quite quietly, but not before I set myself a few goals for 2018. I don’t do ‘resolutions’ and I’ve fallen our of love with the phrase ‘bucket list’ but the thought of some goals to work towards or little changes looked much more appealing. I’ll be writing about how I got on very soon.

The rest of the quarter saw the start of our new feature; ‘T’s Reads’ as well as finding a few new places to visit as the weather got better. We also got a taster of what Camp Bestival had in store for us this year with a disco at Stanmer House with Big Fish Little Fish!

As a family, we also experienced ‘Night Terrors‘ for the first time with T, which seemed to last a lifetime, as well as what every other parent experiences when their only-child reaches the age of three. On a much sadder note, we also found our Sharon’s Father had cancer.

Favourite Posts: Just ‘The One’, Days Out: Go-Ape, Crawley.

April – June

April is always one of the busier months, with T’s and Sharon’s birthdays right at the very beginning. T turned three this year, and we celebrated with a super-hero party with friends and family, as well as a trip to the Romney, Hythe, and Dymchurch Railway.

Later on, just three months after his diagnosis, Sharon’s father passed away. Two days before Sharon’s birthday and just before we were due to go on holiday with him. As expected, this hit us incredibly hard – especially T who is still incredibly attached to this Grandad. Whilst we were undecided about going on holiday, it was actually well-timed as an escape to our favourite location; Dorset, was just what we needed.

In May, I celebrated my birthday and we took ourselves on lots of lovely days out, such as; The Warner Bros. Studios and Godstone Farm in Surrey. We also shared our packing list for Camp Bestival which was next month!

Favourite Posts: Three Year Update, A Microscooter Adventure: Our Favourite Places to Ride, Judged for Being a Two Mum Family.

July – September

Officially (and eventually) Summer, July through to September was dominated by our favourite festival; Camp Bestival and later on; Pride. Before heading off to Camp Bestival, I filmed a little video with T about what he’s looking forward to the most at Camp Bestival this year as well as what food we were taking!

In July, we took ourselves off to Dorset for Camp Bestival, although sadly it was cut short due to the dangerous weather. This, however, didn’t stop us having fun and we actually walked away with a few funny stories! Once our washing basket from camping was empty, we celebrated Brighton Pride with Sharon’s family in August. The weather was glorious and I was incredibly proud to share it with family and friends a long the way.

Finishing the month of August, we also took ourselves to the Watercress Line to celebrate T’s Grandad’s Birthday. In September, we were invited to take part in a ‘Day in the Life Photoshoot‘, and whilst it was way out of our comfort zone, I was in awe in what was produced. Thank you, Corina!

Favourite Posts: A Letter To The Marketing Team…, A Date with an Important Person, Mixed: A Colourful Story.

October – December

With the summer officially over, we were hoping to wind down for the rest of the year, but T had other ideas. This last quarter saw us submit T’s school application for next year, as well as take T to the cinema for the first time. That being said, I had my first ever Massage which was a whole new experience for me considering I’m not a fan of strangers touching me!

 
 
A post shared by LesBeMums (@lesbemums) on Sep 22, 2018 at 8:30am PDT
 

We also squeezed in our last holiday of the year – likely our last one as a three before T starts school in September (not an announcement! We’re taking T’s granny on holiday with us next year) – with a visit to Bluestone, Wales in October.

In November, we were incredibly lucky to bag some tickets to see Andy and the Odd Socks (with our first ever experience happening at Camp Bestival). We also started getting into the Christmas spirit with a trip to London Zoo for their Christmas experience. This visit was our second of the year and hopefully one of many – it’s such a wonderful place.

December, when I can finally allow myself to really get into Christmas, was when we did just that. As well as starting T’s book advent, we decorated the house, took T to see Father Christmas for the first time at Amberley Museum (and again in Brighton for a special Lego themed grotto!) and wrote about what Christmas is like for us.

When the big event finally arrived (although it really didn’t seem like that long of a wait!) we had a wonderful day at home with Sharon’s mum – sharing the first Christmas without Sharon’s dad.

This was also the first year where T really *got* Christmas and was incredibly excited when his plate of offerings had been eaten and his first stocking had been filled with gifts. I’m not going to lie, he’s also taken full advantage of the Christmas Spirit and gorged on several ‘Biscuit Breakfasts’ and the occasional cheese platter!

Favourite Posts: Milestones: The Last Year, Visibility: Why We Do What We Do, I Heart Sundays

I absolutely adore writing posts like this as I’m reminded of all the things we’ve done and been through, as well as all of T’s milestones. Whilst this year hasn’t always been the happiest, there’s also been some wonderful moments that we’ll cherish for years to come.

With T starting school in September 2019, we’re going to be squeezing in as much as we can as a family – although I’m also really excited as to how he develops as a person and how he takes on school life.

This post has been shared as part of Lauren’s #ShareYourYear linky. If you have a 2018 round up post to share, why not join in!