Facebook following the end of childhood

For the past few months Facebook has thrown up ‘on this day’ type memories from the previous years.  I’ve been copying them for future use and thought that today I would look back at 2009.

It was the year Thunderthighs entered his teens but, being autistic, he was much younger in attitude.

On the 18^th of August I was feeling a little sad.

“Thunderthighs  has decided that, at 13, his Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends magazines, books and videos are "far too childish" and are to be recycled and/or given to the charity shop. I've only just persuaded him that the toys are too valuable to go. My baby!!!”

On the 20^th of August I measured him and he was 5ft 11inches tall, but

“puberty hasn't arrived yet - his skin is still as smooth and hairless as a baby's - everywhere.”

On the 6^th of September the boys

“both washed their own hair tonight (under instruction) and I've just noticed Thunderthighs hair growing in a place other than his head. MY BAYBEE!”

A month later

“Thunderthighs has cut himself attempting to shave in the bath! My fault for teasing him about his nascent moustache. Now I'll have to get Fester to teach him how to do it properly - if he can remember ...”

And on the evening of the 14^th of December he came thundering downstairs

"I can feel my ribcage".

Fester said "I didn't find my ribcage until I was his age and got taller.  Mind you I was not as tall as he is at that age."

He wasn’t eveb as tall as him then, being only just over 5ft 10.

Thunderthighs is now over 6ft 3inches, and has been towering over me for years. He still refuses to shave himself with either an electric or a wet razor, preferring to have it done every few weeks at the barbers.  The Thomas toys live on top of a display cabinet outside his room; but he now understands why I wanted to keep them and even, sometimes, looks a little nostalgic at them.  The cabinet contains his collection of model buses.