It had been a long day. DH and I left London after the #madblogawards at about 11am and headed back to Hertfordshire to pick up a fully loaded car to take DS#2 to Southampton University where he starts Year 1 this week.
We travelled via Portsmouth where our eldest lives - he was coming with us to Southampton to help move his brother into his new flat then drove on to Southampton and stopped in the city centre for a quick cuppa and a meet up with an old mate from my uni days who I haven't seen for 13 years.
Next. Halls. Key pickup, box moving, flat inspection and saying goodbye to our 19 year old son. Quick tweet "I will not cry".
And I didn't - luckily my eldest and his GF knowing what a soppy old bat I am had kindly offered to divert my potential mummy breakdown with food (they know me so well) and whisked us off to a fab seafront Chinese buffet at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth.
I love the sea and the sight and smell of it calmed my soul, even from the bright and noisy Quays development - it was just what I needed. Twinkly lights from shops, bars, restaurants and ferries reflected off the dark water and above it all the Spinnaker Tower was glowing (yellow while we were there!)
Heading home DH and I reminisced about our early days of parenthood - we miss our older boys so much but are so proud of them- funny, independent, clever, friendly - we must have done something right.
Two down, five to go......
This post is linked to the #bwphotoproject over at PODcast.