One For My Nephew

Pretty much every Sunday, we head over to my in-laws house for the afternoon and meet up with the Husband’s sister and her family there, too. It’s a chance for us all to catch up, and the cousins to have fun together. Family time is always special and to be treasured, but we recently celebrated an important milestone with my eldest nephew, so I thought I’d share a little about him…

I started seeing the Husband when I was 20. After a little while, along with meeting his parents, I met his sister, her husband and their son, too. The little boy, J, was 17 months old when I met him, so a few months younger than Little Man is now. He was the first child that I really had much contact with, and soon I saw him weekly, and had the pleasure of watching him grow and develop. I vividly recall taking him to see Pokemon at the cinema when he was just 3, I remember his first day at school, we went on holiday with him and my then fiancé’s family to Florida, and I watched him marvel at Jurassic Park (he was a huge dinosaur fan!) and whine waiting in queues – he was a whingey child, looking back, and I do like to mock him about it now! But for all that whining, he was bright, he was curious, he was polite, he was funny and he was a joy to be around. When his little brother arrived when he was 6, he took it in his stride and took to big brotherhood like a duck to water, taking T under his wing and they remain close now.

J is a brilliant cousin to my two (as is T, I might add) and Boo and Little Man both adore seeing them and playing with them. Though the age gap is pretty wide, the boys patience with them is seemingly endless (I say seemingly, as it seems unfair to expose them to my crazy pair for long stints at any one time!) So here is J and Little Man, from oldest cousin to youngest cousin, playing on a little trampoline in my in-laws garden that I remember J playing on when he was tiny…

Little Man and J

Little Man & J 2

From baby to man, I’ve watched him grow. And how he has grown, as he has just turned 18. He’s just finishing up his ‘A’ levels, is learning to drive, and will soon be off to university. But if you asked me, I’d swear he was still 4 and telling me all about Raptors…..

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32 thoughts on “One For My Nephew”

  1. How lovely. Really enjoyed reading this Jocelyn. I had a moment recently just thinking about my daughter and how she’s growing and changing-time flies by doesn’t it.

    1. Ah, thanks, Iona. The time has truly flown, and I really can’t figure how he’s now 18, when he was just a preschooler!

  2. Ahh this is so beautiful, what a great tribute to your nephew. It’s crazy how fast time goes and watching your nieces and nephews grow from birth to young adults. I am always so shocked everytime I see my nieces and nephews when I go back home and realize I used to change their diapers and now they are going off to college. Makes me feel old. lol But it’s a blessing and so bittersweet when they can have a relationship with your own kids. I am going home in two weeks I can’t wait for this and to watch my nieces and nephews play with my kids. Lovely post. #whatsthestory #magicmoment

    1. Yep, makes me feel old, too! I am so pleased that my kids get to see their cousins weekly, as I know plenty don’t, and they are all close to each other, despite the age gaps. Hope yours all have a blast together soon 🙂 x

  3. Aww what a lovely post! So lovely to have watching him grow from a tot to a man, and now he gets to see your kids do the same. Lovely that their cousins are so happy to play with them too with such a wide age gap. Really lovely post. Time does fly though doesn’t it? Scary really! xx #whatsthestory

  4. That’s a lovely post and he seems like a very lovely young man now. I hope he does well in his A levels. Bet one day soon he’ll be taking your little ones to watch something at the cinema x

    1. I’m sure he’ll do well, thank you. I suppose he could, though I wouldn’t wish my crazy pair on him for that long! x

  5. That’s what I miss! Family life like that… you know sunday lunches with the family and cousins etc… I don’t have family here, and neither does my husband (at least not in Cornwall where we live). We do try to visit his family as much as we can, and also try to fly back home as much as we can too. But it can be really difficult sometimes… Love the photos of your little man who is always looking so cute! 🙂 #WhatsTheStory

    1. We are fortunate to be so near to them, and I wouldn’t want to ever change that as they are all so close, despite the age gaps. He is a little cutie! Thanks very much x

  6. How lovely to have been involved in this boy’s life for all those years – so rewarding to watch them grown from child to man. Sadly for my lot, they’re actually the oldest of the cousins, although I can imagine that your nephew finds your little ones just as much fun. He sounds like a lovely boy.

  7. Oh what a wonderful post Jocelyn. Must be great to spend so much quality time with your family. How amazing that you’ve seen J grow up and he’s now so great with your two. Love that photo of him and Little Man, just fabulous. What a great post, thank you so much for sharing #whatsthestory

    Hopefully see you at BritMums x

    1. Thanks, Charly. It’s great to see them every week, and watch them all playing together. I love those pics, too 🙂 Thanks for hosting, and no, I’m not going to Britmums – have fun! x

  8. I feel so similar about my 15 year old niece Jocelyn. I was there when she was a newborn and when she was weaning – the first of my parent’s grandchildren and the first new member of our little family since I was born. She is so great with my boys too and they love her! Happy 18th to your nephew!! X

  9. The oldest of my husbands nieces are now at university! I first met his oldest nephew when he was just five, and now he’s eighteen and about to leave school… It is hard to believe that they are all adults now 🙂 #WhatstheStory #MagicMoments

  10. Aww thats so lovely, I always worry that my children won’t be able to have fun with their cousins (my SIL and brother don’t have children yet) but after reading this it gives me a bit of hope. So lovely and gorgeous pictures 🙂 #magicmoments

  11. Aw such a lovely post. It’s so special watching children grow up into adults – I’m still in touch with some of the ‘kids’ who I taught when they were in year 7 and are now graduating from university. It makes me feel old but still lovely to see! Great that your nephew is so good with your two as well xx

  12. Oh what a lovely post. The oldest of my three younger brothers and sisters was born just 2 weeks after I met my Hubby. Another brother and sister followed and they have always known my husband, he’s always been a part of their lives. Ten years later and I still see my ‘baby’ brother as the little giggly, big eyed baby, the first baby I had ever been around but now he is ten, into computer games and being cheeky. Still a baby to me though! x

    1. Always a baby to you! My brother’s only 3 years younger than me, and at 34, is still my ‘baby brother’! x

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