Traffic Lights

My toddler is becoming more like a little boy with each passing day. His perception of everything and everyone changes each time he learns a little more about this big wide world we live in. Watching Leo learn and take in these same lessons that I have long since learnt and swept to the back of my mind, provides me with a new found appreciation to these simple wonders of the world.

Just last week Leo and I were out and about in my car, and as usual we ran into the typical ensue of traffic that you quite simply cannot avoid. A little voice pipes up from the back seat, my two year old who has noticed that the car is now at a stand still and wants to draw my attention to the fact that we should be 'GO GO GO'ing', you can expect nothing but wise words from my growing toddler.

With Leo's advice fresh in my mind, the traffic lights stuck on red and a toddler who needed some immediate stimulation before he screamed blue murder, I thought very quickly and decided to teach him a life lesson about traffic lights!

Little did I know that my beautiful toddler was hanging off my every word.

I told Leo that when traffic lights were on red, just like Lightning McQueen... we must stop *putting my hand up to demonstrate* and then when the lights turn green, we must Go Go Go!

Apparently this example has stuck firmly in his mind, the whole way home Leo was keeping a visual look out for up and coming traffic lights. 'Mumma! Stop' Leo squeals with delight as he throws his hand into the air from the back of the car, my 2 year old back seat driver. The red light suddenly flashes off and green replaces it promptly, just as my foot touches the accelerator, Leo is reminding me to 'Go, go, go!'.

Now our daily adventures out and about are even more exciting, with Leo thinking the rules of the road apply to us walking along on the pavement. He tells me when to stop, and he tells me exactly when to go again. We walk over the bridge and in to town and he tells me all about the 'Quacks' and then waves the cutest wave as we bid them farewell. 

I only have to walk past Subway for Leo to tell me he wants one for lunch, and then he will sit so proudly with his CapriSun and his sandwich, a real credit to me as he sits so still eating his dinner. 

He kisses and gives me the most affectionate cuddles and just makes me ever so incredibly proud. That cheeky toddler of mine is the most endearing chappy, and just spreads that smile of mine across my face with ease. 

These simple life lessons that Leo learns on a day to day basis are things I don't give a second thought about until I see him soaking in all the details like a sponge. Things that I walk past not even taking in are put in a completely different light when Leo discovers them for the first time. These lessons for Leo are mysterious and magical, and simply driving along in the car with him, or taking a walk to the park open up endless possibilities to magical new discoveries, and of course conversations with my beautiful, beautiful toddler.