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.

26 Month's Old

So all of a sudden you are 26 months old 

(and 18 days at the point of writing this.)

Or depending how you wish to look at it...

115 weeks or 810 days.

Or 19440 hours..

Or 1166400 minutes..

or even...69984000 seconds...

My point is, you are growing up. 

Right before my very eyes.

I haven't thought of your age in months for a while. 

When every anyone asks how old you are my reply is that you are two. 

But I think it is important to remember that you are still a relatively young two.

All of a sudden you are your very own little person with a very distinct personality. 

You tell me all about what you are wanting and how you would like to spend the day ahead.

Ever since your holiday and your very first bus ride, you have been telling me how you want to go on another adventure. But that adventure MUST involve either a train ride, or a bus.

Anywhere you go where we cross paths with a big red bus, you play your face. You want a ride and you want a ride there and then. Who knew that your perfect day out would consist of hopping on a bus?

All of your latest and greatest words seem to have everything to do with transport. You tell me 'Car', 'Choo' 'Wheels' and 'Bus'. 'Choo' of course means train, and maybe for anyone else they may look at you side ways wondering what on earth you are talking about... But those closet to you know exactly what you mean.

You seem to be coming out with new things all of the time these days, some things I know that you certainly haven't picked up at home. Take your first outburst of 'Oh My God' that sprung unexpectedly out of your mouth in front of Granny back in August as she filmed you on your balance bike. I think that has come from the boy next door as he exclaims it frequently as Tigger decides to hop into their garden. It just shows that you are taking in absolutely everything that you hear. Every little thing we think you may not have actually heard. 

You are an all seeing all knowing little guy.

If you do something you shouldn't and I say 'Oh...Leo' you have taken to saying 'Oh... Mumma' back to me. Of course this is dependent on who has frustrated you, you can differ your feelings in this manner to Granny, Dadda or even baby Josh! 

I noticed a few weeks back that you were using your plastic drill in a very strange way, it looked like you were performing stealth moves as you criss crossed around the room, slightly slumped as though you were an under cover secret agent. You looked as though you were pretending your drill was actually a gun! It didn't take me long to piece together the information... You have been sneaking into your Uncle Chris's room to play Xbox... and apparently Call of Duty....

What is really putting a smile on my face these days is everything that you are remembering. You recognise places that you have been. You remember things within those places and cannot wait to go back and tell me all about them. 

You are going through a complete and utter Mummy phase at present, wanting to be with me all the time and saying 'no' when I tell you I have to go to work. You are fine after I do go to work, but when I come back you attach yourself like a lippet and don't want me to put you down again. It's like you know that very soon I have to head back to the office again.  

Your love of vehicles streams right into what you are liking to watch on the television, although you are still loving Timmy Sheep and Mike the Knight... Disney Pixar Car's has stormed into the house and you seem to watch it most days. In fact I have sat and watched it with you so frequently now that I have even found myself wondering how Tow Mator even wrote that letter to Lightning McQueen? Funnily enough... They don't show you this in the film, because how on earth could they get a car to hold a pen!?

All the toys you are playing with at present have wheels! You are just smitten with cars, trucks, busses and trains. You are found each and every day with your favourite cars in hand, pushing them around the television stand or putting them down ramps, all the while perfecting your car noises as they hurtle around.

As for naps you are still so reliant on at least one a day. We seem to be mainly down to one sleep around 11am but you can sleep for hours on end, and if you don't get this nap then we are in for it when dinner time strikes. You don't handle being tired very well at all, and usually will refuse dinner and just head straight to sleep. 

You are at an age now where I can explain why we cannot watch Timmy on the television again, or go and feed the ducks just yet... Because they have 'gone to bed to go to sleep'. This is an explanation you seem to accept and understand. You like to tell me how all these different things have gone to 'bed'...But when you say it little man it really comes across as 'dead'. Which admittedly can be a little awkward when you decide to point at strangers....Thankfully you don't have your drill at this point!

So Leo, this is you at 26 months old. All of the things that have stood out for me at this point in your life. I like to keep everything noted so I can look back at what you liked doing and what you didn't like doing. Everything you do, every little milestone is going to be remembered. Every little thing that may otherwise be forgotten, like your love for trains and bus's, or how you played your face for Disney Car shoes....not forgetting how you had already started taking your shoes off before I had even checked for your size on the rack!

And of course... This means I will never forget any of your latest 'tricks'. So Leo feast your eyes on your latest favourite party gimmick, and please remember that you grunt like a pig at the same time.

My little prince charming hey?

The Sun Is Setting...

The sun is now setting on my very last day as a stay at home Mummy. It is setting on the most amazing 13 months of my life. It has been the most magical time, where I have watched my little man grow from the fragile baby that he was, into the most beautiful little boy.

I feel so privaliged to have been able to stay off work as long as I have but I don't feel ready to return yet by any means...

I have watched intently as Leo has changed, and grown. One day he could not move at all and the next he was rolling over to look at the world from a different view. Then came the sitting up and First teeth, leading the way for the crawling mobile baby of mine to suddenly take off. Leo made it very apparent that the days of being able to sit down for Five minutes were now over. 

Leo's First words and development has blown me away, and most recently his ability to walk has just made me think 'wow'. He toddles every where now and it wont be long before his balance is spot on and he can run as fast as his little legs will carry him. 

You can ask Leo questions and he will always shake his head to say 'No', even if he really means Yes. You can have a real giggle with him and actually laugh so much that your sides will hurt. If you ask Leo where the Star is, he will point his finger up to the Star ornament that hangs in the hall. His understanding is amazing.

People have asked me whether I will continue blogging now I am returning to full time work. The answer to that is most defiantly. One of the many reasons I set this blog up is to capture the life of us working Mummy's, and I feel that it is even more important now for me to keep writing things down, so that I don't forget a single moment. 

I will miss watching Leo day in and day out, and I have cherished each and every day. Even those day's where we have been stuck inside because of the pouring rain or because he has been too poorly to really go anywhere. I have loved them all.

It is safe to say that I have that butterfly feeling deep down at pitt of my tummy, the same feeling I used to get at the end of the Summer holidays when it was time to go back to school the next day. This time though it feels magnified and it may even be tinged with guilt and indeed sadness for leaving my little man. 

I have spent the last Two day's out in the sunshine with my beautiful baby boy. We have been having adventures down the park and enjoying each other's company. There have been many laughs and memorable moments, and they are what I will be taking back to the office with me. 

So as the sun sets on another beautiful day, it is setting on me as well, and as the moon rises high into the sky it, is telling me it is time to make the transition into a working Mummy. I don't know if there will be a magical wind that sweeps around me and lifts me high up into the air when this change happens...a Beauty and the Beast, Fiona and Shrek moment? But I know either way that is going to happen.

As the warmest day of the year is upon us, I will be slipping on my attire for a day in the office. So make sure you all enjoy the lovely weather for me, while I am daydreaming out of the window, refreshing my Twitter time line for the umpteenth time.

I have already been looking for ways to prevent tomorrow from happening, I even resorted to texting my boss to make sure that tomorrow was the date we had agreed. Unfortunately he confirmed that tomorrow is indeed the big day! 

One thing is for sure though...It really is the end of an era.

Wish me luck!

Laura 

xx 

P.S - Here are a few ways we have enjoyed ourselves over the past few days!