46 Months Old

46 months, just under 4 years. It's a long time, so much can change. So much does change. Little man you have come such a long way, learnt so much and dazzled us beyond belief. Whenever you open your mouth to give us that magical insight into your world, I am so proud. Your using your words, getting your point of view across, and boy do you have a lot to say for yourself these days!

As you got down from dinner the other night you announced 'I to full and fat now Mummy'. Catching me completely off guard. Through the laughter I didn't even think to check your plate to make sure you had actually eaten what you were supposed to. You cite your days of the week, and the first time you did it I almost fell of my chair! Your counting, your colours and your vocabulary is just exploding, all at once like the finale of a extraordinary fireworks display. 

These last few months seem to have seen something click within you, like a new found confidence has blossomed all of a sudden. You are now admittedly a parrot. You copy everything and anything, and hearing your version of Hippopotamus is just the icing on the cake, and not forgetting you coming out with 'be my guest gorgeous' when I asked if I could sit down next to you!

We visited Hatton Country World at the back end of last week, and everyone commented on just how talkative you were, It was so lovely to hear after so many people have told me the complete opposite over the past year and a half. They were right, you really did have a lot to say, and you kept on saying it too! We went over to watch the bird display and the demonstrator told you what a know it all you were, it did make me giggle! If only your speech therapist could see you now eh!

You even got the opportunity to hold an owl, now this really did make your day. I didn't think you would do it, but this alone is yet another example of how you are changing and growing.

In fact this month you have come out with all sorts! Here are a few snippets of our ever growing conversations. 

Leo: 'It's not bedtime yet Mummy, it's still morning outside! Look! Look! Morning!'

Leo; 'I not going to bed yet' 

Me: 'Oh yes you are Mr! I don't care if it's still light outside, it's bedtime Mr Moon!'

Leo: Fine! I'm going to eat my tooth!'

We pass someone with Purple hair only for Leo to express himself very loudly...'Her hair is Purple! I hate it! It's weird!'

My all time favourite question... 'Mummy...Where do you wee from! Your bum!?'

Leo 'I hate Josh's white hair! I love my brown hair!'

Your sudden confidence hasn't gone un-noticed, even nursery have picked up on it! Your development has jumped right up to where it should be, just like I said it would! Way to prove them all wrong little man, I always believed in you and now the rather incredible nursery report shows what I knew all along! I guess that is why I haven't worried about you not wanting to use the toilet for a number two.. You have always waited until bedtime when you know I can't do anything about it! Then last week, completely un-prompted and completely out of the blue, you sat on the toilet and just did it. We were all so proud, and you relished just how positive it all was. Then the next night you did it again, and again! We may have cracked it, but if not then it's just a case of when! 

You are now really looking forward to school, and I cannot believe that it's a mere 12 weeks or so away. Where on earth has the time gone!? This time next month I will have a 4 year old on my hands, and that quite honestly seems ridiculous. You cannot be that old. You just can't! Whether I want to accept it or not though, it's all happening. Your growing up on me and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. You know what though? Even if I could, I wouldn't, every day I get to know you that little bit more, discover something new about you, and we have some amazing times that we can only enjoy together because you are getting older.

The day we spent scooting as a family only highlighted this further. You took the Storm 90 Y Slider out to the park, and took to the new way of propelling yourself forward like a duck to water. You take everything that life throws at you in your stride, you smile and keep moving forward. I love waking up to that look of pure innocence on your face when you wake up early and sneak into my room for snuggles. You lay so quietly next to me, just watching me sleep. Then you want nothing more than to snuggle and enjoy Cookie Crisp in bed!  

This time next month I expect that I will still be up in the kitchen, doing my best to bake up your fourth birthday cake. You have put demands in for Mario Kart, and I have already got lot's of ideas! 

For now though we are in complete holiday preparation. We are embarking on our very first family holiday as a 3. We are off to Tunisia next Wedneday (3rd June) for the week. You cannot wait to dig a hole on the beach with me, and of course bury Daddy!

Until next month little man...

Happy Adventures..

A family that scoots together, learns together!

When I became a Mum I made Leo a promise, I promised to be active and join in with his games. I promised to be fun! I promised to be the kind of Mum who would hop on the most daring of rollercoasters with him and go for day’s out at our favourite theme parks. I promised above all else to be playful and energetic in all that we did and were going to do.

I was 21 when I became pregnant, so I have always had age on my side. There have been a few occasions where I have faced stigma for being a ‘young mum’, but the reality is I have the get up and go, I can run, jump, hop and skip! I can climb trees, hula hoop and take on soft play! As a twenty something Mum I can really take part in absolutely everything that Leo does, and not being the tallest person in the world.. height restrictions don’t really apply to me!

I love to get outside with Leo and take part in his games. There have been times I have stood on the side line as I have watched him scooting around at warp speed, and I have wished that I could join in with him. I never have been one to just sit on the edge and watch everyone else having all the fun, I like to be involved.

Now the whole family has a set of wheels, that’s Mummy, Daddy and Leo who now has a few, so It was lovely when he decided to give one to his younger cousin so that he could join in with all of the fun too.

These days when Leo scoots, one or all of us scoot too. Just the other day I became the leader of a scooter gang, and that is definitely something that I didn’t expect at the age of 24! Within the new scooter gang we have a great age range…Of course I am the eldest! There is my other half Luke at 24, 12 year old sister Alice, 2 year old Leo and my 18 month old nephew Josh, who is already able to scoot and happens to do the most fantastic leg pop!

Lots of giggling ensues when the scooting begins. Giggles at those having their first go on the Y-Volution Carver as they begin to wiggle their bodies to propel themselves forward. Leo’s Daddy seems to have claimed the Carver for his own, but granted he is the one who has discovered how to pull some of the better moves on there.

I have been using my Micro Scooter to keep up with everyone else, you can probably in vision us all scooting around being prompted by Leo to ‘Go Mummy! Go!’ and me trying to remember quickly how to scoot again! It’s amazing watching Leo’s face as I follow his commands, it really is rewarding seeing that big smile of his glaze his entire face over into that blissfully happy contented look of his.

Suddenly a simple family scooting activity is a race, and Leo has informed me that he is going to WIN!  Trying to keep up with my fast paced toddler is always an interesting prospect, and if I am trying to catch him while he is scooting around these days… and I am on foot, it really is a sight. He weaves circles and those circles are usually around me… Thankfully now I scoot too, I do have a fighting chance of keeping up.

Family scooting is not something I had considered when Leo got his first scooter, but the idea soon formed in my mind. It is an activity that gets us all outside, gets us all active and something that we can all do together. I can remember spending hours on my parent’s drive as a child, just scooting up and down, round and round or racing my younger brother. I love being able to leave my age on a hook and spend quality time with Leo in an environment where age just doesn't matter.

I think sometimes we as parent’s need to cast our age aside. Forget that we had to do that growing up thing… It’s not relevant anymore! As soon as you have kids we open ourselves up to the days that have gone by. I think one of the most important things that we can do is find our inner child again, and watch our children’s faces light up when we do.

Scooting together has opened up a whole new door for us, it gets us outside and playing, it gets us smiling, talking and learning all at the same time. Right now we are just scooting around the confinement of the family home, where we don’t have to worry too much about cars, but sooner or later we will venture further a field and our scooter fun will continue!