So, this week Nathaniel hit another kid for the first time. I wasn't entirely sure what to do, it seemed to be done out frustration not anger and it was definitely provoked.
The story is; we were at Tuesday playgroup, Nathaniel was running around saying hello to everyone and playing with toys as expected. He was in one of those cars that are sort of like bubbles that you control with your feet Flinstones style, you all know the ones I mean, and as he was trying to push himself forward this other little boy decided to hold onto the door so he was unable to push away - the boy in question had moments before shoved Craig (Julie-Ann's little boy) off a bike from behind so he could take it. At this point I was about two metres away and could hear Nathaniel asking him to get off, the little boy had that glazed over look in his eyes, he was staring at Nate but at the same time ignoring him entirely - he continued to hold the car. Nathaniel tried to push the boys hand away unsuccessfully, I could hear him becoming more and more frustrated and was preparing to go over and remove the child who was bothering him when it happened; Nathaniel lifted his hand from trying to push this kids unbelievably vice-like grip and started to sort of open palm slap at him, I could see he was not doing it full force, it was more like he was trying to beat his arm away a but it was definitely a form of aggression I have never ever seen from Nathaniel. The only thing Nathaniel tends to do is hit himself in the head if he is told off or cheekily throw his toys away from him but never, ever had he hit out at another person. He did kick Chris once but he was playing and it was hilarious) The kid didn't react at all, he just continued to gaze into the distance - clearly he was not being hurt, but he did take his hand away from the car.
Of course, the mother caught sight of it and did a 'OHMYGOD' face as if it was the most horrendous and heinous thing she had ever seen a child do and went to stop Nathaniel but I was there first. I took him from the car and sort of half heartedly told him he was being naughty and not to do that, more for the mothers benefit that anyone's as, if I am honest, I was a little bit proud of him for sticking up for himself. This may make me a terrible and immoral mother in the eyes of some but it made me smile a little inside to see Nathaniel do something other than be super sweet. Occasional naughtiness, mild screaming tantrums and hitting ones self in the head aside, Nate is bubbly, bouncy ball of joy and happiness. He wants to be friends with everyone, he shares his biscuits and (Sackboy not included) his toys and gives people cuddles and kisses. he is adorable, and sociable and says hello to strangers on buses. And now, he strikes back in the face of evil, yes, his striking out was rather half hearted as if he purposely chose to cause no real harm, but he did it. And I think that is natural and good. He was provoked, I think Nathaniel needed to do that lest he get walked all over and be forever weak. He has now established his place in the toddler pecking order. He is nice, but he will no longer take shit from other kids. When he lashes out and hits another child for no reason other than greed or malice then that will be a different story, he hit me on the leg the other day and he had a glimmer in his eye that told me he know he was being bad and he wanted to see my reaction, of course we scolded him and he straight away stopped, patted me on the head and said 'nice' but again, this is another step in the establishing of his place in the world, testing the water to see what is okay and what is not. I fully embrace all of these things as necessary moments that we get through and build the foundations of who he will be and what our relationship will be like; he will judge me by my reaction to what he does just as I react and praise or discipline appropriately to the actions he takes. This may sound like philosophical bullshit but I like to think that he realises when bad is bad and when it is necessary, that he knows that when I told him off after hitting that child that it was not the same as when he was told off for doing certain other things, that he knows he was justified in his actions but he ought to not have done it, really and he will, somewhere in his little toddler mind, respect me for acknowledging that with him.
Maybe I think to much about things.
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Toilet Tourettes....
Well, this week has been enjoyable but also a hellish nightmare of illness and shite weather.
Nathaniel has been in fine spirits. He continues with his defiance but I am slowly but surely starting to be more relaxed when it comes to dealing with it. Me stressing out only makes him worse and then in turn stresses me out all the more, a viscous cycle of constant anxiety and freaking out which I have decided can't go on any longer and I have so far, as previously mentioned, been much better at checking myself before having a mental breakdown and shuddering through the day with worry weighing me down. Now don't get me wrong, Nathaniel is a lovely boy and barely misbehaves or really does anything to warrant such a massive meltdown as I tend to have all alone e in my mind. Recently he has been more demanding and less willing to give up on things when the answer is 'no' but he is just little and will eventually learn he can't always get what he wants. Smoothies, talking cat/dog/dinosaur app and Sackboy are the latest and greatest in terms of things he simply can't stand to be parted from. I mostly just feel guilty when I can't give him what he wants, or can't bear the idea of another second of him saying 'I see a cat' and having a crap CGI cat repeat it in a high pitched voice and he gets upset but he must learn, hard as it is for me to ever refuse him anything I must endure and put my parental foot down and get on with things. But as I was saying, he is 99% of the time a little gem who is a pleasure to be around and hilarious and sweet in every way... really...
That 1% of the time when he isn't mostly occurred yesterday. He was being a rogue of the highest nature and shouting no and laughing loudly whenever I asked him anything (including when I offered him cake, CAKE). fastforward to later in the afternoon and he came over, grabbed my arm and bloody well bit me as hard as he could. I pulled away and he laughed and rushed back to the safety of his distant car thing. I, of course, told him off, he laughed, I told him it was not funny, he laughed again and then realised I had told him off and started hitting himself in the head, as you do and protesting loudly in nonsense toddler talk. I decided to ignore him and did not look at him at all for a good four minutes and then I felt it, Nathaniel, slowly and softly taking hold of my arm again. I braced for another bite, waiting for it to happen, waiting to see if he had the balls to do it again and suffer my wrath....he was silent... then I felt his little hand stroke my arm where he had bit me before. I looked down at him and he looked up at me with his big blue eyes and he said 'mummy... aww' while stroking my injury and then kissed my arm where he had previously chewed it. It damn near broke my heart, he is just so sweet and so went his 1% of daily naughty time.
Other things Nate has started to do
1) Blow bubbles and gargle his drinks instead of just drinking them and saying 'bubble'
2) Demanding I draw the things he wants to be drawn rather than drawing himself, ever.
3) Telling me when it is 'dinner time' and getting very annoyed if it is not ready that instant
4) Refusing to let me put water on his hands after allowing me to put pumpy soap on them
5) Laughing at his own farts
6) 'Hiding' things, then forgetting where he put them seconds later and getting sad
and finally 7, the title of this blog. Nathaniel likes privacy when he does his business, mostly poos, he will occasionally do an independent wee on the toilet but for the last two months has done all but two of his poos on the big boy bog but as I was saying - he likes his privacy. He demands I get out of the bathroom the second his bum hits the seat, that I lifted his lazy little ass on to. I do this, but allow myself to peek and make sure he is not trying to fumble his way into the cleaning cupboard (he has never done this) but generally I float around nearby waiting for him to shout that he is done only to come off, say bye-bye to what he has deposited, flush it and ask to be placed back on the porcelain. Recent events have made me think he wants me to leave as his bizarre bathroom habits are embarrassing and he does not want me to look at him while it happens...this thing is 'toilet tourettes'. Nathaniel shouts random, oft unrelated words out when he is in the midst of the 'big push'. Today he said 'WAFFLE!' and 'Telly ON!, A CAT!' previously he has said things like 'Mummy, Daddy... WALL-E! All said with much effort and straining making it all the more hilarious - it doesn't really work in text, but I asssure you it is brilliant I walked in to check him while he was doing this once and he put his head in his hands... I swear it was shame.
So yes. I will maybe embellish this post with some videos and/or pictures (not of Nate demonstrating the above) but just of other things, maybe the bubble thing but for now, live long and prosper.
OH OH, we finally watched Bronson (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172570/) last night. fantastic film. I am a bit ill with cold/head/sinus type badness so had the most horrendous fever dream which was clearly inspired by the sound and visuals in that film last night. But it was great, I recommend to all. Tom Hardy is number one awesome and I can't wait to see what he and Nolan do with bane in Dark Knight Rises.
And everyone must watch the Dead island trailer as it is beautiful, emotional and entirely gore-awesome! http://uk.ign.com/videos/2011/02/16/dead-island-announcement-trailer
Nathaniel has been in fine spirits. He continues with his defiance but I am slowly but surely starting to be more relaxed when it comes to dealing with it. Me stressing out only makes him worse and then in turn stresses me out all the more, a viscous cycle of constant anxiety and freaking out which I have decided can't go on any longer and I have so far, as previously mentioned, been much better at checking myself before having a mental breakdown and shuddering through the day with worry weighing me down. Now don't get me wrong, Nathaniel is a lovely boy and barely misbehaves or really does anything to warrant such a massive meltdown as I tend to have all alone e in my mind. Recently he has been more demanding and less willing to give up on things when the answer is 'no' but he is just little and will eventually learn he can't always get what he wants. Smoothies, talking cat/dog/dinosaur app and Sackboy are the latest and greatest in terms of things he simply can't stand to be parted from. I mostly just feel guilty when I can't give him what he wants, or can't bear the idea of another second of him saying 'I see a cat' and having a crap CGI cat repeat it in a high pitched voice and he gets upset but he must learn, hard as it is for me to ever refuse him anything I must endure and put my parental foot down and get on with things. But as I was saying, he is 99% of the time a little gem who is a pleasure to be around and hilarious and sweet in every way... really...
That 1% of the time when he isn't mostly occurred yesterday. He was being a rogue of the highest nature and shouting no and laughing loudly whenever I asked him anything (including when I offered him cake, CAKE). fastforward to later in the afternoon and he came over, grabbed my arm and bloody well bit me as hard as he could. I pulled away and he laughed and rushed back to the safety of his distant car thing. I, of course, told him off, he laughed, I told him it was not funny, he laughed again and then realised I had told him off and started hitting himself in the head, as you do and protesting loudly in nonsense toddler talk. I decided to ignore him and did not look at him at all for a good four minutes and then I felt it, Nathaniel, slowly and softly taking hold of my arm again. I braced for another bite, waiting for it to happen, waiting to see if he had the balls to do it again and suffer my wrath....he was silent... then I felt his little hand stroke my arm where he had bit me before. I looked down at him and he looked up at me with his big blue eyes and he said 'mummy... aww' while stroking my injury and then kissed my arm where he had previously chewed it. It damn near broke my heart, he is just so sweet and so went his 1% of daily naughty time.
Other things Nate has started to do
1) Blow bubbles and gargle his drinks instead of just drinking them and saying 'bubble'
2) Demanding I draw the things he wants to be drawn rather than drawing himself, ever.
3) Telling me when it is 'dinner time' and getting very annoyed if it is not ready that instant
4) Refusing to let me put water on his hands after allowing me to put pumpy soap on them
5) Laughing at his own farts
6) 'Hiding' things, then forgetting where he put them seconds later and getting sad
and finally 7, the title of this blog. Nathaniel likes privacy when he does his business, mostly poos, he will occasionally do an independent wee on the toilet but for the last two months has done all but two of his poos on the big boy bog but as I was saying - he likes his privacy. He demands I get out of the bathroom the second his bum hits the seat, that I lifted his lazy little ass on to. I do this, but allow myself to peek and make sure he is not trying to fumble his way into the cleaning cupboard (he has never done this) but generally I float around nearby waiting for him to shout that he is done only to come off, say bye-bye to what he has deposited, flush it and ask to be placed back on the porcelain. Recent events have made me think he wants me to leave as his bizarre bathroom habits are embarrassing and he does not want me to look at him while it happens...this thing is 'toilet tourettes'. Nathaniel shouts random, oft unrelated words out when he is in the midst of the 'big push'. Today he said 'WAFFLE!' and 'Telly ON!, A CAT!' previously he has said things like 'Mummy, Daddy... WALL-E! All said with much effort and straining making it all the more hilarious - it doesn't really work in text, but I asssure you it is brilliant I walked in to check him while he was doing this once and he put his head in his hands... I swear it was shame.
So yes. I will maybe embellish this post with some videos and/or pictures (not of Nate demonstrating the above) but just of other things, maybe the bubble thing but for now, live long and prosper.
OH OH, we finally watched Bronson (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172570/) last night. fantastic film. I am a bit ill with cold/head/sinus type badness so had the most horrendous fever dream which was clearly inspired by the sound and visuals in that film last night. But it was great, I recommend to all. Tom Hardy is number one awesome and I can't wait to see what he and Nolan do with bane in Dark Knight Rises.
And everyone must watch the Dead island trailer as it is beautiful, emotional and entirely gore-awesome! http://uk.ign.com/videos/2011/02/16/dead-island-announcement-trailer
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Drums...
Nathaniel likes his drums, these were a gift from his 'aunty' Steph for his first birthday (or was it Christmas?) and he is finally big enough for them.
Absence...
**Please note this entry has lots of geeky game playing things. I do get to the Nate type stuff further down , I promise...
So far so fail in terms of keeping this Blog up to date. I have to admit that my absence has been due to playing Mass Effect 2 (or should I say re-playing, I did have it on the 360 when it was first released) and not having had my laptop out of its bag since I put it in there on Saturday afternoon.
Just so you are all up to speed, Mass Effect 2 is a freaking awesome RPG developed by Bioware. An action packed space romp of the highest gaming standards which I thoroughly recommend to any and all gamers dumb enough to have not ventured onto the Normandy yet. I am playing the standard male Shepard this time, he has the most insane eyes I have ever seen, they are all sorts of rapey. They do a sort of bizarre dramatic gopher (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Kyi0WNg40) type glare almost all of the time and it is hilariously awful but keeps me amused, especially as Chris keeps on copying it.
I don't fancy Shephard. Not even a little bit. It is ALL about Garrus who is a bad ass Turian sniper who I am very much in game love with.
Yes, yes, yes I know - he is a freaky alien and I am all wrong in the mind but fret not, Bioware won't let my male Shepard have naughty times with him. My female Shepard I played when I used the 360 was fine though, she could have all the mixed species/lesbian type relationships she wanted. Male Shepard can only kiss the pretty human and alien girls. There are no insect faced beauties for him (well, we don't know what is under the mask of Tali)
I have probably lost half of my audience by this point, but I shall go on.
Now I won't bother explaining my reasons for loving Garrus, of course I don't find him attractive really, nor is it actual real love love (duh) he is just ace. I have a habit of falling in game love with game people. Not usually ones that are as weird...
Nathan Drake (normal and entirely awe-sexy in that Nathan Fillion/ Indiana Jones way of his)
Sephiroth - pure evil, 100% awesome.
Even Alistair from Dragon Age but only because he was the only attractive boy and he was such a prude I was hell bent on ruining him (I gather this is also why women like rubbish boys like Joe Jonas )
Oh and Spock. Not a game character I know but just to prove that Garrus is not an exclusive Alien crush.
Anyway, yes. I am a bit odd and have been gaming my brain to oblivion instead of doing, well, anything else this week when Nate is in bed. Mass Effect 2 is fantastic and I am excited about the next instalment, if it makes it out this year is another thing altogether.
Anyhoo, getting to Nate, he is going through a 'NO!' phase. He says 'NO!' to everything. EVERYTHING. Which is not helping in my quest to make him bloody well eat but it is definitely amusing. He won't consider what I am saying before getting all defiant, and watching his little face light up with amusement right after he does it can't achieve much beyond make me chuckle to myself at his hilarious little attitude. He is well aware that he is being cheeky, he is clearly trying to see what he can get away with and trying to push my buttons and set his boundaries but I just laugh at him, or imitate him, or tickle him. Although it can sometimes frustrate me, it is mostly brilliant. I like observing his personality develop, seeing him figure out his place in the toddler world and listening to him putting his foot down by shaking his head and flapping his arms in a dramatic fashion when I offer him a grape.
The Wall-e/Toy Story/Sackboy obsession also continues. He asks for all of these things to go on everyday. Considering he has never seen either of us playing LBP I am unsure where the latter really comes from beyond him seeing the box which I guess looks the same as the boxes the films he watches come from. He bloody loves Sackboy, he takes his big plush Sackboy everywhere and calls him 'boyboy'. he also has a little Irish and little Afro Sackboys who he must find the moment he gets up in the morning or so help me...
It is sweet, but I can guarantee that these three things have been the source, in one way or another, or most of his tiny tantrums. He is destined to be a movie geek and a gamer and I, as both of these things, don't have any issue with that, you know, as long as he becomes the next Prof Brian Cox while he does this or at the very least work at Pixar! I MEAN IT NATE! *overbearing mother*
Nate and I went to see Tangled at the cinema this week. We lasted thirty minutes. it was too loud and too dark and for some reason the other two people who were there kept going in and out and it was freaking him out. All of these things combined together to make him all freaked out and skittish and he decided in the end to shove him face into me and keep it there. I thought he was asleep, but no, after a few minutes of 'cuddles' I moved him back to a more comfortable spot and realised he was clinging to me and refusing to move his face from me and when I managed to pry him off he broke down and we had to go. The film started of very well and I am a bit gutted I did not get to see it all. I do love me a Disney flick and it seemed to have been brought band up to date (finally) with both the tone and the look, we shall see if I still think this when I see the film in its entirety. Nevertheless, Nate was fine within seconds of leaving and we went to Pizza Express for lunch with Chris (Nate ate nothing, possibly not helped by the chocolate he had at the cinema, I am a terrible mother, I tried to bribe him into calming down with chocolate before the clingy hugging commenced).
I will try taking him to the showings put on especially for little ones next time so it is not as dark or loud. Lesson learned.
Time for sleep.
Words...
Nathaniels new words/phrases this week include ...
Dinner time
Fingers (fish) time
I can't get away (?)
Uncle David
Cheerios
Eva and Mo (from Wall-e)
I got it [insert toy name/thing here]
Bum
I'm naughty
Chase me
I fell down
Bye bye poo poo
I flushed it
Hands are dirty
It's a funny beastie (bug) on the floor
Mucky
I'm sorry
Fingers (fish) time
I can't get away (?)
Uncle David
Cheerios
Eva and Mo (from Wall-e)
I got it [insert toy name/thing here]
Bum
I'm naughty
Chase me
I fell down
Bye bye poo poo
I flushed it
Hands are dirty
It's a funny beastie (bug) on the floor
Mucky
I'm sorry
Nathaniel can't say 's' properly, it either sounds like Sean Connery or it sounds like 'f'.
Catch up...
Nathaniel was away over the weekend and after a few more days leave, I finally feel freshly motivated to start this up good and proper.
Here he is with Iggle Piggle at the shops near my parents house.
I have had a bit of an odd week; Nathaniel has been sort of semi poorly with a bizarre half-cold and some joyous teething on top. Tuesday aside (that later) he has been in a fine mood, but as always in typical Hayleigh form I have been getting myself wound up and worried and all in a mess about the smallest of things - mostly Nathaniels eating habits (you know, the ones that most toddlers probably have but I still go insane with worry about them)
On Tuesday we went to a new group for toddlers at St Columbus Church with Mags and son Sam and Julie-Ann and her two little ones who feature in a previous blog. I have been looking for another activity to do during my days off work with Nate for some time; I say looking, I was not looking, or even really enquiring at all, I was just waiting for someone to eventually find one and tell me about it so I could tag along and now, after long last, it has happened. So, this group was fantastic, lots of friendly children and attentive and chatty Mums to pass some time with. Except Nate was phasing between being in a fantastic mood and being entirely miserable and doing sad face at me while trying to escape through the doors which led to a big flight of DANGER! stairs. If there is one thing I know about my child it is when he is not himself, and Nate showing any sign of not being completely content in the company of other children means exactly that. Poor thing was up and down like Stephen Fry on Twitter and it made me stress out immediately.
Tuesday also marked the first day of the return to not eating bloody anything that I give him, not even fail safe fruit options and making me paranoid about my mothering and all that nonsense. This trend continued through till this evening when he must have been so hungry he succumbed to the fantastic foods on offer and ate plenty, making me feel much better about life (video to follow). He did eat soup on Wednesday evening, but that was for his Dad, Chris - I was out taking advantage of Orange Wednesdays and getting Pizza Express and watching Black Swan to try and shake me out of the weeks funk and he always eats alright for his Daddy. He knows how to wind me up the little bugger!
Now, I know that all toddlers are probably equally fussy and odd about their foods, changeable from one day to the next and relentless in their refusal to negotiate by any means. I know it is not just Nate who loves pasta one day but the next time you offer it will cry at the mere sight of it. I know that toddlers are not daft and will milk anything for all it is worth if it means they get cake instead of melon. But, and certainly for a mother who had no prior experience with children, it is still difficult and challenging and sometimes upsetting. Nathaniel is the grand master of making me feel in one moment like the happiest person alive and the next like a massive failure. I admit, I am a tad neurotic and certainly someone to think to much about every minute detail in the most pessimistic manner I can and make myself stress about it, I will add that I keep most of this locked in my mind and remain seemingly at ease to the observer (unless you are my Mum or Chris who I will express all my issues at if they like it or not) but never-the-less it is there, the doubt, the anguish, the want to succeed and the feeling that I am falling at every hurdle. And this is just when he doesn't eat very well for a day or two when he is a bit poorly. And this week was one of those weeks where I worried for no reason and got all upset in the bathroom on my own and then cleaned furiously around the flat while Nate napped to make it better. Iwill try and stop myself from doing this to myself. And, I suppose, to Nate who I am sure can pick up on my emotional state within seconds.
Nathaniel is, of course, in great spirits and has been since his grumblings on Tuesday morning, he is full of energy and being his usual bubbly self and once again all of my worries have proved to be absolutely absurd and unwarranted and I feel an arse, but also happy. Happy that the thing in the back of my mind, the knowledge that I am doing fine, that I am a good Mum and I do all I can for Nate and that he is fine and healthy, is right.
Chocolate face
I went on a bit there and it was all one big incoherent train of thought. I really can't write for shit. I promise to improve over time. Basically, nate ate funny for a few days, he did the same last week, he is fine but I got all worked up and worried about it but all is well now.
Black Swan was rather good. As was the new chicken pizza at Pizza Express. NOM!
This poster makes me think of Star Wars. I may be alone in this one.
I joined a gym, too. I will finally start making effort in the battle to fight my incredible fatness. Eating less cake would also help. I have been once and felt great afterwards. Now to get myself motivated to return.
Oh yes, also (just to make this one painfully long) Coffee meet today was fantastic fun. All the boys are really starting to bond and are all shaking hands and laughing and running around together and it makes me 'squee' at the cuteness of it all.
I will stop now. I will blog more regularly and hopefully figure out what I want to say soon so this will be much less messy.
Hayleigh x
Visitors...
So, last Wednesday we had visitors in the shape of Julie-Ann and her two adorable kids Craig and Louise.
Naturally, Nathaniel was very excited about the whole thing and proceeded to be extremely hyper and sociable s in his delightfully sweet way (I find it delightful at least, I am sure everyone else would much rather just sit down in peace). He really does love other people, and wants to be friends and share his toys and food and run around and show them all of his things, which is adorable but I am sure to others it gets a bit wearisome, I could be wrong - he is much more intense in concentrated doses ie: only one or two other children around. Craig is much more chilled out and seemed a smidge daunted by Nates antics at times, he did come out of his shell later on though and they had a wee run about, chasing each other while Nate screeched loudly and proclaimed everything as ‘funny’. I did try and get a picture of the two of them together but when I said ‘sit beside Craig’ he proceeded to sit on his legs and was promptly shoved off…
Action shot
I enjoy having time when it is just one other kid around, be it here or visiting them or anywhere. It gives them better opportunity to get to know each other. Nate, as I keep mentioning, is sociable to a fault and does’t quite know when to calm down at times whilst in the presence of people he is not always around. A big condensed dose of Nate must be like a shot of Tequila… it is good fun but by god is it a bit much after a while. But he is adorable and full of smiles and happiness.
Anyway, he likes to shake hands and say ‘how do you do’ and pat people on the head in greeting
Louise was the picture of baby beauty in the little dress I bought her and her band up to fashion hair do. I have never seen such a stunning little girl, a definite contrast to the awful child I seen yesterday whose ears were pierced and home to two massive, chunky gold hoops that were clearly her Mothers own. All smiles and happiness and an absolute joy to be around. Nathaniel kept tickling her feet :D I hope Julie-Ann doesn't mind me posting pictures of her little ones, everyone must let me know if they'd rather I didn't.
Nathaniel has also decided to add a ‘y’ to all of his friends names. ‘Craigy’ ‘Sammy’ ‘Mikey’. I think his decision to do this this stems from both his obsession with Pixar film Wall-e and his friend Rory having the same sound (almost the same word actually, with his childlike pronunciations). Needless to say it is cute as hell.
We will be going to the church hall for tea and cake on Thursday, as always. There will be another few of his friends there, which is also lovely as they are for the most part starting to play very well together. Of course, Mandy, Julie-Ann, Mags and Rebecca (the Mums) are all fantastic and I owe a lot of my remaining sanity to them as having met them when I first had Nate was brilliant; I had people to visit, people to socialise with and talk to about baby things, I consider them true friends (d’awwww)
I best be off..
Still catching up with the old blog, from my next post everything will be shiny and new.
Whispers...
Nathaniel keeps lying on the floor, on his stomach, and whispering to it. I can’t make out what he is saying, I assume reciting magical spells to make our noisy downstairs neighbours cock off!
Clown around...
On tuesday I decided to go an a little adventure to a part of the city I have never really ventured to with Nate; Clown Around in Restalrig is a soft play place with trampolines and the likes. I am usually very weary of such venues due to them always being busy, always making Nate catch a bloody cold and always being far, far away in some obscure industrial estate.
None of these things applied today. I got there easily on the bus and Nate only had to share the 0-3 year old section with a few other children and so far no ill - triple bonus!
Here it is http://www.clownaround.me.uk/
Here he is.
It was a good laugh. He was a bit weary of the highest point as he could not figure out how to get through the rollers to the slide but it did not concern him too much as I was at hand to life him to the top so he could wiggle himself down.
Twin boys later arrived who must have been around 3 and poor Nate, bless him, tried to be friends with them and follow them around but they just were not interested in a tiny excited boy chasing them and instead of opted to throw balls at a little girl who must have been 18 months old and had the most horrendous pink tracksuit on with massive gold hoop earrings in her ears. Vile things and very clearly her mothers, who would/could do that to a tiny child?! That tragedy aside, Nate just wanted to make friends but was duly ignored, poor little sod. he was chuffed when a couple of other little ones around his age arrived. He went straight to shaking their hands and saying hello. I must add that actually saying hello is a new thing for him, up until about three days ago he said ‘HO!’ and very rarely did so at anything other than the phone when no-one was there so this was a nice step forward. It amuses me that he has been shaking hands with people as a greeting for much longer than vocalising it in a less formal method. Unfortunately these were another bunch of anti-socials. Toddlers are the worst for having cliques, I’ve decided and again Nate was left to play alone while the kids more familiar with each other did their own thing.
It got to that stage where he was bored of talking at other kids to no avail and decided to find another thing to do, this meant him venturing to the 4-10 year old area and trying to escape my watchful eyes into the parent free zone. I knew then that it was time to leave. I know him well enough that once he starts getting up to mischief it is time to call it a day he is maybe tired, or hungry or restless…or all of these things.
A good time was had and he has been in a fantastic mood all day. I shall return soon.
Till next time
Hello...
Hello,
My name, as stated in the 'about me' is Hayleigh. I am a 24 year old mother of one, that one being a 22 month old little boy called Nathaniel. He is my life and, along with my equally awesome husband Chris, he dominates most of my thoughts and plans and makes me happier than most things ( and I include Lord of the Rings and PS3 in this imaginary poll). I have been contemplating starting some sort of blog for some time now, I always intended to write a diary once Nathaniel was born but after a day or so of enthusiastic scribbling I'd put it to one side and forget about it - this says a lot about me, I am fickle, forgetful and changeable but I am determined to make this work for me, if only as a way to remind me what I have been through and experienced during my sons early years (I mentioned my terrible memory, right?).
So here it is, all shiny and brand new and excruciatingly amateur but I hope, in time, to improve and to figure out exactly what my direction will be; as it stands I intent to write mostly about Nate related things, my thoughts and feelings on my experiences in Motherhood, the hilarity and the woe and everything in-between. Or at least I imagine I will.
This is Nathaniel
You can see a small section of my DVD collection here, this photo shows a few of the things I love most in the world… My son, movies and lets not forget LEGO!
This is me, doing a duckface and sporting my new specs - which I do need to see, I am not some sort of pretentious hipster with no bloody lenses in my unnecessarily massive glasses!
I had/have a tumblr blog, so my next few posts shall be copied from there to bulk this place out a bit. Nathaniel is at his grandma and grandpas until Monday.
Untill then, live long and prosper.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)