The natives are getting restless...

The jungle drums beat louder, you know that the natives are restless, something is wrong, there is trouble on the way.  It was a bit like that around here today!

The boy has his own drum set and he loves to bash around on it, he's actually getting quite good at some simple drum beats with the help of hubby. Normally he likes to play with an audience, and perhaps accompaniment on guitar or keyboard. But not this afternoon. 

Today we seemed to have exhausted everything we could do by mid afternoon. We'd baked cookies, done drawings, made crafts, played on our 'computer' and read lots of books. He didn't seem to want to do anything else. I was afraid a boredom meltdown was imminent. Then suddenly he announced he was going to play on his drums, and off he went to bang around on them for a bit. He came back up happy and ready to do other things. No more sign of a meltdown. Thank goodness for the drums - they were bringing good news today, and it's peace and quiet in the jungle now.

The boy on his drums - he resembles Animal when he plays!

 

 

When I grow up...

The boy and I have been going to a "Sports with Mum" class twice a week this summer. It's been a lot of fun, a bunch of 3 to 5 year olds running around playing a different sport each week. At an hour and half , it's a great way to burn off some of  his extra energy, (and it's good exercise for me too!) He's also got to try out different sports that we wouldn't necessarily play at home, like volleyball or flag football. It's run by our town, and it's been a great way for the boy to meet other kids and learn to play co-operatively, follow instructions, and listen (something he seems to forget these things at home sometimes). 

Each class the teachers ask the kids a different question about themselves while they take attendance. Cute little 'get to know you' questions like, what's your favourite thing to do in the summer, or what's your favourite flavour of ice cream. Yesterday's was "What do you want to be when you grow up?" One of the girls said she wanted to be a dolphin (!), someone else wanted to be an astronaut,  and when it was the boy's turn, he was torn between being a vet or a doctor. Looks like I'm going to have to increase my RESP contributions!

Eye Rolling

The boy and I were playing with his blocks today. He was busy building drills and using them to 'cut' pieces of wood (other blocks), using them as screwdrivers, and making houses and garages with his tools. (He loves tools, real, or make believe). And of course, being the boy, he had to have sound effects for all the drills and banging that he was doing, and every drill he built had a different noise and a different action that went with it.

He passed a drill to me and said, "Here, Mummy, you use this one to drill holes in your block of wood". So I took the drill and piece of wood that he gave me, and made some (what I thought were good) drilling noises. Apparently not. The boy looked at me with pity, took the drill away from me, and said sadly, "No, Mummy, that's not how you do it, just give it to me." He then proceeded to do it himself, and I wasn't given another drill to play with, I guess I couldn't be trusted with them! I had hoped that it wouldn't be until the boy was about 6 or 7 that the eye rolling would start, but apparently my lack of drilling skills brought it out in him earlier. Obviously, I need more practice before next time.

(L-R) His battery pack, drill, and screwdriver.

Are you watching?

The boy is at the stage where I have to be watching everything he does. Not because he's doing something dangerous (or not all the time), or because he's unsure or needs help (heaven forbid), but because that's what he wants. He loves to have an audience for his escapades.

"Mummy are you watching? Mummy, look, I'm going to do a somersault" or "Mummy are you watching? Mummy look, I'm colouring this in" or my favourite "Mummy are you watching? Mummy look I'm  being silly" I have to admit to sometimes telling him I'm watching, when really I'm not, like in the bank, or if I'm trying to make dinner. Most of the time though I try and watch him, since it's almost guaranteed amusement, amazement, or astonishment on my part. 

I love that he wants to share with me, and that he wants me involved in what he's doing. Goodness knows how long that will last, with his stubborn, independent streak. So for now, I am working at watching and making sure I really do look up and acknowledge him. The only time I don't want to hear "Mummy are you watching?" is when it's coming from the bathroom!

All better?

Our dog finally about got her stitches out today (after she hurt her back a few weeks ago) and the boy is so  relieved. He's been very worried about her and how she is doing. I love that he is so empathetic and is concerned about things other than himself. It means he's really growing up and turning into a caring little boy. He's also been quite chatty about the cone she has had to wear since she came home. Now that her stitches are out, we could take the cone off, and that's all he's been talking about.

He keeps checking her back out to see where the incision was, and seems really intrigued by the fact that it looks all better. He asked me this afternoon, "Mummy, her back is all mended, so is she all better now?" It's a bit tricky to explain to him that she needs to keep resting for a few more weeks and isn't quite 100% better yet. As a child who is pretty much a perpetual motion machine, the idea of having to be still and quiet is something he just doesn't understand!

Poor dog with her blanket and  her cone of shame