So we’re half way through the (pre)school holidays and I thought I’d update as to how it’s going. I won’t lie to you I was preeeety nervous as to how it would go. We don’t have a car and there are few clubs or activities going on locally that he’s a) old enough for b) likely to want to join in. Add to that the change in routine, well I was a touch concerned that we would be in for a world of pain.
As it happens, its been fine. In fact it’s been more than fine, it’s be great!
We’ve had a little over four weeks at home, but so far Oscar either hasn’t noticed or doesn’t care that we’re not going to preschool twice a week. Which is making things easier than I hoped. The weather’s been unpredictable to say the least, which makes going outside something of a lucky dip, but he’s thoroughly enjoyed playing in the garden when he can.
Other than that we’ve kept things pretty much the same as usual. We go to the Sure Start Centre on a Tuesday, our wonderful Home Start Volunteer comes on a Wednesday and we see his little buddy Cecily at least once a week. We’ve been to parks, met some animals, had play dates and visitors and parties to attend. It’s been pretty much the same as when he’s at preschool to be honest.
I think the biggest difference in routine has been for me. I don’t get my two, two hour sessions a week at the moment. And when you’ve gotten used to even such a small amount of time out, it’s hard to give that up. Thankfully our Home Start Volunteer or as I call her, in the nicest possible way, our ‘Rent a Gran’ (because she does things a grandma would if they were nearer) has been visiting long enough that I can now leave Oscar with her. So once a week, she’s been staying here with him while I head to my ‘office’ (read Dylan’s Milk Barn 😉 ) to work or write or just to take five. Gawd bless her! It’s making all the difference.
But in as much as everything has stayed the same, A LOT has changed in the last few weeks. Oscar’s language has EXPLODED! I’ve been nervous talking about it, lest it should disappear again (we’ve been burnt like that before), but I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m going to celebrate his achievements regardless. So what if it disappears? The fact is it’s here today. And boy oh boy is it here! Where do I start? Colours, shapes, numbers, nouns and more excitingly adjectives. The boy who had a handful of words in January can suddenly count up to 28. He can read numbers. Hell, this morning he spelt out S.H.O.E.S, pointing to letters in the word! Every single day he’s blowing my mind. He can tell me when he’s ‘hungry’, when he ‘need help’, when he’s done ‘poos’, when he’s ‘sad’ or even ‘happy’! He can ask for any number of toys, food items (his new favourite being sandwich!) and even hugs, which he does often. He sings songs, totally unprompted, most of which I can make out. Favourites are Wheels on the Bus, Old McDonald and The Farmer in the Dell. It’s less than a year ago that he would slap me, hard, if ever I sang. He’s also following instructions and answering questions in a way I’ve never seen before. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not talking sentences and discourse here. But holy moly it’s soooo much more than even a month ago.
What else? Oh yeah, he calls me Mummy! Not Mama, which I’ve called myself every day since he was born, and I would have imagined is easier to say, but Mummy. No idea where he got it from (Cecily mainly calls Bethany Mama), but boy oh boy does it make my heart smile every single time I hear it. Particularly when I’ve been out and come home to an excited ‘Mummy!’
Honestly so much has changed in the last four weeks, I can’t even begin to imagine what he’ll do next!
Sod the weather, this has been an amazing summer 🙂
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