We’ve had post-gymnastics playdates with Gemma and Emma and their families at the Canada Museum of Science and Technology, and we went as a family to see the Frogs exhibit again at the Canada Museum of Nature. You were eager to show Daddy the frog that looks like a “puddle of frog” and to show him how well you can play frog golf.
It has been such a pleasure watching you do gymnastics every Saturday morning throughout the fall. Your confidence is soaring and you clearly enjoy the class. It has been wonderful to watch your skills improve. (I think you have a bit of a crush on your coach, Pépé, but I think all the other boys and girls in your class do, too. You even like to put your pencil crayons into the spiral spine of a notebook, because that’s what Pépé does with her pen.) It was without hesitation that I signed you up for another session. I hope you have the same coach, but even if you don’t, the others all look great.
We had a lovely, if wet, Halloween this year. You helped me carve the pumpkin, making all the decisions about how the face should look.
You had two different costumes. At day care, you were Buzz Lightning, thanks to some awesome PJs handed down to us from Aunt Kimmy, along with the coolest of space ranger wing sets. The highlight was definitely when, a few days before Halloween, Uncle Ted and Aunt Jen visited while wearing THEIR Buzz Lightning costumes. That was, in your words, pretty cool.
Your costume for trick or treating was a labour of love. With help and advice from Daddy and Uncle Ted, I made you a fire truck to wear. I had a bumper, headlights, a real flashing light that spins, not to mention a ladder, a hose and a tactical axe. You were a hit, and I was really proud. (Your grandmothers have both made such awesome costumes for you over the past few years that when you said you wanted to be a firefighter for Halloween, I felt I needed to step it up a notch.)
You are enjoying your candy haul this year. Your favourite candies are Rockets, and you also enjoy a good lollypop (or, as you say it, “yollypop.”)
You express yourself so well, darling. One of your favourite things to say is, “Did you ever see…” and you finish the sentence with a silly suggestion. You’ve asked if we’ve ever seen a banana jumping in a tree, for example. It’s a lot of fun.
At one point you were looking at a book with Daddy, and you pointed at one of the characters and asked what was wrong with him (he had spots on his face). Daddy said he was sick. “With chicken nuggets?” you asked. We assume you meant chicken pox.
I’ve been working hard on teaching you your numbers up to 20. You have 1 to 10 down (and have for quite some time), but 11 to 20 are much harder, mainly because they don’t make sense! (Shouldn’t it be one-teen, two-teen and three-teen?) I’ve written them out on a piece of paper and we work on them together during dinner. We’ll keep it up.
There are a few pretend games you like to play at home. You like to “go on a journey” – you’ll find some kind of portable receptacle (your Halloween treat bucket, for example) and fill it with all kinds of stuff, and then lead me around the house until we find the end of our journey. Then we inspect and play with the supplies you have brought. Then we pack up again and go “home.”
You are also a fan of gathering all kinds of toys and things on the couch with you, including your bumblebee flashlight, and asking me to turn off the lights in the living room. Then you are “camping.” Sometimes Daddy will build you a fort where you can camp, too. We’re going to try taking you camping for the first time this summer – I’m not sure if will match your expectations, but I think you’ll still enjoy it.
We’ve been busy gearing up for Christmas. For one thing, I asked you to help me make room for the toys Santa is going to bring by choosing some of your older toys to give away. You’ve been surprisingly flexible. We keep a box in the hallway, and occasionally you’ll bring something over to it and say we should give the toy away, usually “to Caspian.” You have made some great choices. I’ll suggest a few more after Christmas.
There is one new thing in your playroom that takes up a lot of space. A friend of ours was selling his mini trampoline, and I couldn’t pass that up. It’s a great way for you to burn some energy, practice the skills you are learning at gymnastics, and for me to get exercise, too!
We still visit Grandpa Reg every few weeks, but I’ll tell you, it’s getting more challenging. He is getting so tired that he often goes for a nap right after breakfast, which is when we come to see him. We’ll try again this weekend, but it may soon be time for me to do most of my visits with him on my own in the evenings. Also, because he is less responsive now (his hearing is pretty much gone), I don’t think it’s quite as enjoyable for you. But you do speak warmly of “going to the Perley” and we have lots of little rituals when we visit.
You’re a pretty fantastic kid, you know. You are sweet, caring, thoughtful, mischievous, silly, and a lot of fun. You are fiercely independent, except when you aren’t. You are loving and affectionate. And we are living up to our family mission statement of always being invited back. It’s easy when you are so charming.
We love you more than you could ever understand, and are so very happy to have you in our lives. Thank you for being so awesome.
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