Growing Up

The kids have just gone back to school for term 2 of the school year. In just over ten week's time, Felix

Doing a tour of an old prison...fun exploring!

will be starting full time Kindergarten. I am feeling the whole gammet of emotions; excited that our little miracle boy is growing up and ready to explore life outside of his family, and terrified that he might be upset or not cope (or is that me I'm talking about)? The staff at the Kindy have been wonderful. They have encouraged us to stop in for visits to get Felix used to the centre. Last Friday morning Felix and I went for a quick visit. As usual, Felix clung on to me at the first sight of other children, but settled quickly. We arrived at Kindy right on rest time. We went into the 'quiet room' and all the children were laying down listening to some music. Felix snuggled in to me, but I pointed to the others and told him it was time to lay down for a rest. To my surprise, and delight, Felix lay down on his tummy, just like the other kids, and stayed that way until he was told to sit up again. He's a fast learner, our boy!

Cuddles with a little lamb

His counting has continued to come on in leaps and bounds, and the speech to go with it. He is speaking the numbers much more clearly and is attempting numbers 11-20 now. Most end with "een", but we're getting there. Recently, I thought I should probably do some work with Felix on colours, so I asked him to pass me the blue block....which he did. Beginners luck maybe? Then I asked him to pass me the yellow block, which he did; then the red block, and the green! I realised, fairly quickly, that he already has a good grasp of his basic colours, and can say the word "green". He's always full of surprises.

Felix has a favourite jigsaw puzzle, which has numbers 1-10 as well as some shapes; a circle, square, triangle, heart and a star. He loves to play a game where he sits down and we ask him "Where is the four?" or "Can you pass me the circle?" I'm pretty sure he could do the puzzle blindfolded! I'm really excited that he is starting to say the words circle "ool", triangle, also "ool", square "air", heart "are" and star "dar". If he spoke the word "air" to me any other time, I probably wouldn't know what he was telling me, but in the context of the puzzle, I know exactly what he's saying, as he places the square in the correct spot.

My inspiration

Because Felix's speech is delayed, it is another reminder to me to be attentive to Felix when he is talking to me. I really need to take the time to listen carefully to him. Often times I am pleasantly surprised to discover he is actually speaking a word to me and not just making a sound. He must get so impatient with us sometimes, when he is using a word quite clearly, but we haven't tuned in our ears to hear him properly. Listening to Felix talk is a little bit like listening to someone with a different accent to your own. Once you are accustomed to the accent, it makes it much easier to know what is being said.

Hanging out with some new Mums and their babies

During the school holidays, Felix got to spend the best part of a day on a nearby farm. He met huge mobs of sheep and some goats; sometimes standing right in the middle of the paddock and helping to feed them. He saw dozens of brand new lambs, some only a day old. He got to ride in a tractor, on a go-kart and a motorbike. The smile on his face, as he whizzed past on the motorbike, was priceless. He had the biggest grin. When the motorbike slowed down, he signed 'again, again' until it sped back up again. The farm dogs loved Felix, and he gave them big cuddles. It was such a wonderful opportunity for Felix to experience being out on a farm. We have dogs, cats, a sheep and some chickens, but to see all the animals on such a large scale was so much fun for him.

Taking joy in the little things

As the days go by, I still fall more and more in love with our little guy. He never fails to delight me, to make me smile or to warm my heart so much it feels like bursting. I can't get enough of watching his love for learning, and his excitement for life. He continues to be my inspiration!