1. Fungus
2. Fertiliser
3. Photos
A ridiculously long, complicated day, involving a drive over to The City which meant I wasn’t home till 8pm… then a quick night night to Son 1 aged 4y 10m and Son 2 aged 23 m, who’d been kept up specially, and then zooming out again for an Office Thing. We were up daftly early though, so I did have time to read to Son 2 this morning. He pointed at a mushroom in a picture book. “Mush mush.” Hmmm. I spend hours each week patiently going through piles of children’s books with Son 2. They are very heavily centred on cartoon cats and dogs, jungles and farm animals, vehicles and babies. Mushrooms don’t really come into it. I’ve told him what they are a couple of times - on the odd occasion he’s been through the veg box before I’ve had chance to put it away. Clearly a genius. Or possibly something to do with Wonder Nanny.
I fetched the hairbrush to brush Son 2’s hair. “Me do,” he said firmly. And for the poppers on his sleepsuit. He also wants to wee in the loo. Won’t use his potty. Doesn’t want to use the booster seat. Just wants to stand up on the plastic step and point. I went into the bathroom to see Son 1 and Son 2, starkers, Son 2 on the step and Son 1 beside him gently holding Son 2’s willy while he weed in the loo. Both with beaming smiles. Sorry, but I’m leaving that one. I’m very happy for Son 2 to toilet train himself, and skip all the extra bits of plastic Son 1 used. I still remember having to take the Big Chair Potty to the beach under the Big Pram, because he wouldn’t go in anything else. And I can remember packing a booster seat in the suitcases to take to Portugal. But if he wants to wee standing up he can hold his own willy. You Do.
The Man has had some holiday pictures sent to him by the Elegant Aunt. A lovely picture of all four of us sitting on a sofa in the bar area of the holiday village, and others taken in the cafe/pool area. The Man flipped back and forth between them. “Son 2 looks different in this one. His hair’s longer…” “No darling, ” I said as gently as I could. “This one - ” the family shot ” - was taken last year, in May 2008. This one - ” - Son 2 and I, on the terrace, “was taken on this year’s holiday. He’s eight months old in that one, and 20 months old in this one.”
Tags: Elegant Aunt, expressive language, holiday pictures, independence, long day, mushroom, reading, receptive language, The Office, toilet training
