Good Stories
I never intended this blog to be such a gloomy thing, but our circumstances have lead me to use this forum as a vent for all my frustrations. However, I should remember that those who read it are getting a bit of an unbalanced view of our life. It’s not all doom and gloom, and we’re mostly pretty happy and have a really lovely time together. So I’ll endeavour to include more happy stories along with the rants. Starting now…
Today we went to the zoo for the first time, and I think the boys really enjoyed it. We were only there for about 1.5 hours, which was very expensive, but we were really scoping the place out to see how the boys would like it. Since they did, we’ll now look at getting a membership which will give us unlimited access for 12 months. The boys didn’t really react much to the animals, but Lachlan really enjoyed the freedom to run around a bit. We didn’t let Dan out of the pram this time, but I think when we go again, we’ll leave the pram behind. It’s a bit of a risk, but I think it’ll give us a safe environment to try and train the boys to stay with us and to follow our instructions. Better than in the streets or in a crowded shopping centre.
We will also have to work on the temper tantrums Lachlan throws when forced to get back in the car at the end of an outing. It’s also becoming more difficult to get him out of the car when we get home. That’s because he has a new found fascination for the driver’s seat, the steering wheel, the horn, the hazard lights, and all the buttons and leavers that are within reach. We got some pickies and video of him playing there today.
Lachlan Driving
Another thing Lachlan has started doing is helping me with the laundry. He climbs on the dryer (unlike Daniel, who climbs IN the dryer) and puts the clothes I hand him in the washing machine. He helps me put the soap in, and pushes the buttons to start the cycle. That’s the point I have to physically remove him because he keeps opening the lid to see inside, and the cycle stops every time he does that. The other day he even climbed over the washing machine and sat in the laundry sink. This only became a problem when he turned the tap on!
Both boys are getting very good at communicating, even though neither of them are using words. Today, when we were getting ready to go to the zoo, Lachlan picked up the signals and started getting very excited about going in the car. As I picked up my handbag, he grabbed my hand and started dragging me to the garage. He was very unimpressed when I put my bag down to go into the toilet. He complained loudly, grabbed my bag, and stood outside the toilet waiting for me to finish. He then handed me my bag and started dragging me to the door again.
The boys are also learning more about listening and bad behaviour. They mostly do as they’re told now when they’re told to sit down. And today I was forced to scold Daniel when he threw a tantrum over a toy. I was pleased to see that he got upset about getting told off. I was getting a bit worried that he didn’t really care about getting in trouble, because he’d be very hard to discipline if he didn’t get upset.
Daniel is still slightly obsessed with books and will hunt me down from one end of the house to the other to get me to read to him. He’ll then worm his way into my lap, no matter what I’m doing and then stares at me with those big blue eyes until I start reading. If I don’t start soon enough he’ll gently touch my face or my arm to get my attention.
One new thing about Dan is that his favourite game at the moment is hide and seek. In one version he hides in the cupboard in his bedroom and then opens the door to surprise (or be surprised by) Richard or me. He always gives himself away by giggling before he opens the door. He is so cute. In the other version of the game, either Richard or I hides in his room and surprises him when he comes around the corner. He then runs away laughing. We then move to a new location in the room (or not) and surprise him again when he comes back looking for us. Again, very cute. Lachlan also enjoys the game, but we have yet to figure out a way for us all to play together without fingers getting jammed in the cupboard doors.
Finally, just for the sake of it, Dan is now opening normal doors (not just his cupboard doors), and Lachlan is able to climb into his cot. It won’t be long till he can climb out too, though he is hindered by his sleeping bag. Richard and I are debating whether to change his cot over to a bed or whether we should leave it for a bit longer.
Covered In Boys
