A photographer friend called Ben took these pictures of Wilf and I a couple of months back (when I still had long hair!).
In just a few short days Wilf will be two. Like the saying goes 'the day's are long but the years are short'. Last year I managed to post an update on Wilf each month but as he transited from a baby to a toddler I could not keep up, add to that multiple free-lance projects and opening a
shop and updates started to become less regular. Although I suppose most of this blog is a record of his life and our life together.
I cannot begin to explain how much of a joy this little kiddo brings to our lives. Or rather, if you are a parent you will know that feeling. I sort of think of my life as before Wilf and after Wilf, in fact perhaps that's how I should refer to events from now on, 'the year was 2010 bw' ..or maybe not, I've already admitted to calling our son the
baby Jesus before..
Here are some things about Wilf aged nearly two:
He has a best friend, her name is Panda. Panda comes from a land called IKEA and every time we visit Wilf makes sure to check on Panda's family too. If I were to give you one tip on being a parent it would be to make sure your child's best toy comes from somewhere you can easily find a replacement, we haven't lost panda yet but I often think about buying a replacement Panda now just in case!
He is funny, actually he is hilarious. Wilf has discovered jokes and so we get treated to ones like 'Old McDonald had a farm and on that farm he had a…sausages!' (followed by fits of laugher) also conversations like this, Me - 'Hey Wilf did you know you used to live in mummy's tummy?' Wilf - 'Mummy PANDA used to live in your tummy not me!' *chuckles*. Every morning he wakes up and starts chatting straight away, one day last week he woke up and ran into our room singing 'ready, steady, get set go! ready, steady get set go' he will say 'mummy daddy wake up now! it's the yellow sun! Let's be horses together, neigh! neigh!'.
Some other Wilf classics
W -'daddy's going to work, he works at the playground'
M -'what should we get daddy for Christmas? What does he really like?' W - ' I know! Toast!'
W 'wake up daddy! get mummy's tea!' (did I tell you I love this boy??)
M - Wilf can you think of somewhere exciting to go this afternoon?' W- 'umm the cafe?'
If you are in his space or asking him to do something he doesn't want he will say -STAND BACK! or 'I'd like you to stand back!' (I asked and he didn't get this from nursery either so he just made it up!)
Wilf recently started a gym tots class and subsequently we are told to do our exercises together almost daily. Wilf's granny was even made to do her exercises when she came to stay. These exercises start fairly gently but often end up reenacting the Tree Fu Tom sequences 'touch your nose, now strike a pose!'.
Having being able to speak full sentences at 16 months (I'm not kidding) we have been treated to a variety of interesting conversations (interesting is one of his favourite words actually 'hey look at this, it's
interesting'). Wilf also likes to sing and can sing about ten nursery rhymes off by heart, some of them I don't even know. At Wilf's first parents evening we asked them what the 'fire fly song was' as we had never heard it before, they didn't know so Tom and I went on to sing this song Wilf had been singing a lot lately to explain what we meant (it even came with actions) they stared blankly at us.. since then I've been trying to work out where it's from but we can only conclude he made it up?? Any one help us out with that? It goes 'fire fly, in the sky, fly and fly and fly and fly'.
Imaginative play has come on leaps and bounds over the last few months and he had great fun playing with his softies and his plastic animals 'look out it's a lion! ahhh run away panda, raa raa!' He also likes to pretend he is something for example 'let's be horses together' involved us all galloping, eating hay and shouting 'neigh neigh' another favourite is 'let's be froggies's together' if we refuse he goes to get his 'magic stick' and turns us into froggies so we really have no choice in the matter.
Most of all he is a very gentle boy, we are super lucky in that we have had no hitting problems or the like yet (although I put this down to good luck rather than any amazing parenting skills). Occasionally he has issues with sharing but he mostly he just makes a really whinny noise until I have fobbed him off with another toy or asked him to share. I know the 'terrible twos' are approaching and I'm sure they will come times when I will want to put him in the bin so I am enjoying it whilst it lasts.
Looking forward to two! xx
