Noah-David is now a three mornings a week lad at pre-school. We’re into our fourth week and he still occasionally asks if he can stay at home. We haven’t succumbed to these requests as yet because we want to establish a pattern and expectation of leaving the house and participating in a learning/play environment with other kids. This is all in preparation for next fall’s transition of going to school.
Our son has found his first non-family soul mate. He has a best friend. They are very happy in each other’s company. They hold hands going into class, play with each other throughout the morning and by all accounts are inseparable. When I start my parental leave the pre-school dropping off and picking up will be one of my more anticipated activities. I’ll be able to listen to spontaneous stories, see the two of them in action and observe the development of a youthful friendship.
The grand garçon – big boy – pre-school stuff is significant news for us but there’s a lot of other new activity happening on the home front too. Noah is dressing himself at the start of the day and gets into his PJs at night. He’s soaking his hair in the bath and shampooing. He turns lights on and off to conserve energy taking a little stool with him so he can reach the switches. He is an inveterate hand washer and loves to fill the washroom sink for a lengthy session of soaping and playing. On car excursions he opens the four doors and cosies himself into his car seat. At pre-school, he’s communicating entirely in English. And finally, he’s always there to help show his little sister how to do things.
With the bustle of our daily lives, it is sometimes difficult to keep track of the number of new accomplishments that are happening almost simultaneously. It’s like a behavioural growth spurt. The boundaries of knowledge and experience are undergoing significant expansion. It’s a real treat to be a part of all this newness, to be swept up in the enthusiasm and wonder of, “I can do that myself.” Noah is proud of the new things he is able to do and he knows that he is being a big help to maman and papa in these areas of newly developed independence.
Nellie is bursting out too – at her own speed. Despite having big brother around, her bursting nature is uniquely her own. She does have the daredevil twist that’s really in evidence when we’re at playgrounds. There is nothing she won’t try to get on, over, under, or through without any parental assistance, thank you very much.
She’s a social convener with strong maternal instincts. I’ve yet to see her in action but Mélanie tells me that she’s the belle of the ball down at pre-school. She’s greeting, tickling and running with all the other little brothers and sisters, coddling the babies and being the unofficial entertainment coordinator. I’m sure that I’m in for plenty of laughs and some heartfelt moments when I get to take on the chauffeur to pre-school role in a couple of months. It’s going to be fun.
Nellie-Rose has a few new tricks of her own on the go. She is now becoming an experienced face puller. She’s using the standard method of index fingers at either side of the mouth accompanied by a forceful stretch, wagging tongue and unintelligible vocalizations. There’s an appreciative audience for this kind of material down at pre-school. She has followed her brother into the secret society of ablutions. She is not as fastidious but roars in disapproval when pulled away from a full sink of water.
Out of the blue, Nellie started to sit at one of the chairs around the dining room table at meal time. The message was pretty clear but she’s not quite ready to totally abandon the high chair. We now have her eat less messy meals seated at the table. She’s very pleased with this new development that she pioneered. It won’t be too long before the high chair is a thing of the past. In fact, there isn’t a chair in the house that can resist Nellie’s assaults. To sit on our large wooden rocker, she launches her upper torso onto the seat with outstretched arms, grabs the spindles on the back and hauls the rest of her body onto the rocker. It’s a slick, if somewhat ungainly, no nonsense manoeuvre.
Our girl is also brushing her teeth on good nights when she’s not too tired. Maman and papa still need to come in behind. She is an on again, off again user of the potty. This will come to pass on a more frequent basis in time. Mélanie tells me she’s not quite ready. All told, Nellie is able. She’s getting things done.
Language is no exception. She has already learned ‘jamais‘ – never – which is generally accompanied by an escape dash down the hall and a less than foolproof go at hiding behind some bedroom curtains. Nellie is well developed in the realm of the spoken word and regularly uses full sentences. At present her signature phrase is ‘j’ai faim‘ – I’m hungry. They’re the first words we hear in the morning and they are repeated like a chorus throughout the day.
In just a few short weeks – yes I know it’s easy for a guy not approaching the end of the last trimester to say that – we’ll be starting all over with a brand new little Lila-Jeanne who will need constant care, feeding and attention. Her arrival will undoubtedly precipitate some behavioural changes in her older sister and brother. These are all incremental steps in individual development and in building family bonds and identity – the magic stuff of daily life.
Leave a comment