Many Happy Returns

There’s no point pretending this has been a regular blog. Or promising that it will be.

 

But… I’d like it to be, because there are just so many things I’d like to remember about our lovely boy before he becomes a snarling, sweaty teenager or, more optimistically, starts bugging me for pocket money.

 

(He’s already, through his nursery, started trying to get money for sponsorship. A sponsored wheel! Brilliant - he has to go round a market track, pushing something. I think there is precisely zero chance of him completing one or more laps of a track, unless someone dangles Mousey in front of his nose the whole way, which would be a bit cruel.)

 

I’ll try to fill in some of the gaps from the missing 6 months or so but part of the problem has been that I need to give some thought to what I blog about. He’s changing all the time so I want to make sure I capture the things that matter, not necessarily the biggest events, but those things that fill our days with laughter, charm and happiness. It’s tempting to blog about his first steps, or first day at nursery and so on (and I might) but it isn’t always the big landmarks that are worth talking about. Sometimes it’s just one of those quiet moments.

 

I can tell you this – Barney is walking, and walking well! He gets really whacked out by bedtime because of all his walking – but see above for my scepticism re: getting him to walk anywhere specific.

 

Also, as the title indicates, Barney recently turned 1 – maybe I’ll post something about his birthday later – he is turning into a real little boy even though he is often mistaken for a girl (but we can’t bring ourselves to cut his hair!).

 

Alsoalsoalso, he has a favourite stair, just as Kermit’s nephew did, but unlike Kermit’s nephew it isn’t halfway up. It is in fact the bottom step – which many readers may know is significantly easier to get to. He approaches then turns round and reverses until he is propped up in position, mostly sitting but partly upright as if he is settling for a quick espresso and pastry before he goes to work.

 

Anyway, this morning, Barney woke up in a lovely mood, full of smiles and fun. We all went down to breakfast and while Rachel was making something for the boy he wandered about. I knew where he was headed so I got there first and sat on his favourite step – have no fear, I left some room for him. Sure enough he wandered along, still laughing about the raisins and raisin box we’d let him have (“The fools! Don’t they realise I’ll just eat them all!”), and then when he got close enough he turned around and carefully reversed. He plonked his bottom down and then turned his head and looked up at me.

 

He gave me a quiet, sweet smile and then looked back at his raisins.

 

We only sat there for a few seconds before business took him away but that’s the kind of moment I’ll forget in a year’s time – maybe even in a month. And that’s exactly the sort of moment I don’t want to forget.