Tag Archives: 4yearold

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April-September 2020

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If someone had told me what a whirlwind of a year 2020 was going to be, I would have never believed them. Could life get any stranger? Well, after these past few months, I’d say anything is possible.

So, last time I wrote a post was in April, just after our sweet Joshy turned one. A lot has happened over the past months; I’ll try and summarise some of the highs and lows. Don’t despair, despite facing a global pandemic and trying my utmost best not to royally screw up two young boys; it’s mostly been positive!

So the rules during this Covid period are constantly changing and everyone most people are trying to keep up with the latest government guidelines, which can be somewhat ambiguous at times. We now have to wear face masks in public indoor spaces, but besides that, most rules have been softened to an extent. People are allowed small gatherings outside their families, and pubs and non essential stores and facilities have mostly been given the green light. It’s ever changing, depending on the infamous “R” rate (the rate at which the virus is spreading) and certain areas are having to lockdown, depending on local outbreaks.

All in all, we’ve been affected in a very minor way compared with what some have had to face. The biggest change for us was Donal having to work from home initially and Matthew’s Nursery closing. Lucky for us, Donal was able to head back to the office pretty early on and the weather has actually been amazing. So we’ve spent many hours outside in the glorious sunshine. Matt has turned 4 in June, which I will write a little post about later too. The first few weeks were certainly a bit of a change, but the boys got used to it and we simply had to plod on.

In June, certain school year groups were allowed back. Fortunately, Nursery was one of them. Matthew thoroughly enjoyed about a month back at school before it closed for the summer holidays. Just a bit of a tease really! Nevertheless, it was a much needed change of scenery, a chance for him to catch up with long lost buds and for us mums to have a quick catch up at the school gate. All so vital for mental wellbeing in my opinion.

We’ve mostly been at home, exploring local parks and outdoor activities, but we did manage a little staycation to the New Forest with Donal’s siblings. We had a wonderful long weekend in Lymington and really appreciated England and the beauty it has to offer. We did Peppa Pig world with the boys and spent most days at the beach, picnicking, building sandcastles and frolicking in the sea (something I thought I would never do in the UK!) It was truly lovely spending some time with family after many months of not seeing anyone.

Another highlight for me was having a pub lunch and catch up with my friend Claire only last weekend. We just sat and ate and drank bubbly and chatted. It was so great having some quality time doing something for me, that didn’t revolve around a playground or chicken nuggets for the first time since February. My goodness, I needed that. It was so good seeing my bud again.

As far as the boys go, I’ve seen their relationship change and grow as the months have rolled on. Matthew is now a determined, effervescent 4 year old. He’s a happy soul who loves being outdoors adventuring and exploring. He has an enquiring mind and strong willed nature, so as you can imagine, gives us a run for our money from time to time. But he’s at a lovely stage where he’s mostly happy to go with the flow and he says the sweetest things. He loves playing with lego and can spend ages occupying himself with play dough, paint, stickers, cars and water play.

He really enjoys spending time with his friends and neighbours and is a social, bright, confident and lively lad who’ll be starting Reception next week! At the playground, he’s in his element, climbing, sliding and jumping off everything. He loves his scooter and has mastered riding his bicycle with no stabilisers before his 4th birthday. He likes to chill out by watching TV, (Rescue Bots and the Lego series are among his current favourites) playing games on his tablet and still really loves listening to stories, especially when Daddy reads them at bedtime.

He has a sweet tooth just like his mama and will never say no to chocolate or ice cream! Everything in moderation I say. As far as the rest of his diet goes, I’d say he’s pretty good. He always gives everything a try and even eats his broccoli. His favourite foods are sausages, mango, pasta and chicken nuggets, not very cultured, but you can’t win them all!

He’s made such progress with his letter and number recognition. He’s also practising writing his name and adding and subtracting numbers up to ten by counting objects. I’m so proud of his persistence and willingness to learn- he seems to particularly like maths. I never force him to do any work, we incorporate into games and fun activities as well as every day life to try and make it effortless and enjoyable.

Matthew is a cheeky chap, a little boy who wakes up around 6:30am every day with the greatest enthusiasm; ready for breakfast and to take on the day!

As for baby Josh, well he’s not so much of a baby anymore. He’s 17 months old today and the speed at which he’s learning and growing is truly astounding. I know they say the brain is a sponge, my goodness, at this age, it’s very evident. His speech is coming along nicely with “mama, dada, more, up, down, bubba (bubbles) shoe, no, bike, bye…” being some of his more regular words. What amazes me, is just how much he understands. He seems to really enjoy being given little tasks to undertake like fetching his shoes, giving a snack to Matthew or looking for a toy. He loves playing hide and seek and he’s actually great at finding his big bro. He also adores being outside and will often go and fetch his shoes and head for the door as if to say, “Hurry up guys, let’s get going!”

He’s such a little happy bunny, whose beaming smile lights up any room. Josh still loves a cuddle and really embraces them by tucking his head onto your chest to really snuggle in. He’s not a huge fan of staying in the buggy too long, and just wants to be part of the action. He literally copies everything Matthew does… to the T! Hence, he plays much more with the ‘big boy’ toys than his baby ones.

When it comes to food, lets just say, our Joshy is a champ. He loves to eat and snack and seems happiest when doing so. He is a great lover of protein and won’t say no to dry wors or biltong. Some of Josh’s favourites foods include spaghetti bolognaise (especially the mince), sausages, peanut butter, fruit of all kinds, cheese and avocado. He has a healthy appetite and still likes his mama’s milk before bedtime and naps.

There’s no question, he’s a tough guy. Such a resilient little boy. There are only a couple of things that’ll really make him properly cry- hunger or if he’s really hurt himself. After a fall, he usually just (literally) dusts himself off and carries on.

Saying that, he is starting to show a few more signs of being a typical nearly ‘terrible two’ year old who tantrums when he doesn’t get his way or he struggles to communicate what he wants. He likes a good shout and that’s how he usually lets us know somethings up. He also likes to take you by the hand to the ‘thing’ that he wants, which to be honest, is ever so cute.

Some days feel so long and taxing, and I feel a wreck by the time the boys are in bed. While others have been so full of giggles, tickles, dancing and happiness. Some days; the house is absolute tip, I have no time to even think about a shower, or use the loo without a little hand tapping at the door needing my attention. While other days, I feel I’ve accomplished so much as mum! Parenthood certainly has its ups and downs, but when I look at my two boys and their beautiful smiley faces, they have my heart, wholly, unconditionally and I wouldn’t have life any other way. I mean, there’s a reason why dry shampoo was invented anyway!