Adventures with friends

At age two and a half, Audrey is an absolute joy to parent. She is becoming more reasonable, independent, affectionate, talkative. She is learning so much so quick, she is fun to hang out with. She says I love you, Mama and Dada is my best friend and I love cuddling YOU.

One of the things I most love to see is when she plays with her friends. Seriously you guys, it breaks me into a million tiny pieces. She shares like a champion - it isn't ever easy for her, but she wants to do the right thing and she tries so hard. I'm very proud of all the things she is trying to do lately, so proud that it feels like an impossible emotion to contain.

Her and her friends hold hands, give hugs, cheer each other up when they're sad, have empathy for each other, work to solve problems, play games, imagine the most amazing things. I learn so much from parenting her, especially through things like this. We talk about using our words, we put names to emotions and try our best to clearly describe what problems we're having that are leading to those emotions. People, this is something that adults struggle with so hard - or, at least, I know I do. And these kids are ROCKING IT. They say "Audrey did x and it made me feel y." I'm looking at these little people and saying to myself YES. This is how I should be communicating.

So yeah, I'm loving friends and outings and fun. I'm loving being her mama, as (almost) always. I'm loving books from the library and home made decorations for the Christmas tree that little lady is so proud of. I'm loving holding her hand and seeing how confident she is, how she makes friends and plays with children of all ages. The hugs and squeezes, the "Mama let's hold hands and run", the dancing, the singing, the reading, the teddy bears, the fairy lights. Sitting next to her on the bus, opposite her in a cafe. Tramping through mud and old leaves, stomping in icy puddles, looking out the window every day for snow.

Life, right now, is immensely hard work, and deeply satisfying.

Where November Went - Where December Is Going

There were no Audrey blog posts at all for November, as I was rather busy working on a little project - I've been writing a novel. This thing has been eating up ALL of my free time, and even time that really wasn't so free, but now it's done and I'm able to take a little more time to... well, plan and organise for Christmas, mostly. But also to blog here again!

This weekend we've been having a really gorgeous time. The Saturday was St. Andrew's Day, so we went into town to take a look at the festivities. I really enjoy filling our days up with fun activities and things to do and experience, so visiting the storytelling and the ceilidh and the market was all wonderful. I'm loving how much is going on in Edinburgh this year.

Audrey loved the live music and danced and danced. She even carried on dancing while I was carrying her on my shoulders. Later, as the sun set, she got sleepy and cuddly, and the three of us huddled on a bench and ate crepes with chocolate and banana. Then we came home and watched the Snowman.

Parenting a toddler is amazing. I feel very privileged.

On Sunday we met up with Audrey's wee friend Rafael and played in the Hermitage together.

Then we came home and decorated the Christmas tree. Mole and Nounours, two of Audrey's cuddly toys, helped. Audrey fell asleep early while sat on the sofa wrapped in blankets watching the Aristocats.

Advent is such an exciting time, planning for Christmas and getting ready for all the wonderfulness to come. My dad makes Audrey a special advent calendar each year with little presents for each day that are numbered and hung from a string that winds it's way up the banister of our stairs. She opened the first one today and spent the rest of the day asking if it was time yet to open another.

Adorable stuff.

We're settling in to the Winter season, getting cosy. Completing projects, putting things in order, getting organised. Getting ready.

Zoo!

We have gotten so much value out of our membership at the zoo this year. We're there all the time!

Audrey loves it. She cannot get enough. It takes us about an hour to get to the zoo by bus, and Audrey doesn't like spending so much time in a moving vehicle (she gets motion sick, poor thing) but for the zoo? She will endure ANYTHING.

We happily go through all of this:

So that we can get to this at the other end:

I wish I could show you how she talked to this giant toy panda at the entrance, told him how nice his scarf was, promised him she would find him a friend somewhere in the zoo, described all the animals. She ADORES him.

Audrey lately is all about hugs. She loves them. So at the zoo she hugs everything she possibly can.

We always go the same way, once we're through the big entrance doors. Off to the right and up the hill, pausing at the flamingos and zipping through the primate walk through enclosure until we get to... the chimps.

Audrey loves them. She calls them the panchees. She copies the way they walk on their knuckles. She'd happily sit and watch them for hours and hours.

Another animal Audrey likes to see are the monkeys.

 

Mama, this tiger wants to come with me but he has to stay with his family.

 She makes friends so easily, now. In playgrounds she walks up to other children and demands to play with them, tries to show them things, asks them questions. It brings up so many emotions for me - how difficult I always found it to make friends as a child. How easy it seems to be for some children to ignore her or, even, be cruel - the way her face falls, the confusion as she tries to understand it. It hurts me, and I have to hold myself back from rushing over to hug her and protect her from it. Mostly, though, her confidence does her well. She makes friends, she plays games. It's delightful to see.

These little boys were showing Audrey how to "do birdwatching". You have to be very quiet, and creep up on pigeons and blackbirds very slowly to see how close you can get before they spook and fly off. Audrey was not good at this, but the boys were very patient.

"Mama, this penguin is doing a really big poo. It's great."

"Can I hug it?" I hear this dozens of times a day, no matter what we're doing. She wants to hug and kiss statues, toys, things she likes in shops. Those little gold Lindt teddies that are already on display for Christmas. Wooden penguins.

Ice lollies for the way home, and a little tiny panda to hug.

Monday Mornings

Every Monday morning Audrey and I go to music class. We get up bright and early, and get dressed. We eat breakfast at the little table in the kitchen, and then Audrey watches a video (usually Curious George) while I brush her hair - she doesn't like it, so the video is a bit of a bribe.

 
When we're all done, and usually running a bit late, we dash out of the house to the bus stop.

We catch the bus that takes us along the canal. The centre where music class is held is right by the water. Audrey has a wonderful time seeing her friends and making music. Sometimes before hand she says she doesn't want to go, but always when we get there she's happy she came. When we leave, she always wants to go again right away and I have to explain that we need to wait a whole other week before the next class.

Afterwards we have our little routine. We always, always, go along the canal to the very end where the little canal boats live, and see the "pretend ducks" - which are actually metal geese. Audrey says hi to them and feeds them and rides on them.

Then we walk along the other side of the water to the big bridge, cross over, and see if there are any leaves to scrunch in the little side street that leads us back to the bus stop.

Sometimes, if Audrey isn't too tired, we go to the button shop or to a charity shop that sells lots of good children's books. Then we get the bus home, and Audrey almost always falls asleep. I carry her home for her nap.

I love Monday mornings.