Yesterday I introduced Leo to the 'Stay and Play' scheme in Florence Park.
http://www.oxonchildrenscentres.org.uk/wps/wcm/connect/micro/ChildrensCentres/Florence+Park/
We arrived at 09:00 and hoped to stay until 11:30 ish so Leo could enjoy the singing from 11:00 (he loves music of all kinds, it's not unusual to see him bopping to something on the stereo or the T.V.) and he LOVES being sung to.
Unlike m.d.w. I am not a particularly confident singer, but I reckon I can carry a tune in a bucket, without needing a lid.
He had a whale of a time, especially when he discovered the water table in such close proximity to the sand pit, and the tubular bells hidden in the little castle.
Unfortunately, there were so many new things to see and do (an so many new adults to adore him) he would not settle long enough for his mid morning snack, or a drink.
Needles to say he started getting a little overwrought and fractious, so we called it a day at 10:45.
Once home and calmed down again, I finally managed to get him to eat. He was so tired from the morning activity he was trying to sleep on me a full half an hour before nap time. So a quick nappy change and off to bed.
His usual routine, two short stories, with his curtains closed to relax him and then the first bump in the road.
No boobs from mummy (I have moobs, but they don't quite fulfil his particular needs) and no lullaby.
Now I noticed m.d.w. has printed out the lyrics to the lullaby and hung them on the nursery wall, so while rocking him in my arms, I quietly read him the words and put him to bed.
This is when it got difficult for me.
The crying.
He was overtired, and his routine had been disrupted. I went downstairs to get on with the chores, hoping the heart rending howling would soon stop as tiredness began to win out.
No such luck, so 15 minutes later I was back in the nursery, (barely) resisting his sobbing pleas to be picked up, lay him back down and came back down stairs. Well lo and behold, after a further 10 minutes the crying stopped.
I finished the chores, and came back upstairs to post yesterdays entry. Just as well really. Recently he has been napping for and hour and a half or so. While I was typing I heard the first warnings of the wake up, I snuck into the nursery and recovered him with his blanket and snuck out.
All in all he slept for the best part of two hours. Result!
Today was a little different as there was no play group this morning. So we had our normal morning of noisy books, Peppa Pig, cuddles and games until his mid morning snack.
After that off to the park for wheee time on the swings, slide, rocking horses and junior climbing platform and back home for his lunch (interrupted by a visit from the poo fairy, and boy did she deliver) and a chat with mummy when she phoned on her lunch break..
Come nap time we went through the same routine as yesterday, two books in semi darkness, and me reading the lullaby to him while rocking him. He has gone out like a light!
Who said this parenting lark was difficult?
Why do I know I'm going to regret that comment...
Well the washing up is done, the laundry done and hanging out (hold off rain, those clouds are ominous) and after posting this an hour with my feet up....... hopefully..
No comments:
Post a Comment