Just popping in to say hi briefly - am mega tired but have been reading back (although quickly).
DS is doing loads of things that are more fun but a few things that are less fun and I don't really know how to deal with.
He's more interactive, and really seems to enjoy being with other children. I had my neighbour and her little boy who's a few months older over on Tuesday afternoon and it was so cute to see them running up and down the hall grinning and doing a funny little stampy dance together.
He won't do these things all the time when asked but he can touch his head when I ask him where his head is and flap his ears with his hands if I ask him "where are your ears?" - sometimes he gets mouth and DH claims he got his nose once or twice but I haven't seen it and we aren't there yet with chin.
From reading 'Dear Zoo' a lot he will hiss when someone says snake, do a really cute roar for lion along with a claw hand and trumpet for 'elephant' with an arm as a trunk.
He can also howl like a wolf if prompted and make his hand into a beak and make a sweet little noise that is supposed to be a bird tweeting.
On the negative side he is doing the arched back and shouting thing more often. He refused to sit on my lap during our little music class today and kept running away from the circle then if I bought him back and held him he'd fling himself backwards and shout - one time catching me bang on the nose with the back of his head. I was incredibly embarrassed and found it very very hard to deal with. A couple of times I just took him away from the circle and sat him on my lap on a chair and he was fine until I took him back. Then another little girl who is normally angelic started running away as well. I hope he wasn't influencing her - her mum was as nonplussed as I was. It wasn't our normal teacher, she had to go to their head office to train some new people so maybe it was partly because there was an unfamiliar person leading the group? When the slightly older group arrived one of the little boys who used to be in our one immediately bolted for the door too. Maybe I'm overthinking things and it is just the age he's at.
I don't know if it's me imposing my own preferences on him but it seems to me he prefers smaller groups of children and it to be people he knows. He often seems overwhelmed when it's a large, unfamilar group and will just head towards the exit of wherever we are.
Also in the park I assume he wants to go to the playground bit but in fact he prefers playing with sticks and dirt etc in the main part of the park.
It's funny - he feels like a stranger all over again. Not all the time, but I look at him and I don't know what he wants. I used to feel like "oh that's a hungry cry... now he's tired... now bored" but I don't feel like I know what he's thinking or that I meet every need as quickly as I used to.
I was only qoing to write a quick post and I got carried away and I haven't done any personal replies because there are so many I want to do.
Very quickly and apologies for those I've left out - PA thinking of you re. weaning, it must be very hard and emotional. Un-MN hugs. Good luck to your DH with the other possible job.
BBB It's infuriating when someone does something wrong repeatedly. I hope you've sorted things out with your DH.
LBH I get what you mean about assuming people won't like you. I do that. I hope you feel strong enough for counselling soon.
I read the book that someone (rainbowweaver?) recommended - 'why love matters' and it was so helpful but it made me feel like I was a not-good-enough parent. It also helped me see why I get so super-stressed when I think someone is going to disagree with me or tell me off and I've learned to 'self soothe' a bit better than before.