Disappointment

Christmas is not the easiest time for any family. My Nana passed away on Christmas Day in 1999, which cuts really deeply for me. Christmas morning is done in a certain way in the Garratt family, and in a different way in the Guthrie family. Keith and I are still finding our groove about how the presents are given and opened on Christmas morning. This morning was just awful : we woke up at 8:05am after going to bed after 1am. We could hear little people downstairs, but nothing prepared me for the carnage in the lounge. Every gift that I had spent hours wrapping and labelling. Every present that had been carefully chosen for Zack and for Calvin, had been ripped open and discarded. There were gifts and paper lying everywhere - the carpet was hidden under the mess. Gifts for friends and family had been ripped open in the mania.
And to top it all off, Zack was the MOST ungrateful little sod in the entire world. Last night I'd said to Keith that I was concerned as he seemed to have the bulk of the gifts - significantly less than Calvin. This morning you'd never know it. He sulked and pouted and said how unfair it all was. He said, "I hate this family". And he's only six. F**king hell! I was so upset about it. I cried and cried upstairs, and then came down and made them listen to why we give gifts, that each one is chosen and wrapped with care. That we need to think about what people have given us. I don't know if it's turned around, but I certainly feel like I just want to get on my bike and go away.
My aunt called to wish us a Merry Christmas, and every fibre of my being wanted to go to the airport and pay a four-figure sum for a flight to South Africa.

my 2nd 2nd

Calvin's 2nd birthday followed soon after our return from holiday. Being a bank holiday (long weekend), we had the family over for lunch – Caryl & Claire, and we had a small candle-blowing ceremony too. Calvin just loved it, wanting to re-light and blow out the candles again and again. Too cute.
We decided to get him the same gift we gave Zack for his 2nd birthday – a scooter. He likes being pushed on it, but hasn't yet had the opportunity to practice much.

His little friend Mark, also celebrated his 2nd birthday (they are 3 days apart in age), and spent a fun afternoon there. Zack was also invited and was quite well behaved. As expected, there was a lot of cake consumed.

Zack is now into underpants at night - no more nappies. He is doing really well. We have had a few accidents, but overall he is dry throughout. I am very proud of him as many children struggle with this 'final' tranch of potty-training. I DO think that anxiety affects his ability to stay dry – ie. when he's worried about something (like starting school). I suppose it's the sub-concious manifesting itself.

Zack is 4

Four is a very big deal when you're little. It means so many things. I think Zack anticipated an enormous change when he got to his fourth birthday, and now it's alot of waiting for it to happen. He still has six months until school starts.
His birthday was marked with present opening, eating porridge for breakfast (his favourite), playing with his friends, assembling his new toys (Lego), and making play-dough creatures. All in all it was a great day, and he was exhausted by bed time.
Today (Friday), he's took cupcakes to nursery school, AND it's his chance at show-and-tell. He couldn't contain himself, so took his Vuvuzela, two light-sabers, blue blanket, and Buzz Lightyear doll with him. It's very hard to choose just one thing to talk about.