20 Reasons Jeremy Couldn't Sleep

Tonight I missed housegroup, one of my only sources of adult conversation, because Jeremy wouldn't go to sleep.  Here are the reasons why, in his own words:

Reasons 1-10: Losta bankit, Mummy!  ('Lost' wasn't entirely accurate, though, as he was flinging it over the side of the cot).

Reason 11: Bag gone. (Yes, he had somehow managed to remove his sleeping bag and was standing up with it around his ankles.)

Reason 12: Wockin chair peeease.  (So we rocked for a bit)

Reason 13: Help!  (He had tried to remove the bag again, but got stuck with one foot through an arm hole having not succeeded in undoing the poppers)

Reason 14: Abi!  Want a Abi! (Abi has gone to sleep, why don't you go there too and find her?)

Reason 15: Losta bankit.

Reason 16: Wockin chair 'gain.

Reason 17: Brief tickle fight. (The only alternative to throwing him out of the window.)

Reason 18: Singa song Mummy.

Reason 19: Not at song.  Nother song.

Reason 20:  No 'leep.

Finally got downstairs to make myself my first cup of tea of the day.  Kettle boiled just as housegroup finished.

Cheesed off.

That's what it's all about

Last week, we received Abigail's 'Learning Journey' home from nursery.  This brilliant book allows us to be flies on the wall of her classroom over her time there: it contains photos, worksheets, artwork and milestones, all surrounded by comments from her key worker and other teachers and helpers who observed her.

Some of the reports are lovely to read, like the key worker's comment: "It is a pleasure to work with Abigail.  She can always make me smile."

Some of them are spot-on descriptions of her character: "Abigail knows her own mind and can make her own choices about what she wants to do and how she wants to do it.  Abigail still needs some support with colour and shape recognition, however I believe Abigail knows more than she lets on".

I enjoyed all the references to Abigail's love of books, especially the one that said "Given the choice, she would rather read a book" (sounds just like me!) and the form that listed 'Interests' as simply 'Books'.

It was a treat to see all the photographs of Abi engaged with her peers in various activities.  Once again, my girl is definitely recognisable: spinning around in a corner (with the other children all sitting neatly in a circle at the edge of the shot); dressing up in a princess dress and a bright blue wig; completely absorbed in creating a line of toy vehicles; and two pictures in which she inexplicably has a large amount of play doh sticking to her face.  There are also pictures of her doing puzzles and sorting activities with lots of solemn concentration, and great shots of grins and giggles with other children.

My very favourite, however, the cream of all the comments and the truest-to-life description of my wonderful daughter, was on the back of a worksheet on which Abigail had traced over dots to write the number 4 multiple times.  The comment on the back tells me exactly which fingers she was using to hold her pencil, what she said all the colours were, how much support she needed, how well she understood the task and how long she kept at it before she lost interest in it, but none of that matters.  At the bottom of the comments is written the one I want to frame and keep for ever:

"The whole time Abigail was doing this sheet, she was singing the Hokey Cokey."

Love her.