Elliot at (nearly) 33 months – the digital child

Elliot,

You were 32 months old in August, and I realise I’ve not blogged about you for a little while.

I thought it would a a good idea to capture some of your most favourite things at the moment, before time flies on and we forget.

As well as Thomas and Friends, which despite my best efforts you seem to be currently quite obsessed by, you have an eclectic mix of things that interest and excite you at the moment.

Some of these are found on my iPhone which does mean that your main refrain at the moment is “I have mummy’s phone?” and we are having to restrict access (for my battery as much as any other reason!)

Your top favourite app at the moment is Endless Alphabet, which is a spelling app for children who are probably a bit older than you – it has words such as gargantuan in it which you now know how to spell! It’s really good, has catchy music and little monsters that act out what all the words mean.

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Another app you like is Touch and Write which we have on the iPad. This app is brilliant as we’ve programmed in a list of words ourselves – your name, family names etc. – and you love writing the letters in the words and then popping the bubbles at the end. There are also lists of common words, and letters and number shapes for you to draw over. You love choosing different things to write with – shaving foam, chocolate sauce, lime jelly, ketchup etc.

Touch and Write for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on the iTunes App Store - Google_2013-09-02_13-35-43

Touch and Write for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on the iTunes App Store - Google_2013-09-02_13-36-05

writing with ketchup? yes please…

As well as apps, you seem to be enjoying listening to music too. Daddy likes to play the guitar so you and he often have singing sessions. We also like to listen to music in the car, so you’re beginning to have your own favourites. You biggest favourite right now is “Rosie” by Paul Simon (otherwise known as Me and Julio down by the schoolyard) – you even know most of the words, which has to be the cutest thing ever!

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singing “Rosie” in the car

I can’t believe how familar you are with all things digital already, you’re not even 3!

Scary times!

Lots of love, Mummy xx

What do trains eat for breakfast?

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A sleepy Elliot in the car

Just had to note down some of the funny things we’ve had conversations about this week with Elliot:

On seeing me lying down (20 weeks pregnant and a teeny bit tired!): Mummy, have you got head-lake (headache)? How ’bout tummy-lake? Knee-lake? Aah, I make you better

One morning, literally his first words to me:
mummy, do efflants (elephants) wear shoes? That be silly!

Over breakfast:
Elliot: Mummy, what are engines doing?
Me: I think they’re probably sleeping Elliot
Elliot: no mummy, they wake up now!
Me: oh, are they having breakfast? What do you think they like for breakfast?
Elliot: eggs, I think
Me: Yum. Do you like eggs Elliot?
Elliot: no, I like weetabix.

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Mummy’s shoes are so much fun!

Emotions according to a 2 year old

This evening, after bath and stories, I had remembered to bring Monkey (favourite toy) upstairs!

Elliot: I love Monkey
Me: that’s nice
Elliot: I throw Monkey on the bed
(He throws Monkey on the bed)
Elliot: ah, Monkey sad now…
Me: why do you think Monkey is sad?
Elliot: he not liked throwing

Later, playing a last game of matching before bed. Elliot has 4 cards, I have 2.

Elliot: I have four, mummy have two
Me: yes
Elliot: here you go mummy (passes me one more) now you have three. I kind.

I love that boy!

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My favourite place to just be…

This weekend we went for an early morning walk to Blenheim Palace – handily about 10 minutes away from our house. This is where Elliot and I spent the vast majority of my maternity leave 2 years ago (the victoria sponge is AMAZING, and don’t even get me started on the chocolate brownie…I do credit this as my sole reason for not losing baby weight quite as fast as I had wanted!)

Anyway, whilst walking this weekend I took this picture of my boys in the early morning sun, down by the lake:

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It reminded me of one that I took on our very first visit to Blenheim with Elliot when he was a few weeks old in early 2011. Here he is, in the same spot, cosily wrapped up in a bear suit and the Baby Bjorn:

Blenheim 2011

I love this place.

I made it through the highs and lows of the first year as a mummy here, with the help of some of my nicest friends (my NCT group) as we met each and every Thursday come rain or shine for pretty much an entire year.

Elliot made friends here too. From the time when all the babies would take it in turns to wake up for feeding and we began to wonder (through that tired-new-mummy fog – remember that?) if they’d ever actually be awake at the same time, to the times when two or three of them finally were awake enough to meet each other. From them rolling over in the grass and taking tentative first steps, to enjoying first tastes of summer picnics on lazy afternoons.

Now we don’t get to visit as much, but I still love coming here. We come here more as a family now. Elliot loves going on the little train and visiting the butterflies – this is honestly enough to keep him talking about it for days afterwards, even more so if we meet up with any of his little friends.

Blenheim will always be “our place” – I just love it.

blenheim palace

If you missed my overly excited post from yesterday, you won’t know already that I’ve been amazingly lucky enough to be shortlisted in the Family category in the Brilliance in Blogging awards run by the amazing people over at Britmums. I’d really love to make it through to the final, so if you think I deserve a place there please do vote for me. Voting closes on 12th May. To vote, click on the below badge and fill in the details – be sure to select Letters to Elliot in the Family category! In return I promise to carry on blogging, for me, for my little boy, and for all of you who enjoy seeing what we’ve been up to. Thank you so much xx
NOMINATE ME BiB 2013 FAMILY