As our children get older, I am already reflecting and feeling nostalgic…
Where did the time go?
When did you get that tall?
Why don’t I understand how to do your homework anymore?
Who did you learn ‘that’ word or phrase from?
What happened to all those amazing things we used to do together?
Don’t get me wrong, our children are only twelve and nine years old (we have twin nine-year olds), and we have some incredible ‘moments’ together right now. I thoroughly enjoy those ‘moments’ too. But that doesn’t stop me missing so many things from when they were younger. On Friday, we are meeting up with another family that we haven’t seen much since the ‘playgroup’ days. When I meet that family’s children again, I’m sure that the reality of how much our children have grown up, will be even more real!
Playgroups—I REALLY miss playgroups. ‘Wind The Bobbin Up’ and ‘Wheels On The Bus’ were amongst my favourite moments. AND—I could manage the dance moves for those songs too. Then, there was the whole ‘exploring the world’ through an infant’s eyes experience. How amazing is that? Simple things were fascinating—like why square shapes don’t go in round holes, and the loud noises certain items make.
At the park, those adventures would continue. There were also many lifelong lessons to learn there. In fact, our children (like many others) learnt many important things. Examples include…
What happens if you push a swing away from you, and don’t move out of its way when it makes its return journey.
Once you’ve climbed to the top of the ladder, the easiest thing to do, is to slide down the slide.
Don’t try to get off a roundabout once you’ve made it spin REALLY fast!
Helping your children learn that stuff, whilst keeping them safe, can be a real challenge.
Back at home was all about play too, but recently I’ve also started to miss some of the T.V. programmes we used to watch. Snuggling together, with a good T.V. show was an incredible feeling. Again, it still is, and we still cuddle up together in front of the television now. But it’s the innocence, fun and interactive nature of the earlier shows, that I remember with fondness.
Let’s start with Handy Manny. Wow! What a show. We all used to love Manny and his team of magical, living tools. One of our nine-year old sons, Ian, used to play with his Handy Manny plushes all day long too. Pat (the hammer) was his favourite. Then, there was Special Agent OSO. How many life skills could one child learn from that show? AND, each task could be achieved in three special steps! That was all you needed. Our daughter, Olivia, picked up a lot from OSO. AWESOME! It’s worth pointing out, at this stage, that anyone who knows our family, knows that we are massive Disney fans. So, I can’t forget Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or My Friends Tigger and Pooh either, whilst I’m mentioning Disney T.V. programmes. Those shows also offered many valuable lessons for my children. Who else could do with a ‘Toodles’ in their life?
However, we would sometimes watch non-Disney programmes instead (to mix things up a bit). We tended to watch T.V. during breaks from play. At first, the likes of Cloudbabies and Waybuloo took some getting used to (from my point of view). Now, I wish The Piplings were back in my life, like you wouldn’t believe. Yet it was right before bedtime, when we would watch the programme that exploded my brain. In The Night Garden! Lewis, our other son, remembers his ‘In The Night Garden’ times clearly. Iggle Piggle’s blanket, Upsy Daisy’s roaming bed, and Macca Pacca’s need to clean everything, were mindboggling. Need I mention Tombliboo Trousers? All that said, it was an incredible show which all our children LOVED. I cherish those memories so dearly.
After the day’s events, it was time for bedtime stories. But I’m afraid that’s a post for another day. Where would I begin with all that magic?
Needless to say, I remember our children’s early years with so much love, and feel the loss of them every day. At the same time, we are still making memories now, and will continue to do so. I just wish that sometimes, I could press pause, even if only for a little while.
Much Love,
R.J.
Orgo Press 