Albie turns 5!!! From one year to another . . .

On Saturday, we celebrated Albie’s 5th Birthday with his friends. He had a disco with party games and magic tricks. He smiled from start to finish. This is just what you expect for your little ones on their birthday, isn’t it but this year’s birthday was so much more special than last year’s. Last year Albie was so poorly at his party, and afterwards that I rushed him to the hospital, where he was admitted and placed on IV antibiotics and fluids because he was severely dehydrated. He came out of hospital 3 days later, on the evening of his 4th birthday, you can read all about it here.

Baby to Big Boy

Tomorrow Albie turns 5 years old, and I wonder where on earth these last 5 years have gone. Albie is my ‘baby’ and has felt like a baby/toddler for the longest time, but since starting school, I am finally seeing the little boy he has become. Most days, I love him to pieces for his cheeky nature, his loving cuddles and comical faces, other days, he pushes my patience to the very limits with his lack of listening and being downright belligerent. This morning was one of those days.

Not a great start to the day

Last week, I decided to ban the Beans from watching any screens before school permanently. We have had times where we ban it for a week or two, but slowly they slip back into their old ways and trying to get them ready for school becomes a mad dash and we end up late getting to school. I have had enough with that.

Since banning screens on school mornings, things have been so much better. The Beans have all been playing together nicely. They have been ready for school, and most mornings, we have arrived early to school. This morning as I called out “shoes and coats on”, I noticed that Albie was not wearing his socks (which I had asked him to put on four times), he didn’t have his jumper on, Lillie decided to start cleaning her shoes, and Ollie decided to start sorting his bag and making drinks. All jobs which should have been done earlier, so I turned into Sgt Major and shouted at them to sort themselves out as only a Mum can. Albie responded by asking Ollie, “do you want a new Mum? I do!!”.

I turned to Albie and said, “so you want a new Mum, hey?” he said “yes”. So I said, “well, good luck with finding a new Mum who will have presents ready for your birthday tomorrow”. The cogs in his mind whirred so quickly as the realisation settled in, and he said: “oh no, I didn’t really mean it, Mummy, please can I still have my birthday tomorrow?”.

Testing boundaries

All children go through these stages, don’t they, but it makes you love them that little bit more in some ways. I want my children to have that little spark in them. I don’t want them to be shrinking violets by any means. At nearly 5 years old, Albie is really testing his boundaries with his teachers and with us. We need to remain firm together in our actions.

A brighter future

I am so grateful for the one thing as we head into Albie’s 6th year in our family that finally, I feel that his #problemswithpoop are behind us. I no longer need to bed and plead with him to go to the toilet. Heck, I don’t even have to remind him to go to the toilet any more. He goes. He still isn’t keen on wiping his own bottom, but he does have a lazy tendency which is another thing we are working on.

A message to Albie at 5

To my smallest little man, the one who has taken us by surprise from that first blue line. You have the ability to melt my heart and make my pulse race in the same split second. You think that everything can be made okay with a little smirk here or a giggle there – you’re the joker in the pack, but you have a big heart, and everybody loves you the second they meet you.

I worried about how you would get on starting school, but you have proved me so wrong. You love learning and want so much to impress Mummy and Daddy with your words and writing. We are so proud of the boy you are becoming, and we love you to infinity and beyond. Please, please, be kind to us and turn on those listening ears every once in a while.

We hope you have the best 5th birthday squidge xxx