The times they are a changin’

From this Monday forward, I’m joining forces with one of my favourite bloggers, Sarah, from Hello Wall… The Voice of Sarah Miles in co-hosting The Monday Club. I’m really chuffed to have been asked to co-host this great linky.

I hope that my being on board will coincide with it going from strength to strength, rather than in the direction I envisage John Inverdale’s career going. So if you’re blogging today, why not link up via the widget below? The more the merrier, as they say. And, Sarah, if it does go all crap with me ‘helping’ please feel free to go all Alan Sugar on me.

So, anyway, onto today’s blog. I’ve broken one of my own dorky little rules and given it a title I’ve used before. I know. I’m a man on the edge. I used it in one of my reeeeeally early posts. In all likelihood, it was probably only read by members of my family/friends I bribed with beer. So I totally could have got away with it. Ah well, let’s get on with it shall we?

Time flies like an arrow… and fruit flies like a banana. Yes, somehow or other, I’m the father of a three year old. I’m really not sure whether there has been some cruel trick played whereby time has been fast forwarded – and with all the recent news about governmental internet surveillance doing the rounds, who can rule that out? – but it really doesn’t seem like it was three years ago that I found myself wandering the streets of Eastbourne in a bewildered fashion after being kicked out soon after Dylan’s arrival.

It was because he’d had the temerity to be born outside acceptable visiting hours, not due to me getting over excited and smashing stuff up, you understand.

Tired old cliche though it may be, he’s grown up so quickly. I can remember all the horrors of the early days with crystal clarity. The jarring realisation that sleep would become a distant dream, the fear of breaking him… the projectile ‘sharting’. But he’s so different now.

He’s gone from being a slow starter with walking and talking to completely mobile and verbose. He knows his alphabet and phonics, can count up to 100 and surprises us every day with the things he knows, understands and remembers.

He’s also become very independent of late. He pretty much chooses what he wears – he can be a bit of a diva at times though – and we can trust him to play on his own upstairs if he wants a bit of space from the force of nature that is his wonderful but exhausting little brother.

He also varies his bedtime routine. It used to be a non-negotiable five library books, followed by two favourites every single night but now he sometimes asks to play until he’s tired. We’ve only found him asleep on his floor once or twice!

I’m sure that all this is the same as with any kids his age. But isn’t it incredible how much they learn in such a short space of time? We’re taking him to a taster session for pre-school today. Another chapter begins. I’m sure he’ll be in his element… and that it won’t be long until we’re all stressing about his secondary exams.

Tell me I’m not alone. It does zip by. Doesn’t it?!