Dear Rex, Now You Are Three

Dear Rex you are three! Who knew that we would be spending it in lockdown with pandemic affecting the world outside.

To say that these last few months have changed your world, would be an understatement. Prior to all of this you had started attending nursery 4 mornings a week. You loved it there and had many friends. One in particular, Freddie (or, as you call him Shreddie) was regularly mentioned as a good play mate of yours. You would pretend being dinosaurs together and stomp around. You also got in trouble together and there were times would you had to have quiet time on the carpet. You loved going and there was never any trouble about you going off to play. I worry that we won’t get that back after all this.

Missing Nursery

We have tried to keep nursery alive as much as possible. We mention your friends and your teachers and we have invited them to your virtual party which we are holding this morning at 11am. I am hoping that at least some of them come.

Since lockdown, we have spent A LOT more time together and, as things have panned out, daddy is your main carer as I work more. I have to say that I know that daddy has a whole new respect for what I have done in the past in the time before nursery!

Your day normally starts with daddy getting you up. If you have a disturbed nights sleep then I come out to you usually. You love fromage frais pots (having hated them in the past!), apples, bananas, raspberries and coco pops for breakfast. And normally ask for second and third breakfast too! You little hobbit, you!

Your Typical Day

I start work at 8.30am and daddy plays with you, does some learning and then takes you out for your daily walk. You either go to the cow field, Happy Valley or Chard Reservoir.

Lunch is around 12/12.30pm which you eat with lunch as daddy and I work. Then, I take over from Grace from 1pm until around 4pm. We either play OR we have quiet time where you occasionally sleep. So many times though, you have just started to drop off, realise you are falling asleep and then wake yourself up again! You cheeky little monkey.

Your toys HAVE to do as they are told. If not, you either shout or throw them (which we are still trying to nip in the bud!) and we have to play things your way! If you don’t get your way, you either cry or get cross – and you always tell us!

At 4pm, Grace takes over. You and her certainly have a lovely relationship. She plays with you and tries to make you laugh. You do the limbo together and Skibidi and she pretends to be someone called ‘Suzanne’ as she puts a blanket over her head and you ‘scare’ her!

You have tea around 5.30pm and then I am down at 6.30pm where we spend the last half an hour together either outside or in before you go up for a bath.

Bedtime Routine

Your bedtime routine has hardly changed since you were little. You have a bath, followed by book – or, in your case, 3 books, then you have a cuddle and a song and then it is bedtime. Normally, with the fact that you no longer have a sleep in the afternoon, you turn over and are asleep in minutes.

Your Favourites

Where do I start?! You love your toy dinosaurs, your train track, your cuddly toys, your dummies and bobos. You love watching Blipi and The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show – so much so, that we have got you your very own clubhouse and cuddly Mickey and Minnie for your birthday. You love learning videos on YouTube and know your ABCs as well as the ability to count to 20 (although 13 seems to get missed!). You constantly want to do things yourself.

The other night when you couldn’t sleep, you told me you wanted the house to yourself and mummy, daddy, Grace and Gypsy all had to go!

Despite the fact that I am working, you still want mummy pretty much all of the time. Secretly, I love this (sssshhh, don’t tell daddy!).

Some of your Funnies!

Daddy: ‘What are you doing there?’ Rex: ‘I’m drinking my milk. I’m going to turn into a vampire. Soon.’

On a little stroll through a local field, holding hands with Rex, Daddy was singing Sinatra’s ‘I’ve got you under my skin’. Rex: “Daddy, stop singing that bloody song.” Trying to discourage the language while not laughing was something of a challenge…

One day at lunch Rex had a Peppa pig yoghurt. So we asked him what the yoghurt taste’s like, Rex replied “It tastes of strawberries and ham”!

Rex: “I don’t like hotter days, warmer days or colder days.” Daddy: “Ok, so what do you like?” Rex: “Saturdays.”

Upon declaring he was going to make daddy a tasty (but sadly imaginary) hot cross bun, the following exemplary piece of negotiation occurred… Daddy: “What do you want me to give you for one of these buns?” While Rex was mulling that over, daddy made my opening offer… Daddy: “Would you accept a big, big hug?” Looking happy, he runs over, takes the hug and then steps back to address him. Rex: “Twenty-six pounds.”

Daddy: What did we see in the field earlier?
Rex: SHEEPS!
Daddy: And what do we call baby sheep?
Rex: Barbecue.

Your Character

You dance and try to sing. You still remember Mary Had a Little Lamb which you learned at nursery and used to march round the garden to – and do that here too – as well as Heads, Shoulders Knees and Toes.

You have a fantastic imagination which is the same as Grace at your age. Sorry, I think that might be my fault! Regularly I have to pretend to be mummy Mickey Mouse or mummy Brontosaurus as you are the baby of the same thing.

You are kind, loving, temperamental, demanding, bossy, a mummy’s boy, active, exhausting, chatty and you never, ever stop. You don’t like it if we speak BUT you have to speak ALL of the time. Never, ever change who you are. You are YOU!

I think the thing that really stuck with me over the past couple of weeks is something daddy said. I was walking along in the cow field, towards the zombie field (inside family thing!) with you on my shoulders and he turned to me and said ‘he really does look like you’. With the fact that you were a donor egg baby, right now you have no idea how good that made me feel – although, one day, I hope you will understand and feel the same.

We love you, you little mischief maker.

Have a wonderful 3rd Birthday,

Mummy xx