We named our Clark after my Mum's side of the family and after my Pa, who is no longer with us. However as my husband is a devoted comic book nerd people assume that we named him after Clark Kent. It doesn't hurt and really Superman is my favourite superhero! So it amuses me greatly that Clark loves Spiderman the best (like father like son!). He can sing the song and does some amazing web throws. On Superhero dress up day at childcare Glenn was very excited to buy Clark his first Superhero costume, and Clark was even more excited to dress up as Spiderman! It was hard to grab a photo for all the jumping and diving and web throwing and I have NEVER seen our boy more excited to go to childcare!
Superhero day was short lived when I received a call from childcare saying that Clark was bleeding from the ear! Much panic and a visit to the Doctor with my Spiderman-clad bolognese (no doctor, that is not blood) covered boy later, we had drops and a diagnosis of a possible perforated ear drum. A week on and we now know less than we started with as the ENT does not think it is perforated. It has been a week of worry as for those that know anything about children with a uniliateral hearing loss know that protecting the "good" ear is of paramount importance. We have a few follow up appointments ahead of us, and who knows what else, but we will get there. Personally I do wonder if all of the Spiderman jumping popped his ear!
What it has done this week is make me reflect on my parenting and the strengths that Glenn and I have. I was talking with a colleague who reminded me (thank you Camille!) that I am a strong person and that everything we are faced with makes us stronger. I held it together while dealing with the crisis, and had a small meltdown on the phone once my child was safe and asleep in his bed. Yes, I have been worried and a bit stressed but these moments are short lived and I pick myself up and get on with what needs doing. I was worried that our GP would judge me for going back for a second trip and insisting on ear drops, fobbing me off as an overanxious mother. Glenn reminded me that I am Clark's advocate and that, no matter what people think, I am advocating for my child as he cannot do this for himself. And this is something that I have definitely felt solidified for me this week. Yes, I see the families I work with do this constantly and support them in doing this, but it is another thing altogether to be doing it for yourself and your family. It is ok to have those moments of panic and worry, but you need to lean on your supports. And we are so lucky to have the supports that we do. When my father showed up at my house not long after I had a bit of a teary on the phone when filling him in about Clark's ear, I was so grateful for the people in our life.
The same colleague also reminded me that Clark will be stronger for what he goes through. Yes, he will face challenges with his hearing, language and learning, however he will have to be stronger to get through it all. Our hearing support teacher said that often the children who have gone through the early intervention program (Clark has one hour of one on one hearing support a week) are often more disciplined when they go to Primary school due to the work that the teacher does with them. These hearten me and while we will have our moments of worry and panic we will keep coming back to these facts and just love our boy and do what we can to make his path easier. Which really is what all parents are striving to do no matter what the issue!
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On another note, it was Father's day this week and we had a lovely BBQ outdoors at my parents house. I thought I would include a couple of photos of Clark with his Father and his Grandad!
We have a surprise! A surprise that Clark has been holding on to for a couple of weeks... mostly. He has told many random people including a little girl at the library, with glee, that he has "a surprise". But we are thrilled that he is excited about having what he assumes is a baby sister. I am due in March next year and have been bursting to tell people our news from the start. As most people know I am a fairly open book and will share most things. So holding on to this for 12 (and a bit) weeks has been hard! Especially when I have had morning, noon and night sickness almost the whole way through. And the exhaustion. Being our second child there really is not the luxury of rest that we had when I was carrying Clark. Thankfully though my darling husband has been a rock and has been holding down the fort. Especially since I have also had a virus on and off for 5 weeks!
Clark is excited and from time to time the subject of babies comes up. Today we had a priceless moment when we had to go into a change room at the shopping centre to change Clark's nappy. I was sitting on a seat resting while Clark was playing in the play area (and Glenn was washing his hands) when another mother came in with her 5 year old and a baby. She asked me if I could hold her baby while she went to the bathroom herself. Of course I said yes! A minute later Clark looked over and exclaimed "it came out!". If only it was that easy! He seemed a bit put out that this baby was not our baby!
I am feeling so blessed to be carrying another tiny person to add to our lovely family. We have a long way to go but I cannot wait for our little boy to meet his baby sister or brother!
Spring is coming. Sunny days with a chilly afternoon wind that has put a lot of our gardening plans aside! Not to mention the general hullabaloo of busy weekends. By the time Clark is up from his nap the wind has kicked in, and when you have spent over a month being sick on and off you try your best to avoid the cold. However on Sunday Glenn went and picked up a truckload of compost for the garden beds and late in the afternoon it had to come off the truck and make its way into the garden. Clark loves helping out in the garden. Digging with his shovel, raking with his rake... and stomping in the fresh dirt. What is not to love? We planted some flowers which Clark was thrilled with and every morning on the way down the street in the car he exclaims "My flowers!". We have lots more to plant and plans for a worm garden project for Clark. As seen here: Gardening Australia Worm farm project
Growing your own veggies really is such a great thing to involve children in and encourages them to try new foods. Clark is super keen to plant cucumbers at the moment and tried them (and liked them) this week. I get excited whenever a new vegetable is added to his repertoire for all the usual reasons. Last year Clark delighted in stealing tomatoes straight from the plant and shoving them in his little mouth before we could get them inside to wash. It is also the sole reason he started eating snowpeas as he loved picking them straight from the garden and crunching their sweet green pods. We dedicate more and more of our garden to growing space and have two raised vegetable beds at the front of our house as our backyard is small. Plus the front gets the best sun. I love that we are teaching our boy to grow food and to respect the earth... we all get so much out of our little garden projects!
Our boy loves apples. Fact. He asks for them multiple times a day and happily crunches all of the "juicy juicy" flesh until he hit the seeds. No peeling, no cutting, just the whole apple. In fact we do not dare cut the apple up as to Clark this is a travesty of epic proportions!
Yes, this is late this week. I have two posts to write and upload and I haven't gotten the camera out this week. We are yet again sick. So much for that old 'apple a day' proverb!
Yes, this post is incredibly late. I have been ill for weeks now and
finally crashed earlier in the week and was told to stay home by my doctor. I
realised I needed to listen to my body and take the time to just get better. It
is now Saturday and I am still unwell. So while my boys are out at the park
soaking up the sun, I am in the house, recuperating. I plan on spending an
afternoon sitting in the garden, in the sun, readying our garden beds for
planting. But first... my late late blog post!
Last week (I can not at all pretend it is "this week" anymore)
we were all sick (house of germs!). Clark had been home for two days with Glenn
and by Wednesday was restless and itching to do ANYthing. It is still so cold
here right now, so in the morning Clark and I went on his first trip to buy
something with his money. We counted out some money from his piggy bank (which
included a lesson on saving) and put it in a purse and off we went to the
shops. We went in search of Mater, as Mater is truly Clark's favourite
character at the moment. While searching the shelves, Clark saw a box of ugly
cheap dinosaurs. And had to have an ugly plastic blue 'dinosaur'. I found Mater
eventually and gave him the choice of Mater or the 'dinosaur'. Both. Clark
wanted both. I relented and up we went to the counter. I gave Clark his money
to give to the cashier, which he did happily. Until he realised that he didn't
get the money back. Another lesson learnt.
All was calmed with the knowledge that we were going to get a 'special drink'.
We sat, he played, and on leaving I had to buy us both a donut for later. Those
that know us know we do not give Clark a lot of sugar. I do not think he has
ever had a dinosaur donut, but it was what he chose and I was in a relenting
mood. It was a treat morning. You have to have a treat now and then...
especially when you have had such a rubbish cooped-up week! He finally ate that
donut at the park in the afternoon and I have to say that nothing has ever
looked more delicious than the glossy chocolate icing in the late afternoon
sun. Thankfully Clark is good at sharing! Clark jumped off the slide, climbed
and climbed and scoured the horizon for airplanes with his binoculars. Simple
pleasures that made our day feel full and like winter may soon be over.
We have since decided that the 'dinosaur' is really a wingless dragon. That is what you get for $2 apparently!
Things our boy said this week while at the park:
"I don't need help"
"I can do it by myself"
"It's not hard"
"It's easy"
"I did it!"
There is that moment when your boy who normally avoids the slippery dip suddenly finds his groove. At the park on Wednesday Clark shed his hesitation and went down the big slippery dips all on his own. Without coaxing. And he climbed across the rope bridge carefully but bravely and jumped up and down with glee when he got to the end. I had to take a step back and let it be... and simply cheer him on. My heart in my throat I stayed within arms reach yet gave him his space. And obviously felt confident enough to get the camera out! He loves climbing up the side (rather than using the steps) and I love him for finding his own way. Something to be encouraged both now and for life.
Somehow week twenty nine almost crept by without the camera coming out. Sure, we took some quick snaps on our phones, however mostly we just were this week. Through the end of colds to pushing through the second week of the school holidays, we just were.
As a family, seeing friends and having sleepovers with much loved cousins. At the end of the weekend, when my folks popped over late on Sunday afternoon, Clark went outside to join his dad digging scraps into the garden. "Do you need help?" is a question Clark so sweetly often asks at the moment. So even when it means we all have to pause while finding gumboots and beanies or pushing back what was hoped to be a quick dinner preperation, we do just that. Let him help. He loves it and I believe it is an important to his sense of belonging and also his sense of generosity.
That his response to me asking him to help clean up his toys is sometimes met with a "no you do it" is another story!
