December 2009

The month of December has been really good to us. On December 4th we left on a plane for South Africa. This was very exciting for Rowan as he loves planes! Richard and I were happy that we would be able to spend some time with our friends and family again. We also had some big events to look forward to. There was an early family Christmas get together, a memorial service for my Mom as well as Rowan's aunt
Jennifer and his now uncle Walter's wedding.

As we arrived in Johannesburg on the 5th, we were greeted at the airport by a throng of people that were very happy to see us. Few things match the feeling of being greeted with love and joy by those you love and appreciate most in life. The meet and greet at the airport was very short but oh so much appreciated by us. As we left
the airport and headed towards Benoni where Richard's parents live we were welcomed by one of those beautiful highveld thunderstorms and a rainbow visible in the night sky. It was quite special.

Rowan's Gran prepared one of our favourite South African dishes called Boboti. It was delicious and we were happy to be home and amongst family again. Needless to say we were very tired that night and went to bed quite early.

The following day was set aside for a lovely Christmas get together with my side of the family. It was also Rowan's Oupa's 60th birthday so we really had something to celebrate. Again the food was out of this world! Rowan and Richard spent a lot of time swimming in the pool. It was very nice to catch up with all the members of this rather large part of our family.

The memorial service for my Mom was very touching and sincere. We gathered together with my sister, her fiance, three of my mom's sisters, two of my cousins and my grandmother. It was really meaningful for us to all finally be able to stand together in remembrance of my mother and the life that she shared with all of us. Her ashes were placed in the wall of remembrance at the Methodist Church in Alberton.

The next couple of days were spent visiting with friends and family. We were busy every single day but were sure to make time for plenty of sunshine and swimming. I look back fondly on the mornings and afternoons spent in Granny's garden blowing bubbles, chasing cats, twirling around and around and swooping through the air like
aeroplanes.

Before we knew it, the week was over and we were heading off to the Drakensberg mountain range in KwaZulu Natal. We were very excited to be visiting the place that Richard and his family always visited on their vacations many years ago. Richard and I have also had a couple of opportunities to stay there so I guess it is safe to say that The Caverns Berg Resort feels like home to us. This time my sister,
Yolande and her fiance Alex joined us. Even though it rained for the two days that we were staying there we still had a great time. Rowan also enjoyed spending some quality time with his aunt and seemed to be completely smitten with Alex.

The next stop on our journey was the destination for the wedding. We drove for an hour and a half through the mountains winding through the valleys, crossing rivers and passing many traditional zulu settlements and other rural villages. There were cattle everywhere! What a wonderful treat to see such happy cows simply wandering around the grassland at the foothills of the magnificent mountain range. The air
was fresh, the sky blue and the sun as hot as could be. Rowan slept most of the way and when we arrived at Didima Lodge he was ready to have some fun. And boy did he have fun!

Right outside our chalet was a rock garden of sort. Rowan spotted his first gecko and that was the beginning of a weekend long search for
geckos. He turned over every rock he could find and climbed on and in between every boulder he came across. We attempted a hike or two but Rowan thought walking up a hill along a very boring path cutting through the grass in the hot sun was a silly idea. So we walked back down and the two boys went for a swim while I helped out with the wedding preparations.

The wedding rehearsal was held in the late afternoon. This was Rowan's test to see if he would in fact be happy to carry the rings down the aisle. He didn't like the idea too much and we decided that he would walk with Richard down the aisle from where the would go directly to their seats while one of the groom's men held the rings. This way Rowan could still be a part of the ceremony and show off his super
funky and slightly over the top outfit.

Rowan also made two new friends. Steph and Abi were the prettiest two flower (bubble) girls he has ever seen. Abi quite liked Rowan too and the two of them played together quite a few times.

The wedding was great. I think it could quite possibly have been one of the happiest weddings I have ever attended. Jennifer was bursting with joy and looked beautiful in her purple wedding dress. I don't think I have ever seen Walter as elated either. The children claimed the dance floor even before the dancing started and kept us and
themselves entertained for hours. The food was good and the atmosphere perfect. Wait until you see the beautiful landscape that surrounded this wonderful event. We had a lovely couple of days in the Drakensberg and we didn't want to leave.

Back in Johannesburg we said our last goodbyes to friends and family and prepared to get back on a plane. And just like that our two week South African vacation was over.

A fluffy, white blanket of snow welcomed us back home and soon we were filled with Christmas spirit. We decorated our tree, pulled out those dancing and singing snowmen and even bought a couple with lights to decorate our back yard. The stockings were stuffed and gifts wrapped while listening to some special holiday music. We cooked a great big meal and spent our Christmas morning together as a family. In the afternoon we joined our very good friends for some desert and gift
exchange. It was a very happy and blessed Christmas indeed.

The week between Christmas and this new year's eve was rather cold, wet and snowy so we ended up spending a lot of time indoors. Rowan played with all his new toys and musical instruments, he learnt to draw circles, made some progress with his potty training and learnt to identify the colours of objects. It was a productive week indeed. As for me... I spent some of my time reflecting on the past year - the
triumphs, the tragedies and those very special ordinary days that came to be 2009. I look back and I am humbled by life and it's complexities. I am thankful for all the people that have in some way or another shared their lives with us and I am glad that we were able to share some bits and pieces of our lives with all of you through
this blog.

May you all have a wonderful and blessed 2010 filled with love, joy and peace. With love from Richard, Elaine and Rowan.

A Family of Happy Snappers

I remember the very first photograph I ever took. We were on the beach in the middle of summer. My Dad had his camera and was shooting away. My Mom was pregnant with my sister and NOT enjoying the heat. I guess I must have been around 8 or 9 years old at the time. I remember it all so well. I asked my father if he would let me take a photograph and much to my surprise he allowed me to do so. Just one though. They used expensive film in those days. I was so excited! I can remember the feeling of the heavy steel body of the Minolta in my hands. I can remember bringing my first photograph into focus by turning the dial ever so gently. When that shutter released, I felt very proud of myself. That was most probably the start of my love for photography.

Now jump ahead a couple (or so) of decades into the future where we now have digital cameras of all shapes and sizes - even ones for small, clumsy hands like the one we acquired for Rowan. We have been wanting to get one for him for a long time now but just never found one that was well designed yet inexpensive enough for him to use. He has always shown great interest in my camera and the photos I take and one day this summer I allowed him to take some snap shots with mine. He loved it and we were excited to be able to see the world from his perspective.

So this weekend he got his first camera and was allowed and encouraged to take as many pictures as he wanted. He spent a lot of time roaming around the house - looking for things to photograph. As I watched him I wondered what his thought process was in deciding what to photograph and what to move past. It soon became quite clear that he was taking photos of his favourite things. Here you go. Have a look. His favourite trucks.

His favourite people.

His beloved kitty.

Another truck on his favourite drum.

His train.

This bear was actually brought over to the living room for a special photo shoot. Yip, he was posing the bear with Mom and then...

... with his good friend, O.

Well, that's all for Rowan's photos for now. We will be sure to get him to take some of our vacation.

I did some digging and found this photograph of my Mom on the beach. I am pretty sure it is the one I took on that happy day. I might be wrong though, and if I am, just let me believe it was this one, OK? It makes for a nice story :)

The Power of Communication

At some point during the weekend Rowan realised the power that a well spoken word can hold. So, now he has decided to communicate his will and wishes a little more clearly to us.

Yes, it is encouraging, but let me explain why I also find it rather troubling.

In the past when things didn't go his way, he would whine a little and we would either help to make things better or try to comfort him. Now he knows that that tiny little word no, when spoken with a raised voice and that certain kind of tone will catch your parents by surprise and knock them off kilter just enough for you to get away with whatever you want. Add to NO! a bit of STOP! and GO MOM! and you've got yourself a well stocked arsenal of words that will make your Mom cringe every single time she hears it.

I am now reminded of a post I added a little while ago - the one where I said I would try not to say no all the time... I should have stuck with it, you know? Because I am afraid I am going to get back what I have been putting into our interactions and am NOT looking forward to it.

Daddy's Boy.

Over the last week or so Rowan has been asking for his Dad a little more than usual. When I greet him in the morning he usually says: "Hi Mom. Where's Daddy?" and sometimes all he says is: "Where's Daddy?" As much as I adore the fact that he loves his Dad so very much I will admit that sometimes, just sometimes, it makes me feel a little less loved. But hey, don't get me wrong here - I pretty much melt whenever he says Mom.

Most mornings I have to explain to him that Dad's gone to work and he gets very sad - lips pouting and everything. Sometimes we end up calling Richard at work so that Rowan can cheer up. So, I am quite sure that Rowan really looks forward to the weekends where he can wake up in the morning and be greeted by his Dad in person.

This weekend was one of those weekends where Rowan didn't leave Richard's side (being Dad's little helper) and even when Richard managed to slip away for a second Rowan wandered around the house calling for him.

Well, tomorrow is Monday again and I just know that Rowan is going to wake up and be disappointed. Luckily it usually only lasts as long as it takes us to walk down the stairs.

Play Date with J

Hi to all. It has been a while since my last post and I think I should explain why. You see, I think we have finally reached that point where there isn't always something interesting to tell you about and I find that I really need there to be something special to share in order for me to be inspired to start typing this late at night. So I guess what I am trying to say is that from now on, I will only be posting new pieces when there actually is something to talk about or perhaps I will share some photos instead of a lengthy story. I do hope that you will still keep checking in every now and again.

Something special did happen today. Rowan had a play date with his friend, J, from school. We went over to their house where he got to play and I got to chat for over two hours. I was so pleased to see the two boys get along so well. They still haven't reached the point where they are actually playing with each other, but they do seem to enjoy eachother's company.

J shares a huge play area with his big brother and little sister in the basement of their house. It was wonderful. The entire area was completely kid friendly and filled with toys and activities. In fact as we came down the stairs and turned the corner to have an entire wall of toys revealed to us Rowan excitedly shouted "Whoooo!" as he folded in half sticking his head out and opening his eyes as wide as possible to take in the splendor of it all.

The entire time that we were there I didn't have to say no to him once. He was well behaved and content so I was able to relax and enjoy some real conversation with another adult which made me feel happy and content and so the two of us started our day and it seems the mood continued right through to the evening.

We had fun today. Rowan went to bed laughing and I am sure that when I lay my head on my pillow tonight the glimpses of a day well lived will put a smile on my face too.

The Entertainer.

Drumming! Drumming, drumming and more drumming! I know, it sounds like I might be a little annoyed by the idea of drumming, but you know what? I am thrilled. Rowan absolutely loves to drum and he is a real entertainer too.

We have several hand drums lying around our living room. Rowan decided to take to them using the drumsticks he received with a different band set and now he LOVES playing the drums. He plays with varying rhythm, moves effortlessly from one drum to the next and stops and waits for applause from his adoring fans.

I have always enjoyed the earthy sounds emanating from hand drums and when they are being delivered by our little boy with that special sparkle in his eyes the loud banging turns into the most beautiful sound in the world.

Tune in and enjoy:

Afternoon Walk by the Lake

Our First Friday Night Bon-fire

This was a first for Rowan and boy was he amazed by what he saw. "Wow! Wow! It's high! Wow! It's hot." etc. was the running commentary that Rowan gave as he watched the flames reaching for the starry sky. We placed three chairs in a semi-circle beside the fire so that we could feel it's warm glow and watch as the large pieces of wood crumble bit by bit. As I sat there staring at it I had brief and precious remembrances of fireside moments from my past as well as some very dreamy and happy glimpses of future camping trips and Friday night bonfires with my two boys. Have a great weekend everybody!

Sunny 16

Another lovely late autumn day. It was our friend, Olivia's 16th birthday today and we enjoyed spending the day with her. Rowan has really become quite attached to her over the last few weeks and this evening after dinner with her family Rowan cried when she had to leave his side.

I was thinking back to the first time I met Olivia. She was a mere 10 years old. My! How time flies! Congratulations on your 16th birthday Olivia! Thanks for 6 years of fun and friendship.

School Photos Are In

We received Rowan's class photographs today! I was so excited to see how they turned out because I was wondering how Rowan liked the idea of posing for a formal photograph. These people are professionals at taking photos of kids, I thought to myself. I am sure he enjoyed it.

As it turns out, he didn't. I still love the pictures though. I am just sorry that our little guy had to go through so much suffering. Sorry Rowan and thanks for humoring your very proud parents.

All Better!

It's amazing what antibiotics can do! Rowan is feeling so much better already and we are very relieved.

He has been very good at taking his medicine eventhough I had to bribe him with a lollipop the first time this morning. In the past he has also been kind of scared of having his temperature checked but a few weeks ago we got him to really like doing it and now he wants to have it checked all the time. So today, I had to check his temperature quite a few times and for a change I could smile and say: "All better!" and Rowan would jump up and yelp: "Yay!"

Small Hands

Rowan has been growing at a tremendous rate. At 2 years and 8 months he weighs 38 pounds and wears clothes and shoes suited to a 4 year old. But today as I cradled his warm hands in mine, trying to comfort him, I realized just how small his tiny hands were in comparison to mine.

You see, somewhere along the line I have come to think of him as a big kid again. So as we were sitting in the doctors waiting room, Rowan on my lap feeling nervous and scared, my almost 3 year old boy suddenly transformed into my little baby again.

When a child is sick it takes a toll on an entire household. You worry, even when you know that the fever will break and the ear infection will clear up. Eventually he will eat properly and drive you crazy with energetic toddler antics. In the meantime you are caught between desperately wanting your little person to get healthy and, at the opposite end of that sentiment, wanting to be able to cuddle on the couch for just a little while longer.

Sunny November Day.

Wow! What a beautiful day we had today!

It was warm and sunny. Even the wind respected our yearning to spend time outdoors before Winter really sets in. I look back on today's events and smile. We enjoyed some hot tea on the porch of a beautifully quaint house , painted some colourful artworks, dug in the mud, inspected a green house filled with vegetables and enjoyed some lunch thanks to the hospitality of our friends way down the valley.

Even with Rowan's refusal to enjoy lunch with us and the foul behaviour of a particularly grumpy rooster, this day was something to behold.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Thursday Fun

Once a week our dear friend comes to visit with us during the day. Today I witnessed something really special. You see, it took Rowan a while to warm up to the idea of sharing the attention he would normally get from me with Olivia, but I think he has come to realise that he in fact gets even more attention when she is around. He follows Olivia around all day and every time she comes over to chat with me he runs up, grabs her by the hand and drags her to the play room. She is always eager to play with him too. What fun! I think we have found our new babysitter! What do you say O? Are you up for the job?

Guess who's on TV!

One of Rowan's favourite shows to watch on television is Curious George. When he sits down to see what that curious monkey gets up to he is usually quite calm and attentive. Except when Mr. Auger, the plumber enters the scene.

Mr. Auger is the guy in the middle in the picture below.

Now you might wonder why Rowan would get excited by the arrival of the plumber... Well, when Mr. Auger walks into the building to fix the leaks in the basement, Rowan jumps up on the couch and shouts at the top of his voice: "It's Daddy! It's Daddy!" with that special kind of sparkle in his eyes that he reserves for Richard only. So there you have it. Apparently Mr. Auger looks just like Rowan's Dad. Richard wasn't too thrilled with the idea and to make him feel better about it, I told him that Rowan referred to Ms. Piggy as Mom! Did he actually say that? If he did, I will never admit it. I will also never admit that it is a sweet little white lie that I told to make my hubby feel better. We'll just leave it at that, shall we?

Mr. Fixit-All

When Rowan gets home from school in the afternoon, he heads straight for the playroom. I think it's his happy place - a place where he can enjoy the quiet away from everyone - after a morning filled with classroom interaction what could be better?

Today, I watched him running back and forth from the play room to the utility drawer in the kitchen fetching spanners and screwdrivers. He had a very determined look on his face and I just had to see what he was up to. He was working on his truck. I tried not to interrupt him because he seemed very serious about his job. Later on he went around the house with the screwdriver trying to loosen every screw he could find. It is actually quite amazing how many screws there actually are in a house.

After running around being Mr. Fixit-All, he was quite tired - even more than I realised because when I came around the corner this is what I found. I think he was trying to tell me something.

And off we went for a well deserved afternoon nap. Sweet dreams my boy!

Skipping Back to School

After an entire week of being at home with boring old Mom, Rowan was happy and eager to go back to school today. When I mentioned school to him this morning, he grabbed his coat and his back pack and was ready to head for the car when I reminded him that he was still wearing his pajamas and that he didn't have any shoes on. After the cutest little grin and a bit of a snort, he skipped towards his trucks and continued playing.

I was so happy to see him feeling energetic and in an overall positive mood again. It really brightens my day when he is enjoying life - not just because it makes my job as a parent easier (because let's face it - it really does help a lot) but also because it inspires me to add a bit of a skip to my step and not to take things too seriously.

1.5 P

I know I told you all that I will be taking a break from this blogging thing over the weekends, but sometimes something really interesting or funny might happen that I might want to share with you and as I told Richard a few seconds ago: "I make the rules so that I can break them" so if I want to write a post on a Saturday night at 11:42 pm I can.

So something really funny happened this morning. After a fairly rough night of coughing and drinking gallons of water, Rowan got out of bed and came looking for me in our room. I noticed his sleep sack/sleeping bag (which he was still in) was dragging a little more than usual but thought nothing more of it. We made our way down stairs and it was time for Rowan to get dressed. I unzipped the sleep sack and much to my surprise Rowan wasn't wearing a diaper! How weird I thought until I looked down only to find that his drenched diaper had dropped to his ankles! I couldn't help but laugh. I mean what kind of parents would allow their child's diaper to get so wet that it actually falls down!? Anyway, it was so heavy that I did something even more weird... I weighed it - 1.5 pounds!

Let's Call Dad!

After a whole week of being couped up at home we were running out of things to do and decided to call Richard at the office. When Rowan took the phone from me, he very sweetly said: "Hi Daddy." and when Richard spoke back at him he said with a surprised tone in his voice: "It's Daddy!" The two of them spoke for a little while and when it was time to go Rowan said: "Bye-bye Daddy!" and handed me the phone. This was probably the first real conversation that Rowan had on the phone and I knew that Richard must have been feeling very happy and proud at the other end of the line and as it turned out it made his day.

The reason for the mysterious non-eating kid.

So it has come to pass that Rowan has contracted the dreaded Croup! That was probably why he didn't want to eat anything earlier this week, 'cos he was getting sick.
You see, we really don't know much about this parenting thing. We're just learning as we go along. Just like every other parental unit since the first cavebaby was delivered by the first cave-stork to the first caveman and cavewoman. Boy, now those guys must have been confused when the little squirt started barking like a seal.
Although, of course, I am speaking for myself. Elaine insists that she does know lots about being the good Mommy. Actually I would agree with her, and not just 'cos of that big heavy frying pan in her hand.
In the meantime Rowan is being a really tough little kid, he is able to handle the horrible coughs and splutters without much fuss. Sometimes he gets very frustrated with it all but he hardly ever calls for us at night. (However, this is written before we go to bed so I hope I don't have to eat these words tomorrow.)
Today Elaine had to keep the little bundle of crouped-up (Ha-ha) energy calm, and that must have been quite a task. She's a great Mom.

We Need Your Input Please

Rowan has always been very picky when it comes to food, but over the past year he has become even more so. We started this year with a fairly decent list of foods that Rowan likes to eat, but I am afraid that the list is getting shorter by the day. Seriously. We are down to yogurt, cheese, hot dogs (he eats them cold) and or corn chips for dinner and that is just not going to keep us healthy and strong now is it?

The biggest problem we are having is that he refuses to try anything new. I am sure he must be very bored with his limited selection of foods. I can understand that. I just wish we could get him to try some of the food that Richard and I eat at dinner time. I am sure that once he has tasted it he would like it.

Do any of you have some ideas for us?

Can I Have One?

Up on the very top shelf of our pantry dwells a container filled with sweet fruit jellies. The packages are brightly coloured and made of "Real fruit." (That's what it says at least.) As you can well imagine, it is something that people and especially toddlers should really have limited access to.

As you know, we have been trying to get Rowan to talk a little more clearly, and since he has to ask for these yummy treats way up there, I thought of teaching him to say an entire sentence. So when he gestures with his hands in the direction of the jellies I ask him to tell me what he wants. The first time we did this I asked him to repeat my words so I said: "Can I have one?" His first response to that went along the lines of "Gobaboba." When asked to repeat something he tries to get it over and done with and basically says whatever sounds happen to be produced by his mouth at the time. At least he puts effort into getting the rhythm of the sentence right. I appreciate his effort and usually keep pushing for some better word forming by saying one word and having him repeat it. As soon as he gets the word right we move onto the next one. Sometimes even after the third try he is still really battling with the sounds and then I let him off the hook for trying so hard.

"Can I have one" is a sentence we have been practicing for a while now and it still cracks me up every time and here is why:
Elaine: Rowan, say can.
Rowan: Can.
Elaine: I.
Rowan: Eye (as he closes his eyes tightly.)
Elaine: Have
Rowan: Soh
Elaine: No. Hhaavve.
Rowan: Ssoh.
Elaine: No. HHHHAAAAVVVE.
Rowan: Hah.
Elaine: OK. Now say, one.
Rowan: Two.
Elaine: No. One.
Rowan: Two.
Elaine: No. One.
Rowan: Ohm.
Elaine: OK. That's good enough for today. Here you go. Now say: Can I have a bowl?
Rowan: Bowl.
I find it amusing because Rowan always starts to count at "two." In fact when he counts it is always "two, two, two!" in place of "One, two, three." But who knows? Maybe he really means to say that he wants two of those delicious packets of sweets. Sometimes when I try to get him to say "want" he also says "two" and Richard and I can't help but giggle just a little bit.

Going through this learning experience with Rowan is lots of fun. Hard work, but fun when you pay attention. The other night when I came walking up to him and his Dad he cheerfully yelled out: "It's the bomb! Mom! Mom!" Sometimes a little slip like that can be flattering. What Mama wouldn't love to be referred to as the bomb every now and again?

When we pulled into the parking lot of the National Air Force Museum all Rowan could do with his excitement was to keep repeating: "Wane! Wane! Wane!" (Plane! Plane! Plane!) as we drove past the planes on exhibit outside the huge hangers. Richard and I couldn't help but wonder what he was going to do once he got inside because the building was absolutely filled with planes. We walked into the first show room bracing ourselves for Rowan's excited burst of joy. Instead he was rather calm and quite interested in looking at the amazing flying machines before him. There were a couple of "wanes" coming from him but not for too long. I guess even he realised he might get tired of saying it by the time he reached the end of this museum. Rowan and Richard walked around while I got to practice taking photographs with my new camera.

The rest of our weekend was spent like all our other weekends - keeping busy with our chores around the house, taking a break every now again for some coffee and milk and cookies. Granddad, guess who will be making you coffee the next time you come to visit? That's right! Rowan has become quite the barista. He loves making "cup" (coffee) for us.

And when you see a thumbs up you know your brew is ready for drinking.

The Conductor

Although Rowan spent a large amount of time hopping in and out of buses and trains today, it is actually the conducting of music that is the topic of this post.

After a morning of fun spent amongst a wooden train, bus, tractor, rocket, ship and lots of farm animals we retreated to our playroom with our friend, Olivia, to make some music.

At first we all just chose an instrument and played it in whichever way we pleased. After a while of making the biggest noise possible I decided to introduce a little game. In the midst of our rhythm making I suddenly said "Stop!" and everyone froze in place - silence. Then we started up again. Rowan thought this was great and we repeated this play a few times.

It wasn't long before Rowan took the lead and started telling Olivia and I when to stop playing by lifting his drumsticks/maracas/batons to vertical positions signalling us to stop playing. Then he would start beating the drum again and we could join in. At one point however, just after the stop signal, he shook the maraca in his right hand and I started shaking the shakers I was holding and when he stopped I stopped. He then tried it with his left hand while looking at Olivia and she started up with her instruments. And that was the start of a possible career in conducting for Rowan. He was doing a fantastic job. He even stopped and chose new instruments for us. He conducted the play for a very long time - starting and stopping Olivia and I at separate intervals. I was so impressed by the initiative he took and the fact that he felt so comfortable in leading us through this fun activity.

Please excuse me if it seems like I am bragging. I really don't mean to sound boastful. I just wanted to share my astonishment with all of you.

Oh Yes. Kids Notice Everything.

When Richard arrived home this evening I was rushing around trying to get everything ready before I had to leave for my pottery studio session. Richard came in, put his bag down on the table, greeted us and asked about our day. You know, the usual.

It turns out that we forgot about something very important and our little guy was the only one that really noticed. He went up to Richard, grabbed him by the hand and pulled him over to where I was standing. "Mom!" he said. For just a split second I wasn't sure what he was trying to do, but I very soon realised that Richard and I forgot to hug each other when he was pushing Richard closer to me. So we hugged and Rowan was happy. And of course we pulled him closer too for a big family hug.

Rhythm and Dance

Since my last meeting with Rowan's teachers I have been concerned about how he might be behaving in class, so today I decided to go see for myself. I arrived half an hour earlier than usual and was met with the enchanting sound of children clapping and singing along to some songs about harvest time.

Rowan was sitting in the circle with his legs neatly crossed. When the teacher passed around the tub filled with percussion instruments he very politely waited his turn and chose the wood block and mallet. He then placed them in front of him until all the other kids received their instruments. The music started, they all stood up and started walking in a circle beating to the rhythm of the music. They stomped their feet, jumped and skipped to the beat. Soon I was tapping my feet too and smiling from ear to ear.

Seeing Rowan enjoying music in a group setting was so pleasing to me. He has indeed come a long way from the little kid that wanted to run away when faced with such a situation. He is benefiting so much from going to school and I am so glad that we decided to give it a try. He is becoming more independent by the day and he is happy about that.

A Colourful Start To Our Week

Oh wow! What a beautiful autumn day we had today! The air was cool but the sun was shining and the blue sky complimented the orange, red, yellow and brown of the changing trees wonderfully.

Grateful for one more opportunity to enjoy this mild weather we decided to take the boat out on the lake just before sunset. It was so peaceful out there and it turned what could easily have been just another ordinary Monday into a very special day indeed.

We had a great time.

Here Rowan was gazing at the sunset. It was very impressive.

After our colourful boat ride it was time for Rowan to show us some of the work that he did at school today. The red butterfly was created through a special arts program that came to his school. I assume the teachers painted the black body of the butterfly and got the kids to do the wings. Rowan is always proud of the work he did at school and loves to share it with us. I love it too and think we will be splashing a lot more colour throughout the coming Winter.