Maybe, maybe not....but I am definitely feeling more settled and relaxed.
Callum seems happier and has gone back to being content and controllable. Whereas before holiday, I was looking for new ways of managing Callum while I got jobs done. I felt quite highly strung and, as was probably clear from my blog posts, pretty miserable! Now, he is happy to entertain himself while I get some jobs done - and not solely being babysat by cbeebies! I managed to get up to date with changing our addresses (aside from the ones Stuart needs to do himself) within the first week back from our holiday and so can now spend more time doing fun things with Callum. I've taken Callum swimming one day and plan to take him once a week if I can.
Stuart even had a weekend off work which meant we could enjoy some more time as a family which was wonderful.
We took Callum to his first football session on the Saturday morning. We actually got up and out for 8am - unheard of on a weekend (when Stuart isn't working). The actual session was quite comical. Callum was shy and didn't really have a clue what was going on a lot of the time. The coaches weren't very good at aiming the session at the younger players and translating what they were asking them to do in to toddler language and spoke very quickly. After a few practice 'tasks' of putting their feet on the ball to steady it, trying to do small kicks between their feet and dribbling around cones before shooting they then went on to attempt to play some sort of game. Callum just clung on to Stuart at first and wouldn't join in but then the coach encouraged him to stand in goal. Amazingly, he went off on his own to stand in the goal but that is literally all he did. I thought, great he can use his hands having struggled to understand the concept of no hands, feet only. Unfortunately, he just stood there and didn't even attempt to stop the ball. When he threw the ball out, he kept throwing it to the same boy....who was on the other team so he kept just kicking the ball straight back at Callum's goal!!!
By the end of it I am not really sure whether he enjoyed it - however, if you ask him he said he did so we will take him back again. Stuart is going to try to take him on his own next time to try to discourage him from glueing himself to one of our sides.
On the Sunday, we took him to fly the kite he got for his Birthday. We spent the morning colouring in like we were supposed to, except the pens that came with it ran out almost immediately so I thought I would go and get his normal felt tips to finish it off with. We went to Hengistbury Head and were pleased to see there was some kind of kite festival happening when we turned up. Unfortunately, it had also started to rain...and got heavier, and heavier. It was when I was being rained on in rainbow colours that I remembered that Callum's felt tips were actually 'washable'!!! The rainbow kite turned quickly into a great mouldy colour as the colours ran into one another and then off the kite altogether. We managed to keep the kite off the ground and at about half mast for a bit but then...cold, wet and hungry we decided to admit defeat and go and seek out a Sunday Roast! Callum did appear to enjoy the kite flying though and we did tell him we would get a new kite (deciding to throw this one in the bin). Unfortunately, I think he had his eye on the large purple teddy bear kite that was being flown...
In addition to generally feeling more chilled with life, there is further light at the end of the tunnel as Callum starts nursery next week. We went to his first settling in session today. It was meant to be an hour with me staying with him. It was outside playtime and he went straight off to play on the equipment they have in the garden. He didn't really integrate with the other kids but did seem to enjoy himself and wasn't too concerned with me not being right by his side - so I tried to stay back as much as possible. After an hour, all the kids went back inside for 'circle time' and Callum was invited to join in with them. He was a little apprehensive wanting me to go with him so I settled him then stepped back again. They had a story read to them then went through what day, month & season it was before all the children in turn were asked to share with the group what they did at the weekend. Callum was very chuffed with the 'partly sunny' label he got to add to the board but did start to get fidgety towards the end of the session bored of listening and wanting to go and play. He did, however, with a little help from me, get up and tell everyone about our kite flying at the weekend.
And finally...there may be an opportunity of work in the pipeline. Not wanting to say too much now so 'watch this space'!
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