Tuesday 8 May 2012

30 going on 5

5 is a diffiult age for a Mum, let alone a boy.  The boy is 5 years and 3 days old today and as each day comes I find it more and more confusing.  He is such a sensitive soul and still has many traits of a much younger child, yet in the background sinister "boy" traits are starting to appear. I know I must reconcile myself to the next few years of Ben 10 and the like, but I'm finding it diffiult and would like him to carry on waching Cbeebies and move on to BBC4 when he is 12.

Take today for example, the boy and girl were playing in the garden. Both have an extreme terror of insects and minibeastie type things (no idea where this comes from as I'm not an arm flaying-about-type of gal when it comes to wasps). The boy wheeled his tractor toy past a snail minding its own business. This snail proved to be particulary irksome for the boy, so whilst screaming in fright he stamped on it... several times. I don't know why I found this so upsetting. Maybe it was the act of, lets face it, mindless violence, or that there was a tiny baby snail just next to it. Either way I felt extreme dissapointment that my boy who has always helped people - bending down to smaller children's levels and patronising them, never hurt our cat, gets upset over unkind acts by others - is turning into an actual  boy child. Albeit one thats just as confused as his mum about it.  I probably confused matters even more by making him look at the snails guts and then saying he had orphaned the baby snail. This appealed to his previous better judgment and upset him. He then went inside and put Ben 10 on which I can not make head nor tail of. Later, I'm sure we shall watch Night Garden with the girl and he will pretend to not like it but will watch it earnestly.

He's still my two year old in my head you see. But I am making provisions for him getting to be a "big boy". For instance, yesterday with an hour to spare (yeah right, it wasn't spare but I stole it from the day) I made him this...


It is Mr Bunny McTooth. He has a pocket for when the day comes that the first tooth must be offered up to the Gods for our sins. The boy absolutely loved it, especially his wonky eyes and head. I especially like the way he appears to be sauntering on my favourite plate with some peaches. In any case, is this the right message to be giving a boy who partly wants to be doing karate kicks in the playground and partly wants to be playing ponies with the girls? Is this a mother's desperate attempts to keep her boy being "her" boy for as long as possible. Or am I just being too analytical about it all and just realise he is going to grow up...deal with it. I just hope he stays the same sweet soul that he is now and that I don't witness him kicking the proverbial out of snails!

To make your very own Mr Bunny McTooth..
  • Draw a bunny shape on A4 paper. Pin it to an old pair of winceyette pj's and cut out leaving a 5mm border round the edges.
  • Get a contrasting piece of material and pin your paper and wincey to it and cut round it. Pin the material together so the wrong sides are facing outwards and pin the template to one side.
  • Use your sewing machine or hand stitch round the bunny starting from the bottom of his head round past the ears stop after the second leg and stuff with toy stuffing or pillow stuffing then hand stitch the remaining gap with little stitches.
  • If you are clever you would have put the eyes, nose and little bit of white fabric for teeth on before all this sewing, but if like me you like a challenge do it once its stuffed.
  • Add a ribbon to make him appear debonair if you like.
  • Cut out a square for his pocket and stitch round without any gaps so the sacrificial tooth does not wander off as they are wont to do.
  • Add a monogram initial of the child on McTooth's chest, he doesn't belong to any old Tom, Dick or Harry you know.
Ta Ta
x

3 comments:

  1. Awwwwww that's fantastic... nothing wrong with wanting your offspring to stay your 'babies'

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  2. He is very cute indeed. Point 4 - that's me. I do like making things difficult for myself. x

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  3. I read this over a week ago and still feel sorry for that poor wee orphan snail. It is still in the garden?
    I think it should have become Boy's first pet! I also need a Bunny McTooth for when I have my next set of wisdom teeth out - ouch!

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