Sunday. Fun day. Home day.

Jake woke me up with a fairly hefty kick to the face. It was sort of funny for me; he couldn't stop laughing for ages. He very kindly pulled at my hands and face until I relented and got up. He had his quick read-through of my Michael Caine autobiography, then we had our breakfast/Winnie the Pooh thing. Bathtime---usual, him seeing just how much water can leave the bath and land on the floor. He did well. I was proud.

More of his new clothes---he loved his white t-shirt. It looked so comfy on him, and he had a big happy smile on his face wearing his cool new jeans.

Off to the shops, Jake was full of life. We got there and I recited the mini-shopping list. Milk, cheese, sugar. I'd get him to repeat after me: 

"Milk. Say...milk!""

"Milk!"

"Say...sugar!"

"Shoo...gur?"

"Yeah! Now, cheese!"

"Cheeeeeeeese!"

Full of giggles heading home--we took the scenic route. Up in my arms, making funny faces, running ahead, it never gets old. Back at the house he was running around the place. Running into his Nana with a big smile and full of hugs---he used to be so timid and shy, now he's King of his Castle.

Out the back garden, it was like a timewarp. I remembered him so much smaller, quieter, shyer, just wandering around the flowers, figuring it out, checking out the water feature, everything new.Now he was doing it all again, trying to take the water feature apart (funny how his Nana would've killed me for tampering with it but she looked absolutely delighted when he did it). 

"He's so big..." I only realised it. Last spring he was tiny compared to the flowers and pots and now he was a boy, not just a baby boy---a boy with a big heart. His Nana got him into his bike. I'm raging I didn't have the camera---such a big difference to last time.

Last time his feet were dangling, he could barely reach the pedals...

Jake, June 2010, still a baby boy...

This time he's confident and big and almost too big for the bike. Time flies!

Talking of time, it's an hour from dinner-time and Jake's tummy's grumbling so he gets his bowl of banana slices, and he's chuffed!

Big bowl of banana bits? YES PLEASE! 

More trains and silly games---he gets a lot of tickles, I must torment the poror fella, but I can't help it, he's hilarious when he laughs---and then he sees Nana placing the plates out. Runs over. Rubs his chest.

"Mmmmmmmm! Dinner!" He says it more like "dinn-nnuuur!" which is adorable. Big toothy smile. He's delighted. he loves his food. Tucks into it. We have more games, then it's changing/toothbrushing/leaving time.

Got him into his traveling clothes, all Thomas the Tank Engine. 

"Taww-ass?" (He struggles with his M's, poor dude!)

"Yeah!"

Nana gives him a big hug and says, "See you soon. I love you."

"Bye-bye!" He waves at her, eyes twinkling. I think he loves that he can really start to talk with us now. And he loves his Nana. "Byyyyyye byyyyye!"

We're walking out into the hall hand-in-hand and he's still waving...out onto the driveway and he's walking backwards, waving, "Byyyye-byyyyeee! Layyyy-turrrr!" 

On the bus he's the most behaved little boy I've ever seen/heard. He's happy to just look out the window or smile when I make funny voices. We jump out after the Ha'penny Bridge and drop into the chemist for Vaseline---he's a nasty rash on his little face and the nice chemist lady offers him a lollipop.

He looks at it, shakes his head and smiles at her. "No..." Fair enough!

On we goto the walkway along the Quays, headed for our bus-stop. On the walkway I manage to get two lovely pictures...

Jake loves a good run. If this picture had audio, you'd hear him giggling as he went.

Me and my best little friend Jake. I really love this picture.

And this one, though I'm not sure...the poor lad looks like he'd rather keep walking...

I must drive the poor bugger nuts.

The Wexford bus arrives. On our way, I show him the pictures; he lights up, loves them. I ask him:


"Can you say Winnie?"

"Winnnn-ie."

"Can you say...owl?"

"Owwwwwwwwwl."

"Can you say...Eeyore?"

With a great big smile: "EEEEEEEEEEEE-YOOOOOOOOOOORE!"

He spends the next ten minutes shouting the name; he loves it, loves how I can do the deep voice, but even I'm going a bit batty after a while. So I shush him a little and he whispers the name. He seems a bit restless; I put him on my lap and we look out the front window, watching the sky turn dark slowly but surely. We see something we hadn't seen before, because it had been too dark:

Big wind farm, blades spinning slowly, all balck against the blue. They look weird; we're both staring slack-jawed.

Jake's so patient. I'd get very bored if I were him but he's different; he's a really good boy. I snuggle him to my chest and tell him: "Jakey, you are such a good boy, you know that?"

Then: "You gonna give your Mammy a great big hug when you see her?"

He nods excitedly. "Yeah."

"And a great big kiss too?"

Again, big grin. "Yeah."

"Cos she loves you very much and is dying to give you a Big Hug."

He tucks his arms into himself and smiles, all excited, and it's so cute to see.


Gorey comes up fast. Jumper, scarf, jacket, dropoff.

"There's your Mammy!"

He gives her a hug, I give him a wave. "Bye, Jake!"

He smiles back, "Bye!"


Always so happy, his little face, lit up, loved up, always making me proud.