I'm trying to remember when he went to playschool. I think at four he went to something called Little Tots. Which was around the corner from us. I would walk him to school, in fact I walked to school up until he went to primary school.
The usual routine was that I would say goodbye and he would start crying as I left and the staff at the school would take the child away. He'd stop crying soon after. One day it was a different story, I dropped him off and he said goodbye.
What? No tears? Suddenly it was about me. My child was becoming independent. And what an independent child he has become as he approaches his 18th birthday
October 29, 2011
Oliver at four
Perhaps I was mistaken; I really expected the terrible twos to end on Oliver's third birthday. They didn't!!!
Still it has been another fantastic year with Oliver achieving so many milestones and creating mayhem and happiness across the board. He's no longer a toddler; he's now a little boy at nursery school. He's developed his own character traits and idiosyncrasies that have made him the most unique little boy in the eyes of his mother and father.
It's been quite a year for adventures, ranging from escapades at the park, going to America to visit his cousin Julia, playing soccer, swimming and camping and developing a passion for pirates. He is quite possibly the most passionate swimmer in the world; the swimming pool entertains him for hours (as it did his mother). It is a task to extricate him from the pool even when he is blue all over. Soccer hasn't really captured his imagination yet, but rugby has – here follows a typical interaction with his father:
Oliver: Daddy come play rugby with me
Dad: OK, I'll throw the ball to you, you catch it and run
Oliver (forthrightly): NO DADDY!!!!!!!!!! That's not how you play rugby!!!!!
Dad (perplexed): Oh?
Oliver: You are supposed to chase me, and then push me onto the ground and take the ball away from me
Dad: What about passing the ball?
Oliver: That is not how you play rugby!
At this point his old man picks up his wayward child and hauls him in front of the TV to watch a proper (Dad's definition) game of rugby.
Dad: Do you see that Oliver. They are passing the ball (it's very likely we weren't watching the Boks play)
Oliver (defiantly): No Dad, That's not how you play rugby in real life
We went camping a few weeks ago. My friends at the ATKV generously arranged a campsite at Buffelspoort for us. We had the best time ever, there is so much to do there and we did it all. We went on the big slide and swam in all the pools and ate lots of ice-cream. The best pool at Buffelspoort is the heated indoor pool, I have no idea what they put in the water but it relaxes you instantly. To get the best out of this pool you need to lie back and drift. Oliver was very happy to drift but he wanted to drift in numerous directions and jump in and splash. When we phoned his mother the next morning the first thing he told her was that he had had Appletiser before breakfast. On the way home he made me promise that I wouldn't tell his mother about how much Green Zodo (see below) he had drunk.
And so the fucking fours approach us, frankly I can't wait. His sense of logic is about as solid as his mother's and mine, it'll make for interesting negotiations over the next 12 months (or is that 12 years). His fourth year also heralds the arrival of his next sibling who is due to join us in the next four weeks. Our little boy now has the added responsibility of being a big brother too.
Oliver has developed his own vocabulary too – a few examples are
Struckening – lightening
Green Zodo – cream soda
Backson - a character from Winnie the Pooh (he was convinced it existed)
Cavavan – no we are not going to get one
Gum – gun
Pinksy dust – pixie dust.
Marzan – see below
Tradition dictates that I post two songs on Oliver's birthday.
Oliver sings this song at the top of his voice, his version of the chorus goes "I'll fly to marzan (perhaps Marzan)". He's been very secretive as to where Marzan is. This is off the only solo album Ollie produced (it was released after he died).
10 - John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - The Same Way
Each night after his story, I play him a song on my guitar. He often sits up and stretches his arms out wide and asks me to "play a lonn Peter Green song" (when quizzed as to who the best guitarist in world is he'll tell you it's Peter Green – although he has mentioned Ian Carpenter on occasion). I play this song every now and then. It's taken off the Bluesbreakers album, "A hard road" and is one of two PG originals on the album. I've always loved the guitar solo, it sounds like Peter Green doing Eric Clapton who in turn is doing Peter Green. It's also Peter Green's birthday today (coincidentally).
Dearest Oliver thank you for another year. Remember that I love you all the way around the Milky Way and back
Comments
Post a Comment