Rituals

Toby calls them a Mummy Day, these precious days we have together.
I so want them to be lovely, carefree, happy days. Filled with fun and laughter. But invariably, on Fridays, they certainly don't start off like that. 
I put it down to his tiredness, after 3 long days at kinder, I think he is worn out. Karen, his kinder teacher keeps mentioning how happy he is there now. He has lots of friends, and apparently doesn't stop running around and playing all day long.
So by Friday, I think he really is shattered.
This morning, was one of those really bad mornings. The kind of morning when I almost wish I had gone to work.
It all started when Daddy forgot to wave goodbye from the car. Hysterical tears began. Even though Luis drove back home to wave and even ended up coming back inside the house, for Toby it was too late. If he doesn't wave the first time, it doesn't count driving back and trying to make amends, apparently.
Fed up with the tears, I had a pre-breakfast shower to escape. This is not what what we usually do. Breakfast is always eaten in pyjamas on a Friday. And this break in the routine made Toby worse.
Several other tiny things were not done correctly, and the morning became disastrous.  With Toby saying, over and over, I hate this day. Today is a bad day. It breaks my heart.

I knew we had to just get out of the house, even though I had promised a morning of crafting.
To try and get back to some of our Friday rituals, and get Toby back on track.

I find it so odd, this need of Toby's to follow rituals.

There are a few he has.

On kinder days, Toby must eat his breakfast while sitting on the blue stool in the kitchen. On a non-kinder day he must sit on the green stool. This must never be altered.

His afternoon snack can only be eaten whilst watching Peppa Pig. If we have missed it, then he won't eat it. ( But screams in protest instead)

He must pick out his own underpants, and can never wear any that I have selected for him.

If we go to South Melbourne market, we must have sushi for lunch. And a macaron afterwards. Always. I don't dare to deviate.
Which is exactly what I decided we should do today.
Get back to some favourite rituals of his, and make the day right again.

So sushi it was. Then we bought fish, lentils,  fruit and vegetables from the market, followed afterwards by a trip to Chez Dre. To sip babychinos and eat salted caramel macaroons.

We go there so often, we even have our own little table, that is not even a table at all. It is so busy there at lunch time there is often a bit of a wait for a table. But we get special treatment. We get to skip the queue and sit on a little bench at the side in the shade, just perfect for the two of us.

And afterwards when we paid, we got a little surprise from the girl at the counter. She gave us a bag of imperfect salted caramel macarons to take home.
And after our little trip out, the following of a much loved ritual, the day was alright once more.

Tobi-Wan-Kenobi

A few weeks ago now, Toby and I went to the theatre to watch Giggle and Hoot live. (An Australian children's show, that I actually quite like)
Toby loved it, he is the perfect age for that kind of thing now. (Unlike the time we went to watch the Gruffalo, where only about five minutes in he started crying and we had to leave).
This time he really enjoyed himself, joining in with it all. Shouting out 'he's behind you' and all that kind of stuff.

I think the theatre struck a chord with him, and ever since he has been trying to re-create it at home.
Last week we spent a whole morning making paper puppets, all Toby's idea. After we had finished them he was determined he wanted to make a little theatre so he had do a show for all of his toys. I tried to fob him off, (there are dishwashers to be emptied and loads of washing to put on!!) but he went and found himself an old box and persuaded me to help him cut it out and draw a backdrop on the computer to stick in the back. I soon got into the swing of it, and we had a great time together creating our cowboy theatre.
Once it was finished we went into his bedroom where he lined all his toys up in rows, shouting 'Come and get your tickets! Tickets for sale!' We turned the lights down low, and made a show together.


He has even invited our neighbours to watch his theatre show. I helped him make tickets and he sold them at the door. We all sat on his bed with the lights off, and dressed as Obi-wan Kenobi he did a light saber display for us. (With a light up wand I bought for him).
It was very impressive.

And this weekend, he asked for me to make him a plait, so he can look like a true Padawan ( a Jedi in training, I am told) They all wear a long braid, tucked behind their ear.
I managed to find some wool that matched his hair colour, made a plait and attached it to a hair clip.
He was pretty proud wearing it, and insisted on wearing it on our trip to Red Hill market. Dressed in his full Jedi costume, with his braid. I loved watching grown men spot him, a smile and a special look passes on their faces. As if remembering their own childhoods, and that special innocence that allows you to pretend and dream.