Firsts

Firsts.

We’ve had a few lately!

They seem to come fast & furious & excited within a child’s first year or so. Grabbing, sitting up, the first crawl, the first word, the first step, the first sentence.

Now that Jake & Ellie are 3 firsts may be less frequent, but they’re still there.

Perhaps they’re just less noticeable, & so seem less momentous. After all who, at any age, doesn’t have firsts? None of us have done everything, not even Keith Richards.

The twins do however seem to have spurts, & I think we’re in 1 of them now. I’m sure also that they spur each other on: if one sees the other doing something cool, especially if it’s something for which we praise them, they naturally will want to do it too.

Ellie’s getting pretty good at dressing herself. Recently she insisted on trying to do up her own zip; I tried to do it for her as usual, but she wouldn’t let me. Then only went & did it herself perfectly: a first!

Last Friday at Monkey Music we found that Ellie knows left from right: a first!

This week Jake has been speaking in rhyme, & using rhythm. “Red & bed: that’s a rhyme!”, & “Ellie & belly: that’s a rhyme!”. A first!

Ellie can do forward rolls, Jake hand-stands. Firsts!

Then, after pre-school today, this:

Jake saw an older boy climbing & wanted to join in, then Ellie did the same.

Jake was actually very pleased with himself, believe it or not, & did a little celebratory dance, shouting “I did it!”, when he came down! Although they both got stuck & had to be rescued they really enjoyed it & kept going back. We eventually had to drag them away with a bribe promise of ice-cream at home.

I was very pleased! Many of my happiest childhood memories involve climbing trees.

I assume it’s allowed…

If not, don’t tell anyone, OK?

You may also like

• A Day of Firsts. (upsanddownes.com)
• Should children climb trees? (bestwestern.co.uk)