I haven't blogged for ages. My wish that 'Five on the Door' would have five posts per month (in the interests of weird number obsession), has not been achieved.
Why?
Well, there's been a lot going on. We moved just over two months ago now, and I don't think the upheaval of such a big life-change had really set in until very recently. Don't get me wrong, we love the house, don't miss Brighton at all, and life is generally easier. But I think it's only been in recent weeks that I've processed the reality of going through one of those huge events that happens in life. And that perhaps, I need to cut myself some slack.
The move has also coincided with the boy entering the throes of the infamous 'Terrible Twos': it's tough.
Every day brings tantrums, head-banging, sleep issues, food fussiness and general conflict. I love my boy more than I thought was humanly possible, but this bit is hard.
My angel baby has turned into an angry little toddler, riddled with frustration and angst. He definitely has a language delay, and is waiting on a number of referrals to see if there is any other condition behind some of his behaviours. Ironically, of late, he's doing really well with his words, averaging on using one or two new words a day: this is fantastic progress. The tantrums however are something else, and it becomes very difficult to differentiate between what could be a complex issue, and what is simply the 'joys' of toddlerhood.
As parents, it's really hard not to feel like you're failing. We're totally acting as a team, and the husband is wonderfully supportive and hands-on, but I think we sometimes feel like it's just our child that behaves like this. My rational mind tells me that a phase in a child's life doesn't get a well-known and well-used name for itself without some justification, and I hang on to the hope that 'terrible twos' will result in a karmic 'terrific teens', or that at least (as a secondary school teacher) I'll know what I'm dealing with then.
For now, I'm hanging on to that much-loved parental mantra: it's only a phase.
And hopefully the blogging hiatus will only be a phase too!
