Rio at four!

Rio has recently celebrated his fourth birthday. I feel like four is the age you stop saying you have a toddler, and say you have a child, though you probably have for quite a while. We're "Mum", and "Dad", 50% of the time now and strangely I'm okay with that. He's starting to write and do basic maths which I why it saddens me that our new village school didn't have a nursery place for him. He was really starting to blossom at our old one. With reception only around the corner, and nursery being non compulsory, I'm not overly worried however. I think we will start claiming his 15 hours free soon whilst I am at work to give him the social aspect of it back.

He's still a very thoughtful and loving little boy. His love for football is back and he is due to start training this coming weekend now that he is old enough!

He's started to come out with little phrases, not quite back chatting, but the type where you think "you cheeky little so and so, how did you learn that?". I usually grab him in a cuddle and tell him to stop growing up, to which he giggles and I know he is still young.

He loves bird watching at Potteric Carr and goes most weeks with my in laws whilst I'm at work. He has such appreciation for the beauty of the world around him and I always say he will make one heck of a husband one day!

He took the loss of my Dad really well which is something I was dreading in the months leading up to it. They were so close with us living together all of Rio's life but he really was a trooper. If he asks to chat to me while I'm in the bath I know he's thinking about him and wants to reminisce a few memories with me. Which is nice because I know by the time he is older those memories will be few and far between because of his age.. unfortunately.

I think I speak on behalf of both myself and Craig when I say this little dude changed our lives for the better, as did his brother two years later. Seeing them together makes everything worthwhile.