The small stuff can make you sweat

I have a crazy but cute 23 months old. He spends his days exploring his surroundings by dumping every toy, block, wash cloth, and anything else he can get his hands on all over the floor. This isn't a malicious act its just him exploring figuring things out and just being a boy. Now to some this could get really annoying and trust me it does, but I decided when I  became a  mum to not sweat the small stuff. He isn't hurting any one or anything. He has his own room that most of this happens in so if people drop by we can always just shut the door. Don't get me wrong he has to clean up, well help as much as he can, but for me it's about what really matters. Does it really matter he prefers to dump his blocks all over the floor  and then put them in bags or tea cups and bring them to me to buy or eat? Nope not really. Or that his face washers or probably never actually clean due to the fact that they are mostly on the floor. Nah they are usually just used for his boogers. Now don't hear this and think I'm the most laid back non stressed mum ever cause trust me when you are folding laundry and he's unfolding it with his sticky fruit snack hands it gets a bit annoying. But those are the moments I try my best to clean off his hands and give him his own pile of laundry to fold well to more or less ball up and throw on top of my neat piles. My crazy little blonde haired boy loves to be by my side. He really just wants to help and learn. He loves doing anything I do. To bad he's not a little more coordinated with a broom.  There are defiantly days when the little things, the constant messes and cleaning up and constant string of words that nobody can understand gets to me. But I'm trying. Aren't we all to let loose and have fun with our kids. Give them memories of being allowed to be seen and heard and to be who they are. So if that means I have to cheers a hundred cups of tea, or step on a few pointy blocks then that's what I will do. Today I moved his little table out to our tiled living space and we played with different textures from our kitchen cupboards. First we smeared flour all over and drew shapes and our names. Well ok I drew his name and he drew well who knows. Then it was the grainy texture of corn meal. I don't think he was a fan of that one because it instantly got piled up in to the little holes he uses as cup holders in the table. Then came the oats which surprisingly didn't go straight into his mouth. Halfway through this adventure he went into the kitchen and brought out the whisk to help with his master piece. By the end we had flour on us, the floor, the coffee table, and some innocent utensils in the drawers. He loved it, we loved it, and after a few minutes of clean up the house was normal again. So this is me trying to not get all hot and sweaty over the small stuff. I'm not perfect but I'm trying.

My little piano man

My son has loved music and everything that goes with it since the day he was born. He entered this world as U2 was singing about how it was a beautiful day, and it in deed was a beautiful day.at 2 weeks old he would sit and stare as opa played the keyboard and sang some song about a fly and a tree and some old lady. At 4 months old he sat behind a guitar with his dad and with his little fingers loved to try and strum. Now don't get me wrong I by no means think I have a musical geniuses.  But I defiantly have a little boy that loves music. He has his favourite songs and he loves to start singing the night night song to himself when he's ready for a nap. Which is a handy clue to me that he's sleepy. He picks up on the hand motions even when I'm pretty sure no one really taught him. Now all of this I've know since forever, and I've always known its from his daddy. Some days it seems like that's all he got from his daddy. I'm reminded everyday in his looks, mannerisms,and especially attitude that he's my little male mini me. But today I discovered something he else he gets from his daddy, his love to preform. Now we've seen him form boy bands with his cousin friend, and a microphone always calms him down, but today I saw a different side to him. We were in our local little big city with some friends and there were several decorated pianos placed around the mall area to promote our  regions annual music festival ,and even with heaps of people walking by and starring all he wanted to do was play. He stood next to his daddy and danced and played along to benny and the jets on the first piano we found. And then not even the play area could keep away from piano number two. By the time we found the third one he wanted to play all on his own. He was so cute but I defiantly think its time for some lessons. Like I said I definitely don't have a musical genius on my hands. But I also know he didn't get this boldness from his mama who would hide behind her daddy's legs well into her teens when she met new people.  All I can say is I hope he looses a little of my stubbornness and gains more of his daddy's confidence.