One More Year

A brand new Jax rocks our world February 13th 2008

When I speak with like-minded Mums – the variety who don’t wax lyrical about the wonders of motherhood and tend to be more open to conversations around the grueling aspects of the early years – one thing that always comes up from Mums with older kids is this: “it gets good from about the age of seven. You’ll enjoy it more then.”

When Mum’s started telling me this years ago I wondered how I’d ever make it through the chaos and craziness of the coming years. Then (well, still really) I was dealing with the discovery of children starting fires IN the house, the sitting down at the end of a day thinking “shit, they didn’t die today that’s good”, and the cleaning up of blood thinking how the hell did we avoid a visit to the hospital?  Grueling, and more often than not, Mum and Dad weren’t always having a whole lot of fun.

But today, I am pleased to say IT’S ONLY ONE MORE YEAR and both boys will be seven, because today it is Jax’s 6^th birthday. I bloody love this kid. He is a gutsy, charming little dude and he is going to be alright in this life. However, he’s also a massive, argumentative pain in the arse – I mean who knew a five (now six) year old knew so much?

“Mum are there toilets on buses?”

“Yes love, some buses have toilets – the ones for long distance travel.”

“No they don’t Mum. Buses don’t have toilets.”

End of discussion.

“Dad – what did you say to that man.”

“I just told him he was a silly driver.”

“No you didn’t – you used the bloody-fucking word, and that’s naughty.”

“You’re right Jax, I was naughty.”

First Halloween approx nine months

“Dad, don’t use the bloody-fucking word. If you use the bloody-fucking word you’ll have no more toys. I don’t use the bloody-fucking word because it’s really naughty, so you shouldn’t use the bloody-fucking word. People who use the bloody-fucking word are soooo naughty, that’s why I don’t use the bloody-fucking word…” (insert eight more uses of the bloody-fucking word whilst claiming innocence here).

Please note: if you’ve been reading my blog, the above might sound familiar. It continues to this day.

Anyhoo, Lex turned seven in November, and while he continues to be a pain in the arse, we have definitely seen a cooling down of craziness, and well, he just seems a lot more mature. Fire remains an interest area though… grrrrrr.

Now six, I’ve definitely noticed Jax becoming a more mature, independent and confident little man in recent months, but we still have the unreasonableness, belligerence and inability-to-reason cropping up now and again. It’s a lot of lot of fun let me tell you. But we’re close, really close. Maximum one more year, hooray!

Our little man today

Jax is a great little puddin’. He’s easy to hang out with and bloody hilarious. Truth to tell, Steve and I have really enjoyed watching both of the boys grow and come into their own. They’re incredibly different, but equally fantastic, and this world better watch out when they’re unleashed upon it – especially the girls as far as Jax is concerned. He’s going to get a lot of action.

So happy birthday my love. This has not been an easy ride for your old Mum and Dad, but we really wouldn’t have you any other way – well maybe a little less argumentative!

We love you mate.

Yours without the bollocks

Andrea