This week I smiled reading last year’s blog post for Huxley’s birthday. Apparently back then he was kissing photos at himself, telling the image how beautiful he is. Which is exactly what he did this weekend as we were getting some passport snaps done ready for our holiday at the end of June; the guy in Snappy Snaps handed Hux the little squares of himself, and Hux gave them a big kiss and a smile before handing over to me for safekeeping. Lovely.
That’s Hux all over at 5: happy, confident, cheeky. He has a better sense of humour than most grown-ups I know.
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Hux started school this year and his journey in to full-time education has been a bit of a ride. It’s been a completely different experience to his sister, a natural academic, and there’s had to be a few tricky conversations with his teachers on my part. Paying attention when he’s not a hundred percent interested has never been Hux’s forté, and he found the transition to such a routine-based system really difficult. However, two terms in and (touch wood) something seems to have clicked; not only is he finally engaging in his lessons, but he’s coming home and talking about how much he’s enjoyed them, too. Thank goodness!
He learned how to ski this year and quite predictably liked going fast and/or crashing. Spending most of the time on the ground didn’t seem to bother him and he finished our week asking for more. In the last 12 months he also learned how to windsurf, kayak and play tennis, and I can’t wait to take him back to Greece with his sister this year for more watersports (and to maybe finally crack swimming?).
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Speaking of which, our swimming lessons at David Lloyd came to an end earlier on in the year. Hux made up for any skill he lacks in the pool with buckets of enthusiasm, but he would get so over-excited that the teacher couldn’t get through to him in a group situation. All her sensible advice would go in one ear and out the next; not what you want when your trying to teach eight 4 year olds how not to drown.
I adore how much he loves the pool, though, and one of my favourite memories of Hux will always be this; as we walked down the side of the pool holding hands about six months ago he pulled away from me to leap in the deep end, so excited to get cracking with his swimming lesson. Only of course, not being able to swim or float he sunk right to the bottom, meaning his teacher (luckily on-hand) had to do a quick dive to rescue a spluttering yet smiling Hux. Love the enthusiasm, maybe brush up on the practicalities of swimming?
My boy is currently in to everything LEGO, and compared with Elfie who has always been much more into books and role-playing he’s a real builder of things. He loves to put towers together (and presents them to me as a gift :) and is still fascinated by anything that flies. If you ask him what he wants to be when he grows up he’ll say either Pilot or Astronaut, depending on how much space we’ve been talking about that week. Recently we’ve been looking forward to our holiday (and the flights there and back) so right now it’s Pilot.
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Though still as ‘spirited’ as last year, Hux has most definitely matured and is channeling his energies into slightly less destructive pursuits. He’s grown in independence and loves nothing more than charging around with his friends, playing Ninjas, Power Rangers or some other riff on whatever’s cool that week.
He loves his pals and had his entire class over to the house this year for a birthday party – nearly finishing me off in the process. We had pass the parcel, apple bobbing, dance competitions, musical statues, pinatas, a picnic… it was brilliant fun and the birthday boy went to bed that evening very happy.
Hux is still a mummy’s boy (melt) and regularly pops up in my bed for a 2am cuddle. He’s a real affectionate little thing and I’m always happy to oblige, he still just about has that baby smell about him and I’m sure it’ll be gone by next year. He’s constantly crawling in my lap to curl up like a cat, or putting his arms up and saying “Huggy!”. Long may this gorgeous affection continue.
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His relationship with his sister is a joy to behold, and one of my favourite things to do is sleepily listen to them chat in the next room when they wake up early doors. Yesterday I heard an “Elfie, can I get in your bed for a cuddle?” and near enough died of cuteness. They’re really confidantes to each other and that makes all the catfighting and name calling worth it.
Hux turning five was a bit emotional for me this year. It felt like a big milestone, almost five years we’ve done this family thing alone, five years of our little threesome. I can hand-on-heart say that, although we may not be where I thought we’d be at this point, we’re somewhere even better.
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And I can’t wait for all the adventures the next five years will bring.
Happy five, Huxley. You are so loved by your mummy and sister. No matter how many planes you fly into our faces or ninja chops you land on our limbs.