cavorting

Arlo's leaping around / pulling shapes / attempting death defying stunts has taken on a whole new form of late. Not content with figuring out how to leap onto the sofa whilst doing a 180 spin mid-leap, he now spends most of his time in a star shape, upside down on the sofa.

Whenever I look over he's contorting himself into some new position, his t-shirt riding up under his chin, his naked tummy on show and his legs doing scissor kicks against the wall. It's doing MY HEAD INNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

I know for a fact that my Mum is sniggering right now. I distinctly remember cavorting round the living room myself, leaping around behind the sofa showing off my impressive shoulder stands, star jumps and various other ludicrous dance moves and gymnastic feats one after the other, shouting 'look, Mum. Watch this' over and over again. God my poor mother. God the poor neighbours!

The difference for my Mum is that she only had one stamping heifer, gallumping and clod hopping round the flat. I have 2. Given that Ida copies practically everything Arlo does, I am sure it won't be long before we see a few scissor kick /hiiii-yaaaaa style combos out of her soon.

Seriously, she is a force to be reckoned with. She may be a few stages behind him physically, but already Arlo is a bit scared of her. It's the banshee-wailing that she does whilst twisting the teeny tiniest bit of flesh she can get between her fingers - just enough to make your eyes water and almost-swear. Or the look of sheer defiance she gives you whilst doing the very thing you've told her not to do.

Or in Arlo's case, the fact that she pulls his hair every time he gives me a cuddle.

Ahhh. Sweet family life. Tis a blessing. Aye. Aye.