"YOUNGER YOU"

The 'younger you' was absolutely adorable!
You wore a perpetual smile and always had everybody charmed!
You didn't sleep through the night until you were two and a half (which didn't really charm me so the last statement wasn't always true at night time!). I had to go back to work when you were only six months old so I often had 'zombie' eyes from lack of sleep. Your Dad stayed at home and did child care until you started school but he didn't hear you at night because he is deaf in one ear and sleeps on his good ear!! Handy!
You didn't often wake up crying. You would wake to play and chat (at the top of your voice) and your sister was such a light sleeper that I would have to move you to the lounge room. I would often doze on the couch and just let you play until you were tired enough to go back to bed. We gave up trying to get you to have a daytime sleep when you were only 14 months old...you just didn't seem to need sleep!!
We put you into a bed at about the same time as you would climb anything and everything and the bed was closer to the floor.
Then, when you were finally getting the sleep pattern in a better routine, the nightmares started. You would wake up screaming in absolute terror and we would all come rushing in to find you crying and upset. Once, when we asked you what had happened, you replied,
       "Humphrey said Bum!"
Humphrey Bear was one of the many toys that had to go to bed with you and who was often on TV during the day (mind you, he was mute!!).
Your nightmares continued until you were in Grade 1 and your Grade 5 buddy, Damien, told you not to worry because your nightmares would stop on the day you turned 7.... and they did!! Why didn't we think of that?
You loved watching TV and would often tell us that when you grew up you wanted to be 'Thomas the Tank Engine' or 'Madeline'.
You were very easy-going as a youngster and just got along with everybody. You were always popular and had many friends but even from a young age you would avoid conflict of any sort. One of your teachers, who has three sons younger than you, once asked me what the secret to producing a son with such a lovely temperament was because she wanted her three sons to turn out just like you!! One of the best compliments I have ever received!! xxx