seven

The cheekiest of our four is seven! Alistair is catching up quickly with his older brother James - or so he thinks. The flow of time is an irrelevant concept for Alistair. 

Alistair is the only one of my four who doesn't get exited about his birthday weeks in advance. He doesn't wake up a 4 am to ask if it is his birthday yet. James woke Alistair at 7 am to inform him that it was now his birthday. 

Annie made a cake, chocolate sponge covered in chocolate with chocolate sprinkles on top. Alistair was quite specific about this. He opened his gifts with great speed and little care for guessing what the colourful paper might conceal. He liked his bounty. He received plenty of lego figures, some of which immediately found their way into his trouser pockets of course. Alistair always carries a lego figure or two in his pocket, or a little plastic Super Mario. Or a little car. These are wrapped in other non-essential pieces of plastic or tissue. I worry about my washing machine: the laundry, like all the other chores, are done in a rush and with my mind elsewhere. 

Alistair is sweet natured. Alistair can also have the most amazing tantrums. He is witty and clever and makes people smile. His teacher said to me that he was easily distracted and rarely listened to her. She also said that it was difficult to be annoyed with him because of his disarming smile and his charm. I know what she means! We are all guilty of being charmed by him, even when we shouldn't. 

Alistair likes to hug his friends and family. He used to hug everybody, even the supermarket checkout lady but he has learned that he can't hug complete strangers. Attachment isn't something that came naturally to Alistair. He has come a long way since he came to live with us four years ago. 

Alistair loves his big brother James fiercely. When James is away, Alistair says he feels lonely. James is his best friend, consistently so. Their fights are as fierce as their love but quickly burn out. Alistair is the the one in charge. They hug frequently and declare their love to each other. Alistair also loves Annie and Sammy but if he had to choose a sibling to take to a desert island, it would be James. They only had each other for the first few years of their live. Their bond is very strong.

Alistair constantly surprises me. He has been the baby of the family for a long time but recently, the boy is shining through. He joins the rest of us in the real world a bit more often now. The other day I shouted at him when I dropped my camera on the pavement. I was cross with myself and he was in the way. An hour or so later, he came to see me and said that he had only wanted to help me when I dropped the camera. He didn't say that I should not have shouted but he didn't need to. A few months ago he would have forgotten the incident within minutes. There was no space for reflection in Alistair-land. Now there is. My big boy. I love him to bits. xx