What the eye sees

My dearest, darling eldest son lives in a world of his own most of the time. He is one who if he should turn right, will turn left. Who can mistake up for down. I am not totally convinced he can tell the time.

He is careless about details and leaves important books at school and forgets to tell us about meetings; but he's soft-hearted and honest and knowledgeable about all sorts of big things and whilst he is frustrating to a parent who wants to be able to trust him to do the small and simple things in life, he is an absolute treasure, a unique and individual thinker. And one day, he'll be happier with himself too.

Two things have happened this week that sum him up completely.

On Monday, he came home from school really pleased as he'd been invited to the cinema by his friend, Gabi and his family. I asked if he'd met any of the family and he told me he'd gone to school that morning with Gabi and his uncle in the uncle's car.  I wasn't too happy that he'd got in the car, rather than taking the bus. But then he told me he'd missed the bus so it was lucky for him that Gabi had come along after. How had he missed the bus? He hadn't gone late, had he? No, but somehow, despite there being a whole crowd of kids that get on the bus together, the bus had come, everyone had got on and Mateo 'didn't notice'! And he was left behind. He did manage to remember that he thought the bus that came was blue and orange, not the usual grey, but he didn't clock that all the kids got on it or that he could have asked. Poor thing - though he didn't seem concerned at all. Good for him that Gabi did come along with his uncle!

Then this morning, he and Cesar set off to walk down together (Cesar only goes as far as watching him across the very big and busy main road.. he doesn't usually wait to watch him board the bus!) - already they were a bit late and hurrying. When Cesar came back, he had with him a teeny, tiny gecko. Mateo had somehow spotted it on a wall as they rushed down to the bus stop - can't recognise a school bus but can spot a camouflaged creature at ten paces.

Cute - we like geckos!

Look how tiny, next to a ladybird mouse..?