1/365
Little R adores Honey-bunny. Three moments from today stand out in my mind and illustrate this.
1: After breakfast I carried him upstairs for our shower and he became hysterical. Wailing, struggling to get down and desperately pointing towards the stairs. Wondering what on earth the matter was, I followed his pointing back downstairs and into the lounge, where he immediately became calm and, pointing at Honey in her cage, cooed in the special voice he reseves for animals and babies. He hadn't seen her yet that morning and apparently needed to say hello. Once he'd given her a little pat on the nose, he was happy to go upstairs to get on with our ablutions.
2: During the afternoon, Little R snuck round the back of our snoozing bunny and was intrigued and amazed by her tail, which was lying unusually flat out behind her. He tentatively reached out for it with his gentle hands (that's the phrase I use, MANY times a day) for her tail. He didn't quite touch it and then looked up at me, almost asking with his eyes if he could. I decided Honey probably wouldn't be so thrilled about that, so whisked him away. But he is so gentle with her now. Respectful.
3: This moment. After dinner, we were washing up and I had the cupboard open to put away saucepans. Little R reached in and found half a slice of pitta bread, drying Honey on top of her rabbit pellets. Carefully, he took it from the cupboard. Then, on his pudgy little feet he padded solemnly down the hallway, to the lounge, where Honey was relaxing half-asleep in her cage. While we watched from a distance, he sat down beside her cage, broke a bit of bread off and posted it through the bars. Honey was very pleased, once she realise what is was - bread is usually only for bedtime. Again and again, he broke off little pieces and posted them in, watching in delight as she scoffed his offerings. Eventually, he popped a piece in his own mouth and wandered away, "mmmmming" merrily about how delicious this dried old piece of bread was (that he liked, but the nutritious chilli-con-carne we served him for dinner was apparently unpalatable!). I was practically exploding with pride that my only-just-one-year-old is thoughtful and wise enough to feed the rabbit when he finds food he knows she likes. How much he has already absorbed. Amazing.