Tuesday 13 May 2014

The Guinea Pig That Waited - A Reunion


This is H, our second son. We moved three and a half years ago to find better school provision for him, and to afford a bigger house for our growing family. It was a really positive move all round, and after initial upset he soon settled.

Last weekend we visited our old village and his old school, as the preschool/after school club he attended invited us to their 40th Birthday celebrations. As former "webmaster" I was invited, and H was a regular at both their after school club and holiday play scheme.

It was a very wet and windy afternoon on the whole, but lovely to see so many familiar faces. H found it a little odd and was extremely restless, searching for a couple of old friends -  and something else.

This was the something else.




The photo above was taken in almost the same position, four years ago, when a much younger H was at Woodland Corner after school one day. It has sat on his windowsill in a special frame since the day we moved here. I love it, he's so blissfully happy in it, and had only just started to appreciate animals. Having been either utterly oblivious to our cat for the first five years of his life - unless he was chasing or tormenting him - he became extremely fond of his russian dwarf hamster around this time. And this was the other animal love of his life - one of Woodland Corner's guinea pigs!

He didn't really communicate his feelings about moving much, as is so common with those on the Autism Spectrum. But he certainly doesn't forget anything, ever! So I shouldn't really have been surprised that he made a bee-line for the guinea pig cage when we visited last weekend, and that he was hugely relieved to discover his favourite one was still alive so many years on.

He was really, really gentle - which is evident from the photo, and this video.




As we were leaving I asked if he had had a nice time t which he replied-
"It was a bit boring, I wish C and W had been there. But I'm so pleased my Guinea Pig waited for me."
We called our new home after Woodland Corner. It is in a corner. With a (mini) wood. But actually, it was H who suggested it in the first place - and after Saturday I don't think it had much to do with our location, or the trees.

"The Guinea Pig that Waited" #DrWhoFan


20 comments:

  1. lovely photos, must have been nice for him to visit again x

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  2. What a sweet photo and video. It always amazes me what my 4 year remembers - usually the opposite of the things that stick in my mind!

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  3. Aw what a difference in the photos - how sweet. I love his massive smile in the first photo and how caring he looks in the second x x

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  4. What a beautiful story! It is amazing how children develop these bonds.

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  5. Ah so sweet! Lovely how you have the comparison from 4 years ago x

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  6. Must have been so nice for him to see the guinea pig again!

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  7. Arrrr what lovely pictures and video, sounds like he enjoyed meeting up with the Guinea pig again :-) x

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  8. This is such to lovely story, and how special to have those two photos. I'm very glad that the guinea pig waited x #LetKidsBeKids

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  9. Such a beautiful post. I sat with Seren and revisited photos of Yorkshire at the weekend- 2.5 yrs ago, we moved to Wales when she was 2.5yrs. I thought some of her memories were ones we have reinforced, but sure enough she remembered things I had forgotten- children do amaze us! I love your photo, a 4 year time lapse must definitely pull at your heart strings.

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  10. Lovely photo and video, it must have been touching for you to see him with the guinea pig again.

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  11. Awww bless him. We have always had pigs but we are without them at the moment. With The Teen looking at universities w are holding off for a few years xx

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  12. Nice to know that piggy was still there. It must have been a nice surprise for your boy.

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  13. How lovely for him, he looks proud as punch holding the guinea pig. Naming your house after the centre will be a great way for happy memories to live on :-)

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  14. Awww how proud does he look with that guinea pig

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  15. Aw, how lovely. What a nice surprise for H that the Guinea pig was still there.
    Thanks for linking #LetKidsBeKids

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  16. That must have been so special for him. xx

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  17. aww how lovely! what a lovely surprise x

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  18. This photo is lovely. You can tell how proud he is x

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  19. This is so sweet and so lovely that he had a little furry friend there to say hi. x

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  20. It is amazing how much ASD children remember isn't it ?. Beautiful photo and what a touching moment x

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Many thanks for taking the time to comment, I really value your responses.

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