Dylan is like R2D2. He wobbles about unsteadily, makes beeping noises that are hard to understand, and is eager to do the right thing. When Daddy says, 'Dylan, I want you to walk into the next room, close the door, and lie down on your back, so that we can change your nappy', Dylan walks into the next room, closes the door, and lies down on his back so that his nappy can be changed. When Mummy says, 'Dylan, please pick the spaghetti off the floor and put it in the bin', Dylan picks the spaghetti off the floor and puts it in the bin.

Since August, Dylan has been calling Mummy by the name 'Meena'. He does this consistently, never 'Mama', always 'Meena'.

Dylan looks at photo albums

Dylan can say Christoper ('Critter'), Brian ('Rain'), Karen ('Rain'), Grandpa ('Bampa'), and Grandma ('Bonger', or sometimes 'Bong Bong'). He also says morning ('morang'), computer ('peter'), and coconut ('noco nut').

Dylan understands the basic rules of bowling, that you knock the pins down with a ball. He has improved on Daddy's strategy by walking directly up to the pins and pushing them over with ball in hand.

Day Out at Willows Farm.

Dylan can say Grandma and Grandpa ('Bampa').

Even though Dylan can see the effects of a light bulb after flipping a switch, as the whole room is illuminated, still he must look directly into the bulb itself, in order to confirm that the bulb is the source of the light. And he must do so not once but each time the switch is flipped. Dylan takes nothing for granted.

Jake and Dylan after a fight.

Last week Dylan approached the box of tissues on Clare’s night stand, carefully removed a single tissue (yes, just one), blew his nose perfectly, and then threw the used tissue into a rubbish bin. He did this as though it were his ordinary behaviour every day. We were astonished.