Dear Matthew
Just a few little updates on what's been happening these past couple of week:
1. We got Wiggles tickets to their concert in November! Woohoo! You are obsessed with the Wiggles so I can't wait to go with you and your Nanna- the look on your face will be brilliant to see I'm sure! And to be honest I don't think I've ever been more excited to see a concert!
2. At the end of last term's gymbakids you got given your participation certificate, which is normal except for the fact that YOU got given it to hold, rather than me, which was one of my proudest moments so far as a mum. It sounds silly but when your instructor Sharyn called your name up to go and collect our certificate and you walked up, took it from her and walked back to me with a smile on your face, I can honestly say I almost had tears in my eyes. And it's gymbakids. I will be a total mess come school assembles when you get awards!
3. You are really enjoying swimming at the moment. Long gone are the days of you bring grumpy in the water. And although you still don't feel the need to kick often, you are using your arms well, go underwater must easier and can jump in off the side like a trooper. It's lots of fun to do lessons with my little water baby.
Love,
Mum xxx
Dear Matthew
You are obsessed with all things machinery and construction. You love yours diggers, trucks, buses, cement mixers, stream rollers, aeroplanes, cars, tractor boats, bikes, cranes- you name it!
We've bought you a few tonka toys and you enjoy using them in your sand pit and in the dirt in the back garden but of course nothing compares to the real thing. On Wednesdays when you are looked after by gramps while your dad and I work, you and him usually walk around Applecross looking for construction sites to watch the machines at work. Sometimes. You will sit there for 1.5 hours watching houses being bashed down, cement being laid etc.
However a few weeks ago you got to experience something even better when the council workers came past your grandparents house on a Wednesday for the scheduled green waste collection. The next door neighbours had recently cut down quite a large tree from their yard so the truck that the waste was being collected in filled to capacity so had to drive off to be emptied, leaving the workers with the bobcat they were using to fill the truck and time to have their lunches. Lucky you then got to walk around the bobcat, even get inside it and pretend to drive it!
Apparently you were in your element and kept saying 'dig-dig!' which is your word for digger over and over again. Such a lucky boy!
Glad you have found a real interest- who knows if you'll end up working in construction, or as a mechanic or something related to the industry in the future! In any event I know what kind of cake to make for your second birthday!
Love you,
Mum xxx
Dear Matthew
Most of the other families in our parents group have had zoo membership for a while now so we decided to jump on the bandwagon and do the same. I'm so glad we did because you really love visiting the animals and its a lovely way for our little family to spend a couple of hours.
On your first trip we went through the African Safari where you got to see zebras, giraffes, rhinos, lions, meerkats and hyenas. The meerkats are by far your favourites (you call them meh-catz) as they have a great viewing platform with glass at your level that you can look right into. See photos of this trip below.
The second time we went we had organised to go with the parents group families but only Hayley and her daughter Charlotte ended up coming but amazingly we bumped into my cousin Kate who lives in Busselton, along with her husband Paul and kids Mia and Dusty (they had been up for an engagement party and decided to visit the zoo) so we walked around with them too.
The third time we visited we were actually in the zoo while one of the organgutans escaped from her enclosure by jumping out (this was not expected as organgutans don't usually know how to jump). We didn't actually see her escape but must have literally just walked past the exhibit before she did it!
It's so lovely to take you to the zoo- you really enjoy it and I'm reliving my childhood with you!
Love you my darling boy,
Mum xxx
Dear Matthew
A couple of weekends ago we took a trip to Jarradale as my work friend was celebrating his 40th birthday at a retreat in Serpentine so we decided to make a weekend of it and stay overnight at a bed and breakfast.
We arrived in the afternoon and settled in at Jim and Kerry's (get it? If not you need to watch the Ace Ventura movies) bed and breakfast before heading off to the party. Unfortunately you hadn't slept all day so it wasn't long before you passed out in my arms and we headed back to the B and B (via the pub for some takeaway fish and chips as while the booze was flowing at the party the same couldn't be said for the food). You randomly woke at 4am for an hour but luckily you were in a good mood (you kept covering your legs with the blanket and then pulled the blanket away while exclaiming 'LEGS!!') and didn't wake the owners or other guests.
The next morning we had breakfast, said goodbye to our hosts and headed to the Cahuna Koala Park in Byford. The weather all weekend had been pretty miserable so we literally had the park to ourselves and luckily had blue skies for the pocket of time we were there.
You had a fantastic time at the park, my favourite moments being:
1. When we first arrived you got to feed the ponies which you were confident and happy to do.
2. When you fed a donkey some popcorn and it engulfed your entire hand you didn't freak out. The same could not be said for your mum.
3. You loved going up to all the kangaroos and got down to their level at times to have a grand old chat.
4. You splashed in muddy puddles all around the park and gave your parents a good laugh when you stacked it in the biggest one. Thank goodness for spare clothes :)
After the park we headed home, so it was a quick but very fun weekend away.
Thank you for being the joyful little boy that you are. We love you so much. You made the weekend so enjoyable with your eagerness, your inquisitive nature and your go with the flow personality.
Love,
Mum xxx
