My green thumbed boy

Dear Matthew

 
A few months ago your dad and I started to really get into fixing up the back yard and part of that included adding a fruit and veggie patch to it. It includes a lemon/lime tree, fig tree, passionfruit tree, strawberries, lettuce, onions, broccoli, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, rosemary, mint and parsley.

You have always enjoyed helping in the garden and it’s almost impossible to do anything out there without hearing your beautiful voice say ‘wa help’ (meaning ‘I help’). Since planting the fruit and veggie patch it has become your ritual to take a bowl out to the backyard to the patch and pick whatever your heart desires (and calling it all ‘lettuce’), bringing it back inside for a wash and a big cuddle from mum or dad for your efforts. The look of pride on your gorgeous face is the best, you love helping your parents and despite the fact that you are slowly decimating the patch, we are so grateful you enjoy gardening and like being involved.

You have also started to enjoy almost-riding your trike, sometimes using the pedals and sometimes pushing yourself along with your feet. You especially like it when your mum gets on the trike (don’t ask me how I manage this or how I haven’t broken it yet by doing so) and you hop in your police car and I race you around the table and chairs out the back trying to catch you. It is so much fun to play with you now and our days seems to fly by.

Love you my green thumbed boy,

 

Mum xxx

 

 

 

A morning of the beach and Bunnings

Dear Matthew

 

We have been trying to make trips to the dog beach a regular-ish Saturday occurrence and the last time we went was the day after a big storm. Due to the storm (I'm guessing), there was an amazing array of colourful coral, seaweed and star-fish washed up on the shore. I had never seen star-fish other than in aquariums and there were just so many of them! I wasn't sure if they were still alive so we put them back in the ocean but I counted five just from around the little area we were sitting. You weren't too fussed with them and preferred just to play chasey with the waves but I was shocked to see them.

 

As we went to leave you wanted to climb the sand hills so I sent your dad after you. He got you down once but you went again! He climbed up again with Soda this time to get you and I got some cute photos of the three of you at the top of the mountain :)

 

Afterwards we went to Bunnings and because Soda wasn't allowed to walk around the store (she had to be held or be in the trolley), you volunteered to sit with her. You'll see from the photos below that she wasn't too impressed to be in the trolley but you loved having a trolley-buddy and I've never seen you so willing to be confined to the trolley (you normally hate this unless you have something in your hand that contains copious amounts of sugar).

 

It was a lovely family morning and I'm looking forward to doing it again soon.

 

Love you my beach boy,

 

Mum xxx

 

Deep Water Point

Dear Matthew

 

As per tradition for the past (almost) three years now, we caught up with Mother's Group a couple of Monday's ago and it happened to be a beautiful Spring day. We had chosen to catch up at the lovely spot of Deep Water Point and you, Charlotte, Chloe, Lily and Alice had fun playing firstly on the playground but then also along the foreshore.

 

I have to let you know that Charlotte in particular absolutely adores you (as you do her) and it's very easy to get you out of the house by saying 'we're off to see Charlotte'. You get away with blue murder with her (she laughs when you body slam her when she's lying down but hates it whenever anyone else does this to her) and she always tries to get your attention to play with her. Check out the photos below of her leading the way around Deep Water Point - they are hilarious!

 

I'm sure I've said it before, but we are so lucky to lead the life that we do. I'm very lucky to be able to only have to work part time so that I can enjoy these experiences with you. You are only little once and my intention is to enjoy your spirit and love of life with you as much as I can. I am grateful that your dad works so hard so that I can have these special moments with you. Life is short and the older we get the quicker it seems to go by. Thank you for encouraging me to live in the moment and enjoy what is right in front of me.

 

Love you darling boy,

 

Mum xxx

 

Father's Day 2016

Dear Matthew

 

Earlier this month we celebrated Father’s Day. You are lucky enough to have a dad, two grandfathers, a step grandfather and two great grandfathers. We started the weekend by visiting your dad’s grandad at his and nan’s house in Marmion on the Saturday. Unbeknownst to us this would be the last time we would visit both of them at their home together as a few weeks later nan unfortunately suffered her third stroke. She is still in hospital as I type this but is unlikely to be able to go home and is more likely to go to a nursing home once she’s able to leave the hospital. Anyway, it was a lovely visit where you dug up the garden and we chatted about you and your future. I love how happy they always are to see you and are always so engaged with you, despite being in their 80’s. Afterwards we stopped off at the Russell Brown Adventure Park in Mosman Park and had a great time playing in the water with your dad and Soda.

 

On the Sunday we had breakfast at home for your lovely dad (and gave him the tie you had made for him at playgroup the week before) and then hosted your dads family for lunch and had homemade pizza to celebrate your grandad. You enjoyed playing with Andrew’s kids Saffron and Quentin in the sandpit as your cousins were at their respective dads’ houses. In the afternoon we went down to Mandurah to have afternoon tea with my grandad (we saved celebrating gramps for the following weekend as we just couldn’t fit everyone in) and you had fun walking around his veggie patch picking strawberries and other goodies, as per your tradition when you go to your maternal great-grandparents’ house.

 

You are so lucky to have such wonderful men in your life who love you to bits. I am so glad you have such great male role models who I hope will show you how to be a kind and loving man through the examples they set.

 

Love you baby boy,

 

Mum xxx