The Armadale Reptile and Wildlife Park

Dear Mathew

Yesterday we headed out to do some grocery shopping and afterwards decided to head to an indoor play-centre for you to play at as the weather wasn't great. However as soon as we'd driven onto the freeway your dad pointed out that neither him nor I had socks (a requirement for everyone at indoor play-centres) so I randomly googled somewhere different for us to visit and up popped the Armadale reptile and wildlife park.

We had never heard of the place and had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly surprised to find a well maintained little park with heaps of different reptiles like snakes, lizards, geckos etc but also frogs, turtles, a crocodile, ponies, donkeys, a wombat, kangaroos, emus, birds, bats and dingos!

Being the animal fiend that you are, you soaked up all the different animals and especially liked the frogs in the nocturnal section and the friendly donkeys in the outside area. I was surprised to see the crocodile and the wombat and loved the walk through aviaries.  

A little bit of history for you - when I was talking to your gramps later today about the visit, he asked me to clarify exactly where the park was (it's along South Western Highway in Armadale) and he informed me that your great-great-grandfather's farm used to be directly across from the park and gramps and his siblings spent a large portion of their childhood on that farm (it's where your gramps learnt all his animal husbandry and farming skills). Funny that I randomly googled it and choose a place so close by.

Anyway, you had a great time and I'm looking forward to randomly googling places in the future to see where we might end up :)

Love you baby boy,

Mum xxx

Matthew turns 3!

Dear Matthew

 

Last Saturday you turned three! We started the day at about 3am where you woke up and demanded that you couldn’t go back to sleep until we put your shoes on, so you slept the rest of the night with your sneakers on. When you woke up in the morning we had your kitchen assembled and waiting for you, however as we’d decorated it with balloons we struggled to get you interested in it, as the balloons were clearly more exciting! You eventually also opened your other presents (pots and pans, plastic fruit and veg and some toy cars) and had fun playing chef.

We then packed up the car and headed to the Russell Brown Adventure Park for your birthday party. This is a favourite park of yours (I’m sure I’ve blogged about it previously) and we nabbed a good spot under a shady tree. Amazingly the weather was perfect (sunny and 29 degrees)! We decorated the tree and set up food and drinks, and the guests then started to arrive. You enjoyed playing in the water and especially watching some plastic boats we had brought along float down the stream with your cousins and friends.

You loved the train cake I had baked for you (an original from the Women’s Weekly birthday cake book) and have talked about it many times since that day so I know it was a hit! We sang happy birthday to you and you happily blew out the candle (twice!). What I loved was after finishing one piece you then came back and helped yourself to a second, grabbing a new plate and fork and everything! Classic!  

It was a beautiful day and I’m so glad so many of your little friends (and family members) turned out to celebrate our gorgeous boy. In the evening you washed the car with daddy and then your Grandad and Maree came over for dinner and to watch some soccer, but you and I passed out around 7pm we were so exhausted! Whoops!

 

The next day your Ma Ma and Gumps came over for the usual Sunday dinner at ours and brought your present - a motorised quad bike! Ma Ma claimed she didn't know it was motorised but you loved the fact that it was (and the box it came in). Such a lucky kid!

 

Love you birthday boy!

Mum xxx