Matt's first swimming carnival

Dear Matthew, Toby and Josie

As you are now in year four Matt, this year was the first year you were invited to take part in the swimming carnival at school. You opted to go in the 25m races for freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke. You were a bit nervous, but we talked about how we can both be nervous and do the 'hard thing' that makes us nervous in the first place. So on the day of the swimming carnival we talked about just trying your best and having fun in the process. 

Well! You absolutely killed it! You came first in both freestyle and breaststroke, and second in backstroke. Your dad was able to watch you while I was at work, and I was over the moon to hear about how you went in each race!! You have recently stopped formal swimming lessons because you weren't too keen on them anymore, and now that we have our own pool, we were happy to let them go, but I was worried about what that might mean for your swimming progress - but I've got nothing at all to worry about, clearly! And no doubt you will only get stronger and faster with each summer in our pool. 

Congratulations on conquering your fears Matt- just look at what can happen when we dare to be uncomfortable for a moment! Absolute rockstar!

Love you all, 

Mum xxx

P.S. Tobes your swimming has absolutely come along too, you are no longer wearing your swimming floaty in the pool and asking daddy to take you in every evening. Josie, well, you won't even enter the pool area haha! But hopefully you'll come around. You love baths so I know you're fine with water, I think it's just the fact that the pool is such a massive puddle in the backyard, I guess it's a bit daunting!

 

Patio installation and family walks

Dear Matthew, Toby and Josie

In mid-February, the next stage of our backyard renos began with the installation of our new patio. As you can see from the below photos, this has provided a huge amount of shade cover for you guys to play under and for us parents to be protected while watching you in the pool (unfortunately not in the late afternoon due to the sun's positioning). We are so happy to see the picture in our heads coming into reality. Next step is installing soakwells and then paving. Beyond that we also need to get retic put in the front yard and will then lay lawn. After that we need to take a break with home stuff and rebuild our savings, especially because so far there's been ten interest rate rises since May last year, and everyone is in a bit of struggle town financially.

We have also been taking family walks/rides recently in the evenings, just to the end of the road and back. It's lovely to chat to neighbours along the way and get to know poeple in our street. Josie you have especially loved being in charge of Soda's lead, just like your big brothers did at your age. It's so cute to see you walking along together (although often it's Soda walking you rather than the other way around!). 

Love you all, 

Mum xxx

 

Daddy's 40th birthday

Dear Matthew, Toby and Josie

Your dad turned 40 last week! Can't believe he's such an old man 😜We celebrated with some cake and take-away at our place on the official day, and then headed down to Mandurah with all the extended family for the weekend and stayed at the same resort we'd been to last summer. You all enjoyed the pool, crabbing and hanging with your cousins. For dinner on the Saturday we went across the road to the Brewery and had a yummy dinner together and you all played on the boat playground at the front. Afterwards we went back to the resort, sang happy birthday, had cake and just chilled together. It was a lovely relaxing weekend away, enjoying family time together and celebrating your dad's big 4-0. 

As we were leaving on Sunday morning we also went and visiting one of the Mandurah 'giants' by the ocean. This was part of an exhibit where the City of Melville 'hid' giants around town and you had to find them using clues. Luckily Ma Ma and Gumps had inside knowledge and we didn't have to galivant around town and headed straight to the awesome guy below. 

Love you all, 

Mum xxx

P.S. Photos are all over the shop!