Your birthday party

Dear Matthew

The weekend before your birthday we had a picnic at the Dr Seuss park in Melville with our closest family members. It was only afterwards that I realised we actually had four generations on each side of the family there so should have grabbed the opportunity to get a photo with everyone- hindsight is a wonderful thing. Anyway we had a lovely time celebrating our your second birthday and you enjoyed having a dozen or so doting family members playing with you and showering you with presents.

I kept my promise and made your digger cake (I found an excellent blog to follow for instructions) and as I had it ready a day early in the fridge, I showed it to you and you kept saying 'Wow! Digger! In the fridge! With rocks (chocolate covered sultanas)!' It was so beautiful watching your reaction and it's further spurred me on to up the anti for next year's cake! Although you'll see from the photos you weren't too impressed when people were singing happy birthday to you- the look on your face is priceless!!

I'm glad you had a lovely day my gorgeous baby boy- you ended up sleeping for about three hours that afternoon so I know you must have had a good time!!

Love you to the moon and back,

Mum xxx

Your epic sandpit

Dear Matthew

In the lead up to your birthday your dad and I decided to gift you a big sandpit in lieu of wrapped gifts, because we knew you'd get a tonne of presents from friends and family (which eventuated) and that you'd get more out of the sensory environment of a sandpit. In other words, you were going to love it. You already had a clam shell sandpit but it just wasn't the same, and we wanted to get you a sit on digger to play with too.

So your dad set to work digging a nice big hole in the backyard where grass was struggling to grow and laid limestone bricks around in a rectangle shape, joining them with cement. He placed plenty of weed mat down and your gramps dropped off a trailer load of white sand. Your dad lugged this around the back bucket load by bucket load till eventually you had the amazing sand pit that you'll see in the photos below. He's currently still landscaping around it with succulents and pebbles. We'll probably put some woodchips down and some stepping stones near by but haven't quite decided just what to do as yet.

Anyway, I tell you this because I want you to know that it was a labour of love by your wonderful dad, and that you are quite a lucky boy to have the epic sandpit that you do!

Enjoy it my darling.

Love,

Mum xxx

 

Monkey Matthew

Dear Matthew

 

Last Friday after gymbakids we were strolling back to the car when we passed a big tree along the path. I thought 'why not let him have a climb, experience nature' etc so I hoisted you up into the tree and got my camera out to take a photo.

 

Little did I realise how much of a monkey in a tree you really are - off you went, climbing so high I literally had to jump to grab your t-shirt to yank you back down again. I totally freaked, as I was petrified you were going to keep on climbing then slip, fall and break your neck.

 

Anyway you survived. But the crazy lady screaming at a tree outside Melville Recreation Centre? Yeah, that was your mum.

 

Love you monkey,

 

Mum xxx

 

A day at the beach

Dear Matthew

We recently found ourselves with a free Sunday and thought why not head to the dog beach? So off we went to Leighton beach with your pal Soda and enjoyed the sand (not so much the surf as it was still a tad chilly and windy). You built sandcastles with your dad and we enjoyed some lovely family time.

We are so lucky to be our little family of three (plus four pets of course) and to have the luxury of just hopping in the car and heading to the beach. There is so much heartache happening in the world right now (the war in Syria and the devastation that ISIS is causing makes for heavy hearts) so it is days like this that remind me just how blessed and truly fortunate we are to lead the life we do. Australia truly is the lucky country, but it's our responsibility to ensure we help others less fortunate than ourselves. I hope we can instil this in you and your sibling/s.

On a happier note, enjoy these beautiful photos that I took!

Love you my darling boy,

Mum xxx