Toby's tenth month

Dear Matthew and Toby

The last couple of months of Toby's development have been so exciting. After walking so early (which you do confidently now), you finally started crawling around 9 months, Tobes. However it's a bit of a shuffle, you just use one foot to push yourself along and bring the other knee underneath you, but it works. Your deep blue eyes have turned into a greeny hazel and while you still only have two teeth, your top front two have been sitting under the gums for months. You love to RUN while holding on to my finger but have a thousand bruises and scabs on your head still from trying to coordinate yourself while doing so. You're clapping and waving and climbing stairs.

You're getting better in the car (hooray!) but you are sleeping lying across my body still all night (it's winter and cold I guess). When you wake up in the mornings I'm still met with your beautiful big smile, and up until recently you used to say 'ah-ghee!' while blowing air upwards. Speaking of words, your first words were dog-related, being 'da' for Soda and 'oof' for woof. 'Mumumum' wasn't far behind (thankfully? or not?) as well as 'ba' for ball, 'ber' for birds and 'buh-buh' for bye-bye.

You follow Matt's basic routine to the point where if Matt is having his teeth brushed, you also need to have yours brushed otherwise a meltdown follows. This is helpful when I want to put you to bed when Matt goes to bed, because you usually just go. You're having two short sleeps during the day the moment and still loving baths (I am giving you one daily at the moment as you sit in the baby tub on the bench happily which allows me to do the dishes/prepare dinner).

You love eating cheese and pasta and I may have been naughty and given you a few crumbs of cake which you devoured. You've become quite serious of late and are obsessed with your zoo book and abc animals book. It's been a bit challenging the past couple of days as it's school holidays and wet and we're all going a bit stir crazy in the house but I'm looking forward to getting out more and taking you for walks as you absolutely love being outside and will happily sit in the pram while I walk you anywhere the sun shines.

Love you boys,

Mum xxx

Liturgy, Teddy Bears Picnic and Star of the Week

Dear Matthew and Toby,

We've come to the end of Term 2 of kindy and that means another liturgy at your school, Matt. This term you had a special role of bringing up the creation you had made from your school excursion to Piney Lakes during the offertory. You never actually mentioned this to me and your lovely teacher Mrs Bollen happened to mention it in the classroom that morning so I'm so glad I was able to make it to see you! You sang and did the offertory beautifully and afterwards we had a picnic back in your classroom.

On the last day of term you also had a teddy bear's picnic. You were allowed to wear your pyjamas to school and bring your favourite teddy, so you brought your monkey. You made honey joys and popcorn and watched a movie - what a great way to finish the term. The icing on the cake was when I picked you up I found out that you had been chosen to be the Star of the Week because you'd been trying really hard to listen on the mat and had been putting up your hand when you wanted to talk. You were absolutely beaming and I was so proud of you for being given your turn. You kept telling everyone on the way to the car that you'd been chosen and were just so happy. It was great to see your hard work had paid off. Over the school holidays we'll need to collect some photos of you to show the class about you and some items from home that start with M (as per the Star of the Week instructions).

Love you boys,

Mum xxx

Naturescape

Dear Matthew and Toby

Recently we met up with Matt's godfather Dan, his wife Layla, and their daughter Florence to try out the new Naturescape playground in Kings Park.

This playground is unlike any I've ever been to, in fact, you get given a map of it when you arrive just in case you get lost! There's no typical plastic playground equipment, instead you are totally immersed in nature, with streams, rocks, trees, purpose built caves etc that kids can play in. They also had some wooden playing equipment with tunnels and ropes which was clearly great for risk-based activities. It's an awesome place and I wish it had existed when we were kids!

What I thought was even more interesting was that there was no typical grassed areas for picnics, instead we had our lunch in a 'pod', which was basically a small undercover area right near the water. It was great to catch up with Dan, Layla and Florence and to watch you boys exploring (Matt you particularly loved it). Hopefully we can return soon, maybe with your cousins who I know would love it too.

Love you boys,

Mum xxx

Piney Lakes

Dear Matthew and Toby

A few Saturdays ago we headed out to explore Piney Lakes. We've visited Piney Lakes a number of times, but it's usually to enjoy the playground or feed the ducks. This time we decided to go on a walk through the bushland to see what we could find.

So we loaded Toby into the baby carrier and walked along some purpose built walkways through the bushland that backs onto Leach Hwy and Murdoch Drive. We came across a community garden and stopped to chat to some of the people working in it. The building near it had a huge spider attached to the outside of it which you liked Matt, once we were able to distinguish it for you.

We kept walking around the bushland and followed a sculpture exhibit. There was a lot of Aboriginal art and art that was a tribute to what the area once was (a sacred place for Aboriginal women and later, a piggery).

Once we'd finished walking around we headed back to the playground for a quick play. It was a nice little adventure, and great to explore somewhere nearby.

Love you boys,

Mum xxx

Family time and starting soccer

 

Dear Matthew and Toby

 

A few weeks back we decided to take advantage of the beautiful Autumn day we were having and went down to Point Walter for a lazy afternoon by the water. It could not have been more perfect weather wise, in fact the whole of Autumn was unseasonably warm (which has been amazing as Toby you are obviously still young and the less colds/flus etc you catch the better). We had a little picnic on the shore and Matt you enjoyed digging in the sand, playing in the water and collecting shells. You also went on the jetty with your dad. Toby, you had a great time sitting on the sand and walking in the water with me. It was also the first time we'd driven you in your big boy forward facing car seat and it's been a winner in improving your attitude towards the car (yay!). I love how clean it looks it the top photo- it's since been trashed :)

 

Matt, you also started playing soccer at the start of this term. Given you have also been doing swimming lessons this year I was worried that you would be overloaded with activities (given you go to kindy three days a week too, and you're only four), but you kept hounding us so we signed you up to Grasshopper Soccer. You have loved going down to 'training' on a Saturday morning and doing the exercises with your 'team' and daddy (although sometimes need a bit of help taking turns during the 'game' at the end). It's been awesome to see your confidence build over the last year or so, you really have blossomed and I hope you stick at soccer, as it's a sport both your mum and dad enjoy (but only if you like it, of course). I love that you're getting used to listening to your coach and getting to know what it would be like being in a team. These are really important life skills so I'm glad you clearly enjoy sport so you won't miss out on developing them.

 

Love you boys,

 

Mum xxx