Daddy's birthday

Dear Matthew and Toby

Last Saturday we celebrated your dad's 36th birthday. In the morning we had a yummy cooked breakfast, followed by your swimming lesson Matt and then a stop off at the local 'chippie shop' (Maccas) for a play and lunch.

In the evening we headed to Heathcote and celebrated with your Nanna, Darryl, Grandad, Aunty Chantel, Andrew and all of your cousins. Matt you had a great time running around the pirate ship playground and Toby you enjoyed spotting the boats out on the river from the lookout points. We had a delicious barbeque followed by a caramel glaze cake that we'd picked out together from the Cheesecake shop.

Afterwards when it had gotten dark we all headed down to the shoreline of the river where you and all the other kids enjoyed running up and down the sand, digging in it and looking at the beautiful view of the city.

You are both so lucky to have the dad that you do. Some of the things I am most grateful for include his patience with you both, his willingness to acknowledge and understand how you may be feeling, his involvement in your school and sporting life, and understanding how little boys function (something I have no idea about as a female other than from what I've ready in books). He loves seeing you both after a long day of work and you are both the most important things in his world.

Love you boys,

Mum xxx



First day of Pre-Primary

Dear Matthew and Toby

The start of this week marked the first day of Pre-Primary for you, Matt! And the beginning of full time school! You were pretty excited to get back to all your friends and you were lucky enough to get the same teacher as you had last year, Mrs Bollen.

We all dropped you off as a family and you put your bag on the hook before walking into your new classroom. You weren't stressed at all that you when we left and your feedback at pick up was that the day was 'fine and I played with Harrison and Georgia' so I think you're just back in the swing of things. It is great to see you so confident and happy at school.

Yesterday when your nanna went to pick you up she said you were so proud as you'd been given a certificate that said you'd had an amazing first day of kindy. Well done Matt! Looking forward to a wonderful year ahead at school.

Love you boys,

Mum xxx



Baby's first passport

Dear Matthew and Toby

After a lovely but unexciting 2018, your dad and I decided to mix things up in 2019 and make things a bit more interesting. First stop was an overseas family trip. Given Japan has always been on our bucket list, and kids travel around Japan for free until they're six, we decided to make it our destination of choice! So we're booked in to go this coming April school holidays for two weeks, and cannot wait.

Toby, this will be your first overseas trip so we needed to get you a passport. We took you to the chemist to get your photo (see below) and while I was expecting a repeat of the Santa photo situation we endured in December, you sat nicely and we managed to get such a cute photo of you! Your passport should arrive in the next couple of weeks and then we'll be all set.

You are also now 17 months, but it feels like you're about 3 years old. You have an incredible ability to watch your surroundings and just do things without me teaching you (you just copy Matt). It is incredible to watch a second child grow, given they have someone to look up to and learn from - everything just seems to be happening so much quicker, to the point where I keep exclaiming aloud 'you're not supposed to be able to do that yet!', over and over.

You're answering questions correctly in context with yes and no and you have beautiful manners, saying 'thank you' as 'tan oo' when I hand you something. You love music and dancing and will often bring my phone to me asking for me to play 'do do do do', which is LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem (incredibly, this is the song your dad and I did a choreographed song to at our wedding reception). You call Matt 'brother' and when you're trying to get my attention you slowly escalate your voice by saying 'mum. Mum. MUM. MUM!!!' However the first person you usually want to see in the mornings is your daddy, and you normally get down off the bed in search of him for a cuddle.

You are a delight Toby-woo, and with school going back we'll go back to enjoying just pottering around the house together on a few days a week together soon.

Love you boys,

Mum xxx