Harvey Farmstay

Dear Matthew and Toby

We recently went for a weekend stay in Harvey at a farm called Bluehills. We booked this trip months ago and you were both really looking forward to feeding the animals.

We arrived Friday evening and settled into our beautiful accommodation on the top of the hill. In the morning we woke to a gorgeous view, which included the Harvey Dam! We had a yummy cooked breaky and then grabbed a heap of carrots and headed down to feed the many animals on the farm. You both fed ponies, cows, sheep, chooks and rabbits. We were met by farmer Justin, who helped you both milk a cow and have a pony ride. We then hopped on the back of his ute and headed around the farm. He fed a cow a carrot out of his mouth, you fed the horses, he showed us how to crack his whip and caught a yabbie in his dam.

Afterwards we decided to head into town. Our first stop was the Harvey Cheese factory where your dad and I tasted some yummy cheese and you both enjoyed a yummy ice cream. After reading the events in the local paper, we then decided to head to Cookernup, which is a small town about 15 minutes drive away, as they were having a 125 year celebration. You ate fairy floss, has a ride on the old school fire engine, jumped on the jumpy castle and Matt you got your arm painted.

We then headed back to Harvey and decided to climb the giant orange. You both enjoyed climbing to the top and looking out over the orchard. For lunch we headed into town and stopped at a lovely local café, which was perfect timing as it had just started to rain.

We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon back at the farm, playing hide and seek, roasting marshmallows and of course feeding the animals again.

In the morning we said goodbye to the animals and headed to Harvey Dam. We walked around the base and then climbed to the top. It was a lovely way to finish the weekend.

Love you boys,

Mum xxx

Book Week, swimming and more!

Dear Matthew and Toby

Carrying on from my earlier post, I wanted to keep updating you on some of our day-to-day activities as I'm sure I'll have trouble recalling these in years to come!

At school we have recently had Book Week, and this year Matt you decided to dress up as a little pirate from the book 'Ten Little Pirates'. You were so cute in your outfit that day for school and you were over the moon when your teacher selected your book to read to the class.

We have also been doing swimming lessons on Saturdays this year. Matt, you are currently learning how to swim 5m of freestyle and Tobes you are very happy pottering around in the shallow area with daddy while Matt's class is on. In fact, you call this your 'swimming lesson' and I think it's way more beneficial that actually taking a class at your age (based on our previous experiences of baby swimming classes) as you get to explore the water on your own terms. As a result, you love the water and you're extremely confident in it. We will probably start you in proper classes in about a year but you're perfectly happy right now just doing your own thing.

We also took another trip to the zoo a few weeks back. Matt you love taking photos so you took the phone and enjoyed taking photos of the reptiles and koalas. You also got to hold a snake (your absolute favourite) so were pretty pumped.

As I mentioned in my last blog, you have also been doing art classes lately Matt. I have some photos below of your most recent work, which includes block work. It's so great to see you immersed in something so creative.

Tobes, I couldn't help but include the last couple of photos of you on the trampoline with your hair all sticking up from static electricity. You love the trampoline and you and I are often on in trying to jump up and touch the moon together!

Love you boys,

Mum xxx

                                                

All the little things

Dear Matthew and Toby

Sometimes I feel that this blog is just a running commentary of events that are happening in our lives, so I thought it best to take the opportunity to just comment on a few little things (read: your beautiful quirks and achievements) that are happening at this time.

Firstly, Matt, you made it to your 100th day of school! I'm so proud of how well you're going at school, making friends and learning so many great things. You take everything in your stride and you're building resilience. Most importantly, you are kind and caring.

Tobes, at the moment you are absolutely besotted with weeding and lawnmowing. You could literally sit and weed the garden for hours at a time and demand that we join you. You love following daddy or Gumps around the lawn as they lawnmow with your toy lawnmower and are constantly asking/nagging them to mow the lawn. You are at your happiest outside pottering around the garden. You are also currently obsessed with wearing these free kids slippers that we brought back from Japan, despite the fact that they're about five sizes too big. You look super cute wearing them (see below).

Matt, you've started taking an art class which you're really enjoying. It's at the local community centre and a boy from your class has also joined the class so you have a great time together one afternoon a week. We have signed you up again next term because of how much you love it. This makes my heart sing because (having boys) I didn't think I'd get a chance to do much art and crafts with you both but you absolutely love it Matt. I'm often printing out colouring in pages from the internet for you of a range of things - animals, the world, Ben 10, Power Rangers etc.

To help with your concentration and speech Matt, we have also started OT and speech therapy. The ladies who you see are just divine and your strength and your fluidity of speech are coming along nicely. Anyway your OT suggested we get a trampoline so we got an awesome trampoline which can hold the whole family at once. You've both enjoyed jumping on it.

Tobes I can't leave out how you also love to play with Ma Ma's make up (see photo below!). Ma Ma and Gumps also paint your nails in the same way they did Matt's, much to your dad's frustration!

Hope that's given a few little updates on our every day life!

Love you both,

Mum xxx