New Paddler Pool

Well, we bought a new clam shell paddler pool today - David loves it. We borrowed Katie's pool this week when it was hot, and dad thought it was great. Ours has two sides, so we can close it to cover it at night.

It is outside in the Courtyard, on the soft rubber tiles. As you can see, DAvid has worked out how to fill it up - he wanted more water in it. It has his toys from the bath in it. Dad wants to get a boat for it now!

Well done Dad and David.

Also - an update on climbing David - here he is yesterday at the playground at the Community Centre. David suddenly decided that he wanted to open the gate. He had obviously worked it out, he just needs a bit more height. He hept working on it - on the thrid attempt, he got the top catch up, he just couldn't open it while hanging on the gate. I am sure he would work it out, given a bit more time.

It sends a shiver down your backbone, mostly because he is now doing this with lots of things. He picks things up and he knows how they work. He watches everything like a hawk.

Some more photos

What more to update? Well, David's latest thing is jumping. About two weeks ago he really started jumping - lifting both feet off the ground, jumpin on the spot. After a few days of that, he started jumping off things - steps, kerbs etc. Mostly he is really good and holds my hand. He looks at me and says questioningly, "Jump?"

Last weekend, he wanted to come down the stairs, jumping instead of stepping. Well, we managed to discourage that (Mostly!). He slipped down one step this morning, but was fine because he was holding on to the balustrade with his hand. Well done David!

This weekend though it is more about climbing up on things, and depending on the height, jumping down. When I say climbing up, he now wants to climb up on fences as we walk down the street, and is starting to check out the street trees to see if he can climb them. There is a ledge at the Community Centre, on the outside wall. It starts at street level, and runs level with the foundations as the street falls away. If would be around 7cms wide, and reaches a height of probably 70cms. David wanted to climb up and walk along it on the way back from the playground today. The first two times he walked along it he held Mum's hand - but he was a "big boy" and didn't want to hold Mum's hand on the third go. Nice confidence, but we have to keep reminding him to be careful.

So, to the photos. The first is David getting ready for a Pirate Party last weekend, for Finn's second birthday. The red hat is a pirate hat. He must have kept in on for at least 3 minutes! However he did keep his sun hat on for longer at the party, so that was OK. He is wearing new shorts for hot weather (it was 32C before a change came through), and I really like them as they are light and cool.

The second photo is at the park for Natasha's birthday party, in September. Katie, David and Finn found the water fountain, and worked out how to make it splash water. Lots and lots of fun, and they all got drenched. David went home in the pram (we had walked) in a dry nappy and the spare t-shirt, because everything else, including his shoes was drenched. He splashed in the puddle right next to the fountain! A lovely time had by all, without wasting too much water.

Birthday Cake Photos

As promised in a recent blog, here are photos of David with his birthday cake. The candles spell Happy Birthday, and he blew them all out. YOu can see Katie and her mum Jo in the background helping. He loved the Buzz & Woody picture on top.

It was a lovely moist carrot/hummingbird cake, without the walnuts. I put fresh grated nutmeg in this one and it really made a difference. I had made a couple of practice cakes (always a good move) and this was the best of them - a nice fairly flat top for the icing picture. It was going to be covered in cream cheese frosting ,but the icing picture needed a flat slightly damp surface for best results, so I changed it to cinnamon butter icing, and as you can see it worked splendidly.

What's more, David, Dad & I really like the cake.

Garden Show

These are photos from our trip to the Sydney ABC Gardening Australia Garden Show. Because it was an ABC show, there was a booth for ABC Kids. There David found characters Fifi and Bumble from the show Fifi and the Flowertots.

He wanted to cuddle Fifi and Bumble a LOT. He ran to them several time and we followed them around a bit. They were great and very welcoming to all the children. Considering that I wasn 't aware that he had even seen the show, it was a very strong reaction. It appears that he has seen two partial episodes on tv when Nanna Jan was visiting. David is the one in the green t-shirt.

I have also attached a photo of David having a great time on a ride on mower. He has seen them in action in the parks. I had been keeping him off all the equipment, with success, and then we found another unmanned display inside, and with several children (considerably older) already on playing on the equipment. If you can't beat them, join them!

We also had a nice time in the park outside the show, which was held at Olympic Park - lots of playequipment and grass to run on near the fountain made from the old Olympic flame holder.

Monorail Trip

Well these are photos from David's first trip on the Sydney monorail. in August 2007. He liked being up high & seeing all the buildings & traffic and Darling Harbour from up high. He loved the way that the doors beeped before they opened or closed.

Second Birthday!

Well, I sit here again with another cold / flu but I am updating the blog (rather than the other pressing things that I should be doing).

So much has happened, and most recently, David's second birthday. He is fabulous - and now, when asked, says "I'm Two". The celebrations started early. The Friday before his birthday, he went to the zoo with Katie and her parents. He had a fabulous time, and really enjoyed seeing the elephants.

On Saturday 22 September we went to the Haselhursts for David Haselhurst's (the elder) birthday which is a week before David's (the younger). Lots of fun seeing the cousins David, Annie, Patrick, (and Declan & Laura) and Nada, Richard and Monty. David had his first chocalate frog from David H, and really liked it - better than cake. He ate it very neatly, too! There was a big birthday cake for Declan and David Haselhurst, and young David had a practice blow out of the candles, in anticipation of his birthday. Good to see family and good to see how much Monty has grown.

David's birthday was really spreadout over a week - he got his present from Erin (a Curious George plush monkey) on Monday, when Katie got her present. He loves George.

Dad was home for his birthday morning, and we both went in and sang "Happy Birthday" to him in his cot. Then he got some of his presents - Cars (Lightning McQueen, Mater and a tipping tractor), Clothes (shorts from Nanna Jan & Uncle Steve, and a tshirt from us), Books and DVD (Toy Story from Nanna & Steve). On his birthday, which was a beautiful day, he went to the park with Erin and met Liam (and Zoe, Liam's nanny). He came home in the early afternoon and had a bath to get the dirt off and then had a big sleep. Because Dad was away down in Melbourne that night, we didn't do much. Friday morning, we had 4 other toddlers over from Mother's Group for a birthday cake and party. I had put the birthday banner up on Wednesday for his birthday, and I put up balloons on Thursday night for the Mother's Group party. David was very excited in the morning and really enjoyed his party and presents. He was very well mannered, and shared very well. We tried to keep his new presents separate as he was still possessive of the new things. I had made a big carrot cake and iced it with a Buzz & Woody picture (Toy Story). We had Happy Birthday candles, sang Happy Birthday and David blew them out . It is just amazing what you can buy at Coles.

Dad was home on Friday night (with the flu) and on Saturday we gave him his present from Nanna Josie and Grandad - Toy Story Woody and Jessie (pull string dolls). We also had the family over for a morning tea party - Uncle David & Auntie Gaye, Cousins Elizabeth, Michael, Jennifer, Matthew and Evan. Lots of fun for all and more presents.

When they left, David had a sleep and we watched the AFL grand final - Geelong won it at a canter.

Sunday morning I took him out for a long, long three hour walk, to let Daddy have some quiet time with the flu. Two playgrounds later, we came home for lunch and David was exhausted (after 3 big days) and slept the whole afternoon. Paul felt lousy.

Monday was a public holiday and a quiet day for us all, but we did get out for a walk. David is fine, but Paul & my cough had really set in by Monday. Lots of fun, as David didn't want to sit in the pram, but wanted to walk everywhere but home, and then lunch and then a sleep.

So that is probably enough for now. I will add photos later.