Holiday snaps

Holiday snaps from Port Macquarie, early in August. David in a Maccas playground. They are wonderful when you are on the road. Generally, filthy, hot or cold, with bad visibility, but little opportunity to hurt themselves, and all different. The coffee is getting better at the McCafe, so we like the leg stretch and exercise. I am fond of saying that it is just as well that I am not too big. I generally have to climb into them. Either because David needs some encouragement to go down a curly tube slide or because I have to see something, or because he won't get out.

All of those things are getting better though, compared with 12 months ago. Soon he won't want tme to play with him, so I will enjoy it while I can.

This is Action David, on the balcony/outdoor porch of the cabin we got at Port Macquaire. Just near the breakwater, and Town Beach. Lovely view. Not quite camping, as we ended up thinking it was still a bit cold for canvas. The days were lovely, but the nights cold. We had lots of climbing and action stuff. David has obviously seen someone rock clilmbing, becaus he has ben wanting to imitate it for a while. He wants sticky boots. He wants climbing rope and grappling hooks. He wants to be safe when he climbs, so he uses his safety harness. Given that David can't yet tie a knot, I am not confident that the rope and harness are in fact safe. This holiday the occy strap was a key ingredient, and the climbing rope that I bought him. He spent a lot of time climbing up onto the decking, from the garden, over the railing you can see in the background.

David slept in his new Spiderman sleeping bag, on the top bunk. He loved it! He was great with the ladder. I was happy that with the railing, he couldn't fall out. There was also a window up top, and separate lights so he had light and air. Perfect!

This is a photo of Sara, the little tabby cat with no tail who absolutely made the holiday. She was a real pet, so not a stray. Sara was the name David gave her. She tried to give a good impression of being homeless and hungry, but was so tame that she must have a home. She just loved David and loved to mooch. David is wearing his favourite alien flannelette pyjamas.

Lots more about the holiday. We saw a lighthouse, flew a kite, ran lots and lots on the beach. We visited the Koala hospital and saw koalas. We also went fishing. David has his own blue fishing rod. Dad caught a couple of small fish, which had to go back in, but we did catch fish! David didn't stay still long enought to really get into the fishing experience though....

an idea for a monster ....

Well, on Friday, David and I had to hide, because there was a monster coming.

It was green, and had a hard body, like a toaster. It was really tall. It had buttons for teeth. It shot laser lights out of its eyes. It couldn't talk, but it could hear. It was going to rip our skin off.

First we hid under the umbrella, on the chair. From the top, the umbrella would look like a mushroom, and the monster wouldn't see us. Then we had to run across the house and hide in the downstairs toilet, with the door locked and his little chair against the door. This was to stop the monster.

We came out when I worked out that Daddy was going to be the monster when he came home, and I told David that it was another hour before Daddy was due home. David was disappointed.

Lots of imagination! I ought to point out that this was a scary (not funny) monster, but David wasn't scared!

We also made Ben 10 watches (again). And a Heatblast figure, out of yellow paper. David is getting a Ben 10 Omnitrix watch for his birthday, if he is good.

We had a great day on Thursday. We waited for the Foxtel man (unit broken and replaced).After lunch we went to visit Annie, who has had an operation. Then we went to Centennial Park, to see the gun/cannon and statues. We also found a great playground. It has button bells that you can play with your feet, swings and lots more. It also had a waterplay section. A fire hydrant that kids can make flow, into a river. Once the river fills, it overflows into the sand pit, where the play equipment is. David was making a river for three or four little kids. Then Joseph came along. Joseph is four and a half and had a Ben 10 bike and helmet. They had a wow of a time, first with the water, then climbing and just playing. Well, I barely got him out of there before dark. I put him into dry clothes, gave him his (long ignored) sandwich and in the slow traffic home he fell asleep. We couldn't wake him, so we put him to bed. He slept right through until 3.30am. That is another story in itself......

Likes & dislikes

So, where are we at this week? Well, lots of emotions, lots of testing boundaries, lots of testing relationships.

David has decided to take an all or nothing approach to life. It started last week (and who knows how long it will last?). David doesn't just like anything anymore. He LOVES it. So, on Saturday David said that he LOVES gymnastics. I said "Really?" and he said "Of course!" This morning David said that he LOVES daycare! He also loves Ben 10, potato chips, bubbles .... You get the idea.

David also HATES lots of thing recently. He HATES gymnastics. He HATES daycare (also this morning, about 45 minutes after he said that he LOVES daycare). He HATES broccoli. He also randomly HATES food that he likes, and then gets over it.

He is just so passionate about it all. He gets frustrated and cross if things that he is making or building don't go just right. He is so happy when he gets something new, no matter how small, or when we fix something or build it just right.

Occasionally he is BORED over something.

More disturbing, over the last week David is now saying that he HATES mum, or that he HATES dad. There is a direct relationship between the "love" and "hate" and getting his own way (or not). He is also saying "Go AWAY." when he is angry. Interestingly he is also saying"You're sacked! You're not my mum anymore." I know where the "You're sacked" somes from. It is from the Pamela Allen book "Brown Bread and Honey". After a relatively short period, David will tell me that I am not sacked anymore, and that he loves me, and wants a cuddle. I have tried reasoning with him and explaining the consequences of what he is saying but I have come to the conclusion that there is no point. He doesn't really understand what he is saying.

It seems to follow on from the playground stuff that is present in Pre-school and which wasn't in the Nursery room. One day two kids are best friends and the next day "He's not my friend anymore." For example, in March this year, David went to Gordon's birthday party. Approximately six weeks after the party, Gordon upset David when he said to David "You're not coming to my birthday party!" I explained to David that he had already been to the party, so that this didn't make sense. The next day they were best friends again. The following week, David told Gordon that he didn't want to play with him anymore.

David also has the unfortunate habit of growling (I think like a dog) when he is most displeased about something. Fortunately, I can make him laugh about it some times.

So, at the moment it is all a bit of a rollercoaster. I understand from the parents of some HSC students that it can continue for years...... Lots of fun!

(Oh, this has somewhat replaced the phase from last month where he stopped saying Yes! and replaced it with "Of course!")

I just thought that I would add this photo from a few weeks ago. As regular readers would know, David has always liked playing in bags & suitcases. He will be too big soon!

Sydney Festival, earlier this year

David is on my lap which makes typing difficult. He likes the idea of being on the web. He likes the photos and the blog that he just typed with Katie's name.

He has gone now, so I will do a quick note.

This is a photo taken during the Sydney Festival, early 2009. One of the installations was to put pianos around in public places in Sydney, and let people make their own music and interact with them. This one is on the paved area at the front of the Sydney Opera House. David is (of course) for the period, wearing the Batman dress up, but with shorts, because I convinced him that it was too hot for the long trousers.

David walked right up to it and wanted to play it - lots of crashing and noise, and complete confidence. He played for at least 8 or 10 minutes. Tourist were taking his photo, because he looked photogenic, I guess. I got him off to let others have a turn - David inspired a couple of other children who could actually play to have a turn.

We then went around the Botanic Garden, and back home on the ferry from Circular Quay.

Another day we went in to see the free kids show in Hyde Park, and see the fabulous Spiegeltent. The Spiegeltent was worth seeing - atmosphere, mirrors and it all fits together like a jigsaw! There were juggling lessons, tumbling lessons and a magic show. Lots of fun. We got cupcakes on the way, and David really enjoyed seeing other kids playing "What's the time Mr Wolf" while we were waiting for the shows to start. Hot days, but a breeze and better in the gardens under the trees than in the concrete streets. We also played in the fountain in Hyde Park, but David got too cold, so we went home. He fell asleep in the stroller while we were walking back to the Light Rail, so he missed the train trip home. A good time was had by all.

some photos

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Some more from David!

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